Topic 6 Moral Development PDF

Topic 6 Early Childhood Development and Learning Moral Development  Objectives  Know what moral development is  Understand Kohlberg’s theory of moral development  Link children’s moral development with early childhood educational practice...

Topic 6 Early Childhood Development and Learning Moral Development  Objectives  Know what moral development is  Understand Kohlberg’s theory of moral development  Link children’s moral development with early childhood educational practices.  What is morality? Our understanding of the difference between right and wrong, or good and bad behavior. Morality can be thought of as a force that motivates our behavior. Agree or disagree? Cheating is a persistent problem in classrooms. How students think about this problem and how teachers should respond to it depends on students’ levels of moral development. Moral dilemma An ambiguous situation that requires a person to make a moral decision. Conflicts causing subjects to justify the morality of their choices.  Scenario 1 The Heinz Dilemma A woman was very ill with a serious illness. There is a drug that might save her. The drug costs $4,000 per dosage. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money and tried every legal means, but he could only get together about $2,000. He asked the scientist who discovered the drug for a discount or to let him pay later. But the scientist refused and said: “No, we need to make money to cover the expenses of research and development.” Heinz tried everything but still cannot get the drug. Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?  Scenario 2 The Heinz Dilemma Heinz broke into the laboratory and stole the drug. The next day, the newspapers reported the break-in and theft. Brown, a police officer and a friend of Heinz remembered seeing Heinz last evening, behaving suspiciously near the laboratory. Later that night, he saw Heinz running away from the laboratory. Should Brown report what he saw? Why or why not?  Scenario 3 The Heinz Dilemma Officer Brown reported what he saw. Heinz was arrested and brought to court. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail. Heinz was found guilty. Should the judge sentence Heinz to prison? Why or why not? Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg (1927- 1987) was a psychologist who created the theory of moral development. It describes: how one’s sense of right and wrong changes with age. How do we develop a sense of justice? How do we learn to make moral judgements? LEVEL I Pre-conventional Morality At this level, children do not really understand the conventions / rules of a society. STAGE 1 (2/3 – 5/6 years old): Punishment – Obedience Orientation Consequences of acts determine whether they’re good or bad.  LEVEL I Pre-conventional Morality STAGE 2 (5-7 years old, or up to age 9): Instrumental Relativist Orientation The ethics of self- interests (“What’s in it for me?) Obeying rules and exchanging favors are judged in terms of the benefit to the individual.  LEVEL II Conventional Morality STAGE 3 (7- about 12 years old): Good Boy – Nice Girl Orientation Ethical decisions are based on concern for or the opinions of others.  LEVEL II Conventional Morality STAGE 4 (can start as early as 10 years old): Law and Order Orientation Right behavior consists in doing ones’ duty, showing respect for authority and maintaining the given social order for its own sake.  LEVEL III Post-Conventional Morality STAGE 5 (can start as early as 12 years old): Social Contract Orientation Rules and laws represent agreements among people about behavior that benefits society. Rules can be changed when they no longer meet society’s needs.  LEVEL III Post-Conventional Morality STAGE 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation Individuals’ judgments of good and bad become influenced by universal moral principles. Laws and societal values have a certain validity, but if these laws conflict with principles of human dignity, they need to follow these principles.  Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development  According to Kohlberg, people go through these six stages in the above order.  Most children have a preconventional morality, and most adults have a conventional one.  Kohlberg estimated that only 20 to 25% of the adult population attains the post-conventional level of morality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4  Think about Kohlberg… What do you think? Is Kohlberg right about ages and stages? Can you think of examples that argue against him? This Photo by Unknown Author Do children need to develop other is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND cognitive and social skills to develop morality?