Moral Education EDU 224 Newberry College Moral Education

Moral Education EDU 224 | Newberry College

Moral Education • What stages do people go through in their moral development? • How can teachers affect a child’s moral development? Should we? • What kind of moral education happens in schools now? In the past?

Have you ever cheated? When do people usually cheat? Is that really such a bad thing?

People always seem to find good reasons to do not-so-good-things. In June 2005, the Center for Academic Integrity found… 90% of students admitted they cheat. 74% cheated on a high-stakes test. 60% plagiarized on a written assignment. 54% used the internet to plagiarize. 45% believe teachers ignore cheating. p. 270

Can morality be taught in school or even be affected by teachers?

Jean Piaget Stages of Cognitive Development Stage Age Range Sensori-motor 0 -2 Preoperational 2 - 6/7 Concrete Operational 6/7 - 11/12 Formal Operational Description • Behaviors are innate and reflexive • Develop knowledge of cause and effect • Self-oriented and egocentric • Can only see own viewpoint • Reality is based on what they can see/touch • Can recognize more than one viewpoint • Can think abstractly 11/12 and up • Can reason theoretically • Not all people reach this stage

What’s the difference? Stage 2 | Preoperational http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=GLj 0 IZFLK vg&feature=related Stage 3 | Concrete Operational http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=g. A 04 ew 6 Oi 9 M&feature=related

Lawrence Kohlberg Stages of Moral Reasoning Stage Age Range In dilemma, moral reasoning based on… Pre-conventional Child Direct consequences related to self only (obedience, punishment, self-interest) Conventional Post-conventional Adolescent Adult Acceptance of society’s views regarding right and wrong (interpersonal accord, conformity, authority, social order) Recognition that individual perspective may take precedence over societal norms (social contract, universal ethical principles)

Should we teach students morals and/or ethics? How are teachers providing moral education these days?

Historically, teachers are expected to teach ethics and/or morality. Traditional inculcation individual analysis

Models of Moral Education • Values Clarification • Character Education • Service Learning/Community Service • Comprehensive Values Education

What else can you do? • Use and enforce honor code. • Use rules and consequences to teach. • Focus on helping students grow. • Build ethics and morality into units. • Model morals and ethics.

How moral and/or ethical do teachers need to be?

Class Wiki http: //edu 224 fall 2010. pbworks. com