Moral development, achievement goal, and athletic identity are considered psychological constructs sharing specific cognitive, social, motivational, and behavioral traits. The purpose of the present article is to investigate the relation among moral orientations, athletic identity, and social goal orientations. In addition, the impact of age, gender, type of sport, sport division, and school performance on moral orientation has also been investigated. One hundred forty athletes of artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and acrobatic gymnastics (n?=?29 boys, n?=?111 girls), aged 8 to 17, (...) participated in the research. They belonged to IV, III, II, and I sport divisions. The participants filled in three questionnaires: Moral Orientation Students in Physical Education Questionnaire, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and Social Goal Orientation Questionnaire. The results established that moral orientation is related to the athletic identity and achievement social goal constructs, as well as the fact that they affect school performance. (shrink)

This review essay examines some central aspects of Kristján Kristjánsson’s book, Aristotelian Character Education, beginning with the claim that contemporary virtue ethics provides methodological, ontological, epistemological, and moral foundations for Aristotelian character education. It considers three different formulations of what defines virtue ethics, and suggests that virtue ethical moral theory has steered character educators away from important aspects of Aristotle’s views on character education. It goes on to suggest a broadening of attention to psychology beyond personality and the psychological status (...) of virtues, and it concludes with an examination of Kristjánsson’s understanding of phronesis. (shrink)

This article reasserts the centrality of reasoning as the focus for moral education. Attention to moral cognition must be extended to incorporate sociogenetic processes in moral growth. Moral education is not simply growth within the moral domain, but addresses capacities of students to engage in cross-domain coordination. Development beyond adolescence in moral thinking is in two forms: the gradual application of morality in broader adult contexts, and the result of social discourse and progressive readjustments at the individual and societal level (...) of views of the morality of societal practices. Postconventional moral reasoning is not a rarified stage of moral cognition, but an orientation and set of discourse skills potentially available to all normally developing adult moral reasoners. (shrink)

While much is understood about the role of the family context and educational experiences for moral development, less attention has been devoted to the occupational context. In this research, we used Kohlberg’s approach of moral education as a framework and investigated the relationship between structurally anchored organizational democracy and employees’ moral development. Employees of five conventional and five democratic enterprises participated in our study. Consistently with our theoretically derived hypotheses, the results provide initial support for the theoretical model in that (...) employees from democratic firms scored higher on moral development than employees from conventional firms. In turn, contrary to our expectations, the socio-moral climate within organizations failed to explain variance in moral development. Theoretical implications of our findings as well as suggestions for future research are discussed. (shrink)

Urban populations that live in the outskirts of major Latin American cities usually face conditions of vulnerability attached to complex environmental issues, such as the lack of sewerage, floods, pollution and soil and water contamination. This article reports an intervention research programme in S?o Paulo, Brazil that combines a moral education approach with sustainability awareness in vulnerable communities. The main conceptual foundations of the project, designed to empower the community and promote ethical and environmental awareness are: strengthening the ties between (...) the school and the surrounding community in order to construct ?moral atmosphere?; adoption of Problem- and Project-based Learning and the Design Thinking approach to reach the proposed goals. (shrink)

The school moral atmosphere refers to informal norms and values that regulate the relationships in school and their degree of sharing among students. We tested whether the school moral atmosphere is a mediating variable between adolescents? normative orientation and their self-reported aggressive and transgressive behaviours. A total of 664 Italian students (age range 15?21, M = 17.06, SD = 1.15) filled out a questionnaire to measure their perception of: (1) school moral atmosphere, (2) normative orientation and (3) frequency of aggressive (...) and transgressive behaviours at school. Normative orientation and school moral atmosphere were good predictors of both aggressive and transgressive behaviours. Normative orientation was proved as a direct explicative variable with transgressive behaviours as dependent variable, but an indirect variable with aggressive behaviours as dependent. In this case the relation was mediated by the school moral atmosphere, confirming previous results. Educational implications are discussed. (shrink)

My professional and personal lives have always intertwined; as someone who works in moral education and psychology?fields defined by historical and socio-political contexts?the political sphere has also surrounded my career. Being a researcher, interventionist and evaluator has taught me that it is very easy to lose one or more of the necessary, but often too loosely woven, threads of educational practice and policy with human development and culture. Based on my own professional experiences, I discuss two sets of issues that (...) inform my current political stance on school reform. Currently in the USA and elsewhere, school reform efforts focus almost exclusively on learning and short-term goals to the neglect of lifelong developmental goals. Development and learning are not considered equally important educational goals. These issues form the threads of my narrative; the dance up the spiral staircase is my career. (shrink)

Any democratic society must concern itself with the socialization of its citizens. This begins in childhood, and schools are critical to this process. The interrelations and roles of educating for character and educating for citizenship are explored, largely in a North American context. It is argued that citizenship education necessarily entails character and moral formation, but this integration is hindered by negative stereotyping between the two fields. In addition, negative stereotyping between the fields of moral education and character education further (...) complicates attempts at synthesis. Through explorations of each of these domains and their similarities and differences, it is concluded that the role of schools in fostering the development of moral citizens in democratic societies necessitates focus on moral development, broader moral and related character development, teaching of civics and development of citizenship skills and dispositions. Moreover, these outcomes overlap and cut across the fields of moral, character and citizenship education. (shrink)

Contemporary approaches to moral education are influenced by the ?domain theory? approach to understanding moral development (Turiel, 1983; 1998; Nucci, 2001). Domain theory holds there are distinct conventional, personal and moral domains; each constituting a cognitive ?structured?whole? with its own normative source and sphere of influence. One of the strengths of domain theory is that separating convention from morality and distinguishing morality from self?interest provides a conceptual critique of both conventional values and the pursuit of self?interest. Relying on the work (...) of Joseph Raz, this paper will show how a classical, neo?Aristotelian conception can also provide conceptual space for an ethical critique of convention and self?interest, yet deny that it must emanate from different normative sources. Practical implications for both of these theories will also be considered, pointing out the strengths of, as well as some areas of vulnerability for, both. (shrink)

In the Journal of Moral Education, Sherblom examined several empirical and conceptual claims related to gender and morality and re-envisioned the legacy of Gilligan's 'care challenge'. He concluded that the moral and scientific legitimacy of the ethic of care has been established. However, his apologetic is flawed in major ways and scholarly integrity demands a rebuttal. This article exposes how Sherblom's analysis misconstrues some of the empirical claims, fails to present relevant data, entails an incomplete reading of Kohlberg's theory, imputes (...) an impact on moral/character education that is unwarranted, disregards some significant problems in the conceptualisation of the ethic of care and draws conclusions that are indefensible. The primary claims of the care perspective have generally been discredited and Sherblom's attempt to advance its legacy fails. The time has come to move beyond these notions of a gendered moral psychology. (shrink)

The argument of this paper focuses on the relationship between cognitive structures and structures of interaction. It contends that there is still a place in moral development theory and research for a concept of moral stages. The thesis, in short, is that moral stages are not structures of thought. They are structures of action encoded in thought. When individuals seek reciprocity or appeal to reciprocity as a norm, they are not inventing reciprocity or constructing a philosophical concept out of thin (...) air. They are, following Piaget and G.H. Mead, bringing to conscious realisation the reciprocity in the functioning social system in which they interact. The basic assumptions of Kohlberg?s early social?pragmatist, cognitive?developmental approach are outlined and a stage sequence that follows this format is described. (shrink)

We examine the implications of dual?processing theories of cognition for the moral domain, with particular emphasis upon ?System 1? theories: the Social Intuitionist Model (Haidt), moral heuristics (Sunstein), fast?and?frugal moral heuristics (Gigerenzer), schema accessibility (Lapsley & Narvaez) and moral expertise (Narvaez). We argue that these theories differ from each other in important ways and should be carefully distinguished. We examine these theories in the light of the ?Berkowitz Rule? with respect to educational practice and conclude with some thoughts about the (...) implications of this work for resetting the boundary between ethical theory and moral psychology. (shrink)

Abstract In this paper the outlines of an explicitly ?Vygotskian? perspective on moral education are sketched. I begin by briefly reviewing and critiquing the two most well?known and widely used approaches to moral education??the cognitive?developmental approach and the character education approach??and I suggest that a Vygotskian/socio?cultural perspective has the potential to address many of the problems faced by contemporary moral educators. Vygotsky's ideas about the ?zone of proximal development? are then summarised and those ideas are extended to the domain of (...) moral education, focusing on an excerpt from the film, Boyz ?n the Hood. Narrative and story?telling are considered briefly as an example of how the zone of proximal development works to facilitate moral development in a way that is markedly different from that described by contemporary character educators, and I conclude with some brief reflections on questions left unanswered, and speculations about future directions for both theory and practice in moral education from a Vygotskian/socio?cultural perspective. (shrink)

This article describes how a unique high school programme, not formally designed to teach moral principles or character lessons, contributed substantially to the character education of its students. Graduates over 20 years old were interviewed ( n =106) and completed a questionnaire ( n =204). Findings suggest the programme teachers helped students develop character attributes by providing a desirable character education environment. A majority of students reported that the programme was personalised, practical and, in many cases, life changing. A majority (...) of the students also indicated that the programme helped them develop an appreciation and respect for others and the environment, while helping them prepare for higher education. We present this programme as a model for character education at the high school level. Details are presented so that the programme can be replicated in other settings. We conclude that the success of this programme can be understood in terms of teachers' willingness to encourage students to take responsibility for their lives, and their learning through modeling of high character values, use of an integrated and experiential curriculum, and employment of a dialogical perspective on active education. (shrink)

Respect is a cardinal virtue in schools and foundational to our common ethical beliefs, yet its meaning is muddled. For philosophers Kant, Mill, and Rawls, whose influential theories span three centuries, respect includes appreciation of universal human dignity, equality, and autonomy. In their view children, possessors of human dignity, but without perspective and reasoning ability, are entitled only to the most minimal respect. While undeserving of mutual respect they are nonetheless expected to show unilateral respect. Dewey and Piaget, scions of (...) the same liberal tradition, grant children a larger degree of autonomy and equality thereby approximating the full respect conditions reserved for adults in the prior theories. In this article, after reviewing the premises of respect, I attempt to blend the divide - between minimal and full respect - by separating respect-due from respect-earned . While the former, premised on human dignity, should be granted unconditionally to all, the latter is contingent upon qualities that one possesses or acquires over time. Adding the notion of respect-due is a constraint on the prevalent school practice of turning respect into demands for deference. The relevance of this distinction is discussed in terms of student-teacher relationships. (shrink)

This research examined factors predicting university students' intentions to enroll in a philosophy of life course. One hundred and ninety subjects participated in two surveys. The first was qualitative, identifying factors students considered in forming intentions, but without ranking the factors. The second study used a quantitative model to predict student intentions from their beliefs about the course, themselves, and other people. The model was based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, a theory that successfully predicts many different behaviors. Analysis (...) was done using partial least squares, a robust structural equation modeling technique. The results show that students focused primarily on personal outcomes from the course. They wanted the course to help them understand life and themselves. To a lesser extent, students' perceptions of other people's views affected their intentions, especially the opinions of parents, friends, and religious people. Some students thought all beliefs are subjective, and discussing them would be pointless. Recommendations are given for designing and promoting philosophy of life courses. (shrink)

This paper reviews Kohlberg''s (1969) theory of cognitive moral development, highlighting moral reasoning research relevant to the business ethics domain. Implications for future business ethics research, higher education and training, and the management of ethical/unethical behavior are discussed.

In the present study business managers in Kabi Pharmacia Company were trained in the use of the autonomous method in their decision-making about solving real life business ethics problems. According to the psychological theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Kohlberg, it is possible to promote the acquisition of the autonomous ethical skill by instruction and training. Indeed, participation in a one-day educational programme which focused on the training of the autonomous cognitive ability and not on the transfer of moral content, was (...) sufficient to provide a shift in the mode of decision-making about business ethics problems towards the autonomous ethical function. This change was still stable one month later. A test was constructed by items representing current business ethics conflicts in order to assess ethical function. (shrink)

Education in business ethics focuses mainly on the improvement of ethical awareness, on philosophical issues, or on the transfer of moral content. However, serious problems with the effectiveness of these methods have been reported. In line with the psychological theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Kohlberg, and in order to avoid the above problems, the educational effort in the present study was concentrated on the stimulation of development of the underlying autonomous cognitive ability to solve moral problems. Adults were trained to (...) solve business ethics problems according to the autonomous function. The problems were presented in the form of moral conflicts introduced by hypothetical stories. The results showed that simple instructions were sufficient to promote a significant shift in the subjects'' mode of solving the problems towards the autonomous moral function. Both the educational method and the test device are promising. Issues concerning the scoring instrument as well as questions about the transfer and application of the cognitive skill in real situations are discussed. (shrink)

There is a fundamental tension in business ethics between the apparent need to ensure ethical conduct through hierarchical control, and the encouragement of individuals' potential for autonomous moral judgement. In philosophical terms, these positions are consequentialist and Kantian, respectively. This paper assumes the former to be the dominant position in practice, and probably in theory also, but regards it as a misplaced extension of the more general managerial tendency to seek and maintain control over employees. While the functions of such (...) control are recognized, the arguments in favour of individuals' moral autonomy are pursued from both a Kantian and a social–theoretic perspective. Reference is made to Kohlberg's research on moral development that provides an insight into how individuals, through participation in debate with colleagues, might become more effective moral agents within organizational settings. This is contrasted with a managerial perspective, which pays lip service to individuals' right to such genuine involvement. The paper considers psychological manipulation and the legitimacy of managerial authority on matters of ethics, as opposed to in the purely technical context. The wider societal significance of such hierarchical power in organizations constitutes an important background to the paper. It is concluded that genuine, non‐manipulative, participation by employees is the way forward for the ethical management of business ethics. (shrink)

This article focuses on the development of, and new theorising about, a strong democracy education intervention, the Just Community approach. Three questions frame the discussion: (1) Does democracy education change children and adolescents or do students in these programs change their schools, or is there a dynamic interaction over time? (2) How can democracy be ?learned?? How can the concept of democracy be most thoroughly learned and how can democratic problem?solving skills best be acquired? (3) How can we optimise the (...) chances that the knowledge and skills learned will motivate future active citizenship? The article begins with a brief history of the Just Community approach, a description of the original developmental model created by Lawrence Kohlberg and collaborators and some variation in more recent European Just Community programs. In a discussion of controversial and difficult issues democracy education may face, the second question takes centre stage and several structural aspects are offered that should be included in such efforts to maximise their effectiveness. In the remainder of the article new perspectives coming from Europe are introduced. Some additional pathways to the Just Community approach and their justifications, which have not played a significant role in the theory and practice of the ?traditional? model but can add to its strengths, are identified. Finally, the idea of ?trusting in advance? is introduced as critical for well?functioning educational democracies. (shrink)

Abstract The concept of interpersonal forgiveness is described first through an examination of ancient writings and contemporary philosophical and psychological discourse. Two psychological models are then described. The first concerns developmental patterns in how people think about forgiving another. The second describes how people may go about forgiving another. Implications for counseling and education are drawn.

Abstract This paper introduces a vision of moral education for the future. It argues that for moral education to take its place as essential in the curriculum, moral educators must acknowledge and adopt the goal for moral education expected by lay?people and by society; that is, to create better societies and a better world in addition to developing the character and moral acumen of individuals. Examples are used to argue that the world is a smaller, and also a new, place (...) due to the impact of technology on our political and economic systems and due to the impact of computer communication on our social and educational relations. The new world must be entered with a much richer understanding of the multilayered histories and present situations of our world, if people, groups and nations are to live with one another in mutual respect and dignity. Thus, this paper argues for a vision of moral education as an historical, political and social science of morality, conducted as laboratory experiences which can educate and enable students to take moral perspectives on issues they will inevitably face and to be moral agents as citizens of the earth in the 21st century. (shrink)

Research on moral judgment has been dominated by rationalist models, in which moral judgment is thought to be caused by moral reasoning. The author gives 4 reasons for considering the hypothesis that moral reasoning does not cause moral judgment; rather, moral reasoning is usually a post hoc construction, generated after a judgment has been reached. The social intuitionist model is presented as an alternative to rationalist models. The model is a social model in that it deemphasizes the private reasoning done (...) by individuals and emphasizes instead the importance of social and cultural influences. The model is an intuitionist model in that it states that moral judgment is generally the result of quick, automatic evaluations (intuitions). The model is more consistent than rationalist models with recent findings in social, cultural, evolutionary, and biological psychology, as well as in anthropology and primatology. (shrink)

In this review we will examine four books that instruct parents in directing the moral development of their children. We also make suggestions on how to think about fostering moral children.

Many experts in moral education agree that the potential for empathy, a key moral emotion, is innate. However, it is also evident that this potential needs to be developed if children are to acquire crucial moral qualities such as honesty, concern for others and a sense of fairness. Our central claim is that important structural changes in both families and schools may be necessary for the development of empathy and, hence, the fostering of these moral virtues. Since many families and (...) schools are far from ideal, both are likely to need help from the other and each can compensate to some extent for the other's failings. However, unless families become more sex-egalitarian, and schools become more multicultural in their student and faculty populations as well as their curricula, both lack components necessary for their success as moral educators. If such changes occur, the resulting dynamic between families and schools may be ideal for the healthy moral development of citizens. (shrink)

Dirigido a docentes, el texto aborda las implicaciones educativas de un enfoque actualizado e integrador del desarrollo moral, que recomienda diferenciar entre los dominios personal, convencional y moral. Desde esa perspectiva, examina dos temas relacionados, según los diferentes niveles educativos o de edad: Primero, la importancia del clima social y emocional predominante en las aulas y escuelas, ya que los climas caracterizados por la calidez, la equidad y la confianza promueven la conducta prosocial y una “orientación de buena voluntad”. Especial (...) atención se le presta a los riesgos de las camarillas y la exclusión entre pares durante la adolescencia, así como a la necesidad de subdividir las escuelas grandes en comunidades educativas más pequeñas ―o a escala humana―. Segundo, la importancia práctica y ética de complementar una atmósfera moral positiva con una disciplina constructivista o evolutiva. Una disciplina que además de las metas comunes de control y eficiencia, también se propone elevar la competencia social y moral de los estudiantes enfatizando la motivación intrínseca, las habilidades de solución de problemas sociales, y un uso moderado de las consecuencias lógicas del mal comportamiento; en lugar del énfasis usual en modelar la conducta mediante recompensas y castigos extrínsecos. (shrink)

In this study, researchers examined the assumption that senior-level undergraduate students from private colleges universities possess higher levels of moral and ethical development than students from public institutions. In addition, the researchers sought to determine (a) if there was a relationship between narcissistic personality traits and the level of moral reasoning, and (b) there was a difference in the level of narcissistic personality tendencies of business students from private vs. public institutions based on demographic and textual variables. A cluster sampling (...) approach was used in the sample selection. The sample was limited to students majoring in general business at seven public and six private universities in North Dakota and Minnesota. A total of 269 subjects participated in the research project: 145 at private institutions and 124 at public institutions. The Defining Issues Test version 2 (DIT-2) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) were used to collect data at seven public and six private institutions. Students from public and private universities scored similarly on the DIT-2. A significant difference between the NPI scores of the private college students and the public college students was found. No significant relationship was found between the NPI score and level of moral reasoning. Business educators should be concerned that an increase in the number of business ethics courses completed did not significantly impact students' moral reasoning or narcissistic traits. (shrink)

El presente artículo examina el enfoque denominado “educación del carácter”, que hoy día se puede considerar el enfoque de la educación moral más influyente y extendido a nivel mundial. A fin de analizar la educación del carácter, el artículo destaca la tensión moderna entre la preeminencia del individuo versus el rol de la comunidad como agente moral y su importancia para el florecimiento humano. También examina sus metas, fundamentos teóricos y la forma en que sus exponentes elaboran la disyuntiva comunidad-individuo. (...) La educación del carácter no logra captar los valores morales que subyacen a los conceptos modernos de autenticidad individual y libertad personal, puesto que asume una perspectiva tradicionalista de la comunidad que ve al individuo únicamente como una amenaza. En general, la educación del carácter parece incapaz de reconocer la tensión creativa entre la comunidad y el indivivuo, al abogar por un modelo en el que la escuela opera como transmisora de valores culturales y morales, dejando poco espacio a una visión más crítica de la educación moral. Además, y paradójicamente, a pesar de su marco de referencia comunitario, muchos de sus autores propugnan soluciones individualistas a los problemas sociales de las sociedades modernas, ignorando así las implicaciones de la vida comunitaria en cuanto a la conformación de la sociedad. (shrink)

Moral education is concerned with depolarising the tension between loyalty and sedition, but little work has been done in the field to describe and map the territory between these poles. This paper proposes that the concept of dissent accomplishes this task and satisfies the need for a construct which describes the condition of sitting apart from those one is a part of. Through a seven?part descriptive and prescriptive conceptual analysis it is revealed that this kind of ?loyal disagreement? depends upon (...) disagreeing within rigorous and desirable conceptions of franchise, shared history, contra?hegemony, ethical principles, reasonable heresy and a publicly pronounced attitude of persuasion. Through revealing dissent?s conceptual complexity, this argument also demonstrates that such complexity is also, generally speaking, central to the aims of moral education insofar as these can be described as making correct judgements in the interests of maintaining social relationships. (shrink)

School anti-violence programs are united in their radical condemnation of aggression, generally equated with violence. The programs advocate its elimination by priming children's emotional and cognitive controls. What goes unrecognized is the embeddedness of aggression in human beings, as well as its positive psychological and moral functions. In attempting to eradicate aggression, schools increase the risk of student disaffection while stifling the goods associated with it: status, power, dominance, agency, mastery, pride, social-affiliation, social-approval, loyalty, self-respect, and self-confidence. It is argued (...) that the distribution of power and authority to students as plausible substitutes for aggression, would enable them to express aggression in a legitimate manner and simultaneously encourage their attachment to school. A vibrant anti-violence program that attracts children will find a way for caring, amiability, sympathy, and kindness to live in tandem with competition, power, assertiveness, and anger tamed by institutional constraints. (shrink)

School behaviour policies in England have developed in recent years as a direct result of government policy attempting to address issues of poor behaviour in schools, against a background of wider social concerns about anti-social behaviour and loss of respect. Since the 1980s there has been an acceptance that earlier authority-based approaches need to be broadened to include more collaborative approaches with students that involve elements of discussion and negotiation. A commonly stated aim of behaviour policies is to encourage personal (...) responsibility on the part of students. However, on examination, many school behaviour policies are morally ambiguous, confuse the moral and conventional domains and take insufficient account of what it means to become genuinely self-directing, as discussed in the literature on moral development. Approaches advocated by many schools towards helping students discuss, negotiate and internalise school rules are superficial and ineffective. The paper argues that clearer links need to be made between school behaviour policies, moral development and citizenship education. The English citizenship curriculum framework is described in terms of its developmental structure, its broad conception and its concept map, which allows citizenship learning to be identified across a wide range of school contexts. The importance of cognitive challenge in the progress towards moral maturity is discussed. Teachers often fail to provide sufficient challenge in relation to behavioural issues and often infantilise students in denying them opportunities to take responsibility. It is argued that a concept-based map of citizenship education allows teachers to construct a morally rich curriculum framework from the early years upwards and to make links with a wide range of citizenship issues across the life of the school, optimising opportunities to promote social and moral responsibility. (shrink)

(2006). What the rule of law should mean in civics education: from the ‘Following Orders’ defence to the classroom. Journal of Moral Education: Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 137-162.

We propose extending business ethics education beyond the formal curriculum to the hidden curriculum where messages about ethics and values are implicitly sent and received. In this meta-learning approach, students learn by becoming active participants in an honorable business school community where real ethical issues are openly discussed and acted upon. When combined with formal ethics instruction, this meta-learning approach provides a framework for a proposed comprehensive program of business ethics education.

This article analyses the unique challenges and needs of moral and citizenship education in post-war Peruvian society. It assumes the explanation of the roots, the facts and the enduring negative consequences of violence as described in the final report of the Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación [Truth and Reconciliation Commission] presented to the country in 2003. Drawing on the argument made by the CVR, the paper begins by discussing the fundamental role that education played in the expansion of violence. (...) Secondly, and within the framework of the CVR, the article undertakes an evaluation of the current state of Peruvian education, emphasising the role and main characteristics of moral and citizenship education within it. Through this examination, the many problems and challenges of moral education in contemporary Peruvian society are highlighted. Finally, the paper presents some general conclusions about the state of moral and citizenship education in Peruacute and the essential and delicate role it should have in a post-war society. (shrink)

Lawrence Kohlberg's Just Community program of moral education has conceptual significance to his theoretical work in the field of moral development. This argument contends that a perspective recognizing the Just Community as conceptually significant provides a more comprehensive picture of Kohlberg's work than do critical perspectives that limit their scope to his Structural Stage Model of moral development. Apprehending the Just Community's conceptual significance provides the opportunity to respond to critics, like Carol Gilligan and Helen Haste, who have suggested that (...) Kohlberg's work is inattentive to notions of attachment in morality, but who either neglect or dismiss consideration of the Just Community in making these conclusions. The argument concludes by stating that a more philosophically comprehensive and mature understanding of morality was developing in Kohlberg's Just Community, a project undertaken well in advance of these major criticisms. (shrink)

Abstract Previous work has found few gender differences in moral orientation among children. Two experiments were conducted with third grade children (8?year?olds) to learn if children's moral orientation would be affected by the gender of dilemma characters: all male, all female, or mixed gender. Children responded to stories in which animal characters faced a conflict. Children's suggestions as to how the characters should solve their problems were coded as expressing a concern for others (care orientation) or a focus on issues (...) of rights and justice (rights orientation). Both boys and girls showed a small but consistent preference for the care orientation, and their reasoning was not influenced by the gender of the characters. Children tended to misremember female animal story characters as male (Experiment 1), unless an illustration depicting the characters? gender accompanied the text (Experiment 2). Overall, the results point to the role of children's literature in creating stereotyped expectations about male and female story characters, and emphasise the initial similarity of boys? and girls? moral orientation in childhood. (shrink)

An outcome study of the Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) programme is used to illustrate a developmental evaluation methodology developed by the Group for the Study of Interpersonal Development (GSID). The GSID approach to programme evaluation of character development programmes embeds the evaluation into a theoretical framework consonant with the theoretical underpinnings of the programme, using measures sharing the same theoretical assumptions as the practice. The subjects in this study were students in eighth-grade social studies and language arts classes in (...) public schools located in suburban and urban communities in the United States. The sample included 346 subjects in 14 FHAO classes (212 FH AO students) and eight comparison classes (134 comparison students). A 10-week Facing History and Ourselves curriculum was taught in the FH AO classrooms either in late winter or spring. The study demonstrated that eighth-grade students in Facing History classrooms showed increases across the school year in relationship maturity and decreases in racist attitudes and self-reported fighting behaviour relative to comparison students, although these findings were complicated by interaction effects with gender. The gains Facing History students made in moral reasoning and in civic attitudes and participation were not significantly greater than the comparison students, although there was a significant difference between the groups on the civic measure at post-test. The study highlights the benefits of using a developmental measure of social competence to evaluate character development programmes that are based on similar assumptions. (shrink)

In behavioral ethics today, there is debate as to which theory of moral development is the best for understanding ethical decision making, thereby facilitating ethical behavior. This debate between behavioral ethicists has been profoundly influenced by the field of moral psychology. Unfortunately, in the course of this marriage between moral psychology and business ethics and subsequent internal debate, a simple but critical understanding of human being in the field of management has been obscured; i.e., that morality is not a secondary (...) phenomenon arising out of something else. Therefore, in this paper, we will argue that there is a need in behavioral ethics to shift our understanding away from the influence of contemporary moral psychology and back to management theorist Ghoshal’s :75–91, 2005) view of what it means to be human in which the moral is fundamental. To assist in this labor, we will build on the philosophical work of Emmanuel Levinas who sees ethics, regardless of the setting, as a metaphysical concern. What this means is that Levinas sees the essential moral character of human life and the reality of human agency as ontologically fundamental, or constitutive of human nature itself. In other words, the ethical is the “first cause” in regard to understanding the nature and action of the individual, including within organizations. Thus, morality in any sphere of human endeavor, including in business, is not merely epiphenomenal to some more fundamental reality. (shrink)

Abstract Critical thinking about moral decisions considers the consequences of options for the achievement of people's goals. Attempts to think critically lead to error and bias, so intuitive rules are needed to guard against these errors and to save time. Intuitive rules, however, lead to errors and biases of their own. I propose that students be taught to approximate critical thinking itself and that they learn rules of thumb to guard against its pitfalls. In particular, students need to learn certain (...) powerful devices of consequentialist reasoning, such as consideration of precedent setting and of the possibility of error in thinking itself. They also need to learn about the common biases of thinking, especially the bias to favour what one already believes, or what is nearby in time and space. (shrink)

Abstract This paper examines research and theory regarding the process of moral judgement development within the family environment. Four major issues in research on the family's influence on moral judgement development are outlined and the existing data relevant to these issues are briefly presented. The author's approach to studying these issues is described. The implications of research on moral development within the family for moral education are also addressed.

Abstract Piaget's early theory on moral development and moral education can elucidate some important points in the discussion about a broad or narrow definition of morality and its consequences for educational practice. In the first place, Piaget introduces a concept of morality which transcends the partly misleading dichotomy between broad and narrow morality. Secondly, he conceptualizes the educational relationship as a development of two stages and evades the unfruitful dichotomy between liberal education and transmission of traditions. In this regard, his (...) concept of mutual respect is an important educational device for handling the plurality of cultures in the modern world. (shrink)

Abstract The experiment presented falls within Kohlberg's constructivist model, and attempts to respond to the need for work on those interpersonal values which may be called ethical or moral, in practical education. The intervention took place in a state school in Vizcaya (Basque Country), with a sample of 97 subjects between the ages of 9 and 14 years. A pre?test??post?test design was used in order to check for the achievement of more mature states of moral development. The main working strategy (...) was the discussion of hypothetical and real values dilemmas in class discussion groups. The results show that many advances were made. The data indicate that discussing dilemmas leads to higher levels of moral reasoning in students. (shrink)

Abstract This paper reviews research on students? concepts and theories of fair and effective educational practices and casts them as insightful critics of schooling who should be included in the negotiation of academic practices. Formal interviews show that students consider the goal or definition of the situation when evaluating the fairness of practices, and that conceptions of fairness develop differently for each type of situation. Students also hold different theories about how school should be defined and which situations should predominate. (...) Moral education programmes could encourage students and teachers to negotiate fair classroom practices, creating a community of scholars who collaborate to build more fair and effective schools. (shrink)

This study examined the relationship of school ethical climate and students' school performance within the context of a Chinese high school. Gender and grade-level differences in ethical climate perceptions were also explored. Survey data on perceptions of school ethical climate based upon the dimensions of student-to-teacher, student-to-student and teacher-to-student interactions and relationships were obtained from 754 students. Results of the study showed that students' perceptions of their high school's ethical climate were related to academic achievement, gender and grade level. Students' (...) involvement in extracurricular activities and student leadership generally did not seem to relate to their perceptions of ethical climate. Based upon these findings, the school's moral education intervention programs should increase their focus on the area of teacher-to-student relationships and interactions and the subgroups of male students, students in higher grades and students with lower academic achievement. Implications for future research on school climate are also discussed. (shrink)