
EDUCATION
Ph.D. | Social Policy and Sociology | Durham University |

AWARDS AND HONORS
Year | Award |
---|---|
Vice Chancellorsâ Senior Research Fellowship at Northumbria University, UK | |
Durham University, UK, Learning and Teaching Award |

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Moral development

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Moral development in schools
Professional practice (military and educational leaders)

HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS
- âWalker, D.I. (2024) âSociological Contributions to Moral Educationâ. Journal of Moral Education
- Walker, D.I. (2023) âTowards a Critical Character Education using Virtue Ethics Philosophy and Bourdieuâs Sociologyâ Journal of Moral Education
- Gungordu, N*., Nabizadehchianeh*, G., Ma, W., OâConnor, E., & Walker, D.I. (2023). âMoral Reasoning Development: Norms for Defining Issue Test-2 (DIT2)â, Ethics and Behavior https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2023.2206573
- Chi-Ming Lee, A, Walker, D.I, Chen, Y.H., Thoma, S. J. (2022) âMoral thinking and communication competencies of college students and graduates in Taiwan, the UK, and the US: a mixed-method studyâ. Ethics and Behavior, 51(4), 443-462. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2021.1956445
- Yaghoubi J* & Walker, D.I. (2022) âSituational Empathy among Biculturalâs from opposing countries â Iran and USAâ International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 91, 282-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.11.002
- Han, H., Dawson*, K., Walker, D.I., *Nghi, S & *Choi, Y (2022). âExploring the Association between Character Strengths and Moral Functioning using Bayesian Model Averagingâ Ethics and Behavior https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2022.2063867
- Walker, D.I. (2022) âSociological contributions for researching morality and cultivating states of moral characterâ. Journal of Moral Education, 51(1), p24-34
- Walker, D.I. (2022) Learning to own professional practice through character â the case of the junior Army officer. Journal of Moral Education. 51(4), 554-572. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2021.1991292
- Brunsdon, J*. & Walker D.I. (2022). Cultivating Character through Physical Education using Memetic, Progressive and Transformative Practices in Schools. Journal of Moral Education, 51(4), p477-493, https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2021.1894105
- Walker, D.I. & Moulin-StoĆŒek, D (2021). âAn embedded case-study of moral reasoning in two Mexican secondary schoolsâ Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2019.1696667 51(7), p984-1002
- Walker, D.I., Thoma, S., & Arthur, J.A. (2021) Assessing Ethical Reasoning Among Junior British Army Officers using the Army Intermediate Concept Measure (AICM). Journal of Military Ethics, 20, p2-20.
- Thoma, S. Walker, D.I., Chen, Y.H., Frichand, A., Moulin-StoĆŒek, D. & KristjĂĄnsson, K (2019). âAssessing adolescentâs application of the virtues across multiple cultural contexts: An empirical summary of studies using the Adolescent Intermediate Concepts Measureâ Developmental Psychology, 55:10, DOI: 10.1037/dev0000770
- Walker, D.I., Thoma, S. (2018) âMoral and character educationâ, Oxford University Press: The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
- Walker, D.I., Thoma, S., Jones, C & KristjĂĄnsson, K. (2017) Adolescent moral judgement: A study of UK secondary school pupils, British Education Research Journal, DOI: 10.1002/berj.3274.
- Kwon*, S., Walker, D.I. & KristjĂĄnsson, K (2017) âShining light into dark shadows of violence and learned helplessness: Peace education in South Korean Schoolsâ, Journal of Peace Research, DOI: 10.1080/17400201.2017.1373252.
- Kwon*, S., KristjĂĄnsson K. & Walker, D.I. (2017) âMisery in dark shadows behind the high achievement scores in South Korean schooling: An ethnographic studyâ, Educational Review, 69(2), 201-217.
- Walker, D.I., Curren, R., & Jones*, C. (2016) âGood friendships among children: A theoretical and empirical investigationâ, Journal of the Theory of Social Behaviour, 46(3), 286-309.
- McGrath, B & Walker, D.I. (2016) âFactor structure of character strengths in youth: Consistency across ages and measuresâ, Journal of Moral Education, DOI.org/10.1080/03057240.2016.1213709.
- Walker, D.I., Roberts*, M., & KristjĂĄnsson, K. (2015) âTowards a new era of character education in theory and in practiceâ, Educational Review, 67(1), 79-96.
- Sanderse, W., Walker, D.I. & Jones*, C. (2015). âDeveloping the whole child in an age of academic measurement: can this be done according to U.K. teachers?â, Teaching and Teacher Education, 47, 195-203.
- Walker, D.I. (2013). âAnticipating Army exit: Identity constructions of final year UK career soldiersâ. Armed Forces and Society, 39(2), 284 â 304.
Book:
- Harrison, T, & Walker, D.I. (editors) (2018) Theory and Practice of Virtue Education, Routledge.
Chapters:
- Walker, D.I. (2024) âCommunities for Courageâ, in Fowers, B., Oxford University Press. Virtue of Courage.
- Walker,D.I. (2018) âCharacter in the British Army: A Precarious Professional Practiceâ, in Carr, D., Routledge. Cultivating moral character and virtue in professional practice.
Research reports / frameworks:
- Curren, R., Walker, D.I., Mendiola, B., and Bynum, Y. (2022). A Framework for Character Education in Alabama Schools, University of Alabama (updated and combined with the companion guide).
- Arthur, J., KristjĂĄnsson, K., Walker, D.I., Sanderse, W. & Jones, C. (2015). Character education in UK schools, University of Birmingham, UK.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS / ACTIVITIES
- British career soldier for 23 years

BIOGRAPHY
Dr. David Ian Walker is Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Alabama. He is also Director of the Center for the Study of Ethical Development and Principal Investigator for the âEducational Leadership for Characterâ project funded ($2.5m) by the Kern Family Foundation. His interdisciplinary research explores how to develop character and how character is shaped by context and culture.
After a first career as a soldier, Walker received his PhD from Durham University, UK, and completed post-doctoral study at Purdue University, USA, before leading research at the University of Birmingham in UK. He was awarded a Vice Chancellorsâ Senior Research Fellowship at Northumbria University, UK, before taking up his current position.
Dr. Walker is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Authority, is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Moral Education and for the Association of Moral Education.