The purpose of this study was to examine how moral reasoning develops for 236 students enrolled in either a diversity course or a management course. These courses were compared based on the level of diversity inclusion and type of pedagogy employed in the classroom. We used causal modelling to compare the two types of courses, controlling for the…

In this article Jan Steutel's paper "Towards a sexual ethics for adolescence" is discussed. It is argued that his dichotomous conception of "child" versus "adult" unnecessarily limits his conception of "adolescence", with unfortunate consequences for the answers to his research questions. Steutel's treatment of "competences" is discussed, in…

Agnes Tellings rightly observes that adolescents, if compared with pre-pubescent children, are much more capable of making their own choices and therefore should be granted much more freedom to arrange their own lives. However, the capacity of adolescents to make prudent choices still seems to be below the threshold of competence. Therefore,…

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…

Most moral psychologists have come to accept two types of moral reasoning: Kohlberg's "justice" and Gilligan's "care", but there still seem to be some unresolved issues. By analysing and comparing Kohlberg's statement on some theoretical issues with some of Gilligan's statements in an interview in April 2003, I will look at some key issues in the…

Much effort, on a philosophical and a research basis, has been applied to the subject of moral development framed within a constructivist, Piagetian stage-type format. These efforts have focused on the process of the individual's construction of a moral base and the individual's corresponding level of moral development. At this point in time,…

Applying Snyder and Feldman's 1984 consolidation-transition model to moral judgement development has enabled further understanding of how moral judgement translates to moral functioning. In this study, 178 college students were identified as being in consolidated versus transitional phases of moral judgement development using Rest's Defining…

David Carr (2002) has argued against the use of developmental theories as a basis for curriculum development in moral education. Although we find common ground with some aspects of Carr's arguments, we disagree with several of his criticisms of the cognitive-developmental approach to moral education. He confuses romantic ideology (as espoused by…

Identifies and explores educational issues related to Lawrence Kohlberg's work never systematically addressed by the author himself. Suggests that these issues could be developed into a contextualised theory of transformation. That theory could help make manifest Kohlberg's vision of a democratic school run by students and teachers. (MJP)

Asserts that Lawrence Kohlberg's purely "formalistic" conceptualizations of moral judgment and associated measures may misrepresent the true nature of moral thought. Identifies logical inconsistencies in Kohlberg's reliance on the "form" of moral judgment and argues for a reconceptualization in terms of content. Discusses the use of the Moral…

Norman Williams' moral development theory was tested with students, ages 7, l0, l2, and l5, in Durham, England. Tentative support resulted for his classification scheme and conclusion that moral development is cumulative in nature and that it occurs within four parallel modes: expedient, altruistic, intuitive, and heteronomous. (SJL)

In a sample of 100 children, aged 8-14, there was a clear association between consolidated concrete operational thinking and Kohlberg's Stage 2 moral reasoning, and some evidence that, in order of development, logical thinking precedes role-taking, which precedes moral reasoning, at corresponding levels of conceptual complexity. (Author/SJL)

A recent critique of Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental approach to morality by Kurtines and Grief (1974) is examined in detail. Results find that empirical support for the "stage" and "sequence" components of Kohlberg's theory is underestimated, as is the evidence favoring the relationship between moral judgment and moral action. (Editor/RK)

This assessment of L. Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a dialectical critique focusing on his claim that the sixth stage of moral development is morally adequate, specifically, that it is both comprehensive and fully equilibrated. Includes a brief account of B. J. Lonergan's dialectical method and an analysis of the sixth stage of…

In this study of the relationship between moral behavior, level of moral development, and motivation, moral behavior was assessed in an experimental situation in which it was necessary to violate the experimenter's authority to help someone; level of moral development was assessed by Kohlberg's Moral Judgment Scale, and motivation by a…