Moral Development Theories Assignment
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Moral Development Theories
Moral Development Theories
EDLC 504
Kayla Hall
Liberty University
Moral Development Theories
Introduction
When becoming a teacher, you agree to a lifelong job of being a role model to all
students who walk through your doors. We must understand every aspect of students, so we can
adequately serve and support each student. Understanding moral development is important
because it implicates how individuals can learn. Moral development has multiple ways of being
learned since people believe different age groups learn differently. There have been many
theories that show how moral development is been perceived by others.
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget's Theory of moral development is a contributor to our understanding of how
children develop a sense of right and wrong. He suggested that moral development follows
stages, like cognitive development. Jean Piaget's Theory of Moral Development is a framework
that explores how individuals develop their moral reasoning and judgment as they grow from
childhood to adolescence. Piaget, suggested that moral development follows a similar pattern to
cognitive development, progressing through different stages. He researched and found two
primary stages: the heteronomous morality stage, occurring during early childhood, where rules
are seen as unchangeable and imposed by authorities; and the autonomous morality stage, which
occurs in late childhood and adolescence, where parties begin to understand that rules are created
by everyone and can be changed through negotiation and mutual agreement. To help his theory
Piaget led and told the children he tested stories that entail and moral theme and asked for his
opinion (Mcleod,2023). Piaget's theory helps show the role of social interactions and cognitive
development in shaping moral thinking, giving insights into the thinking of ethical reasoning
throughout one's life.
Moral Development Theories
Lawrence Kohlberg
Lawrence Kohlberg is another philosopher who contributed to the multiple definitions of
moral development. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development has an emphasis on how all
children develop morality and moral reasoning as they progress throughout life. Kohlberg's
theory is heavily influenced by the work of Jean Piaget, and it builds upon his ideas of moral
development. Kohlberg suggested that individuals move through these three stages in an
immovable order and moral understanding is also linked to cognitive development. His theory is
structured into six distinct stages, and within those stages are groups of three main levels: pre-
conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.
In the first three pre-conventional stages, children between the of 0-9 years old make a
moral judgment based on external factors such as rewards, punishments, and self-interest.
Children have started to realize that if an action leads to a reward, then it must be good. If the
action leads to them being in trouble, the action is not good. As individuals that are in the early
adolescence to adulthood begin to progress to the conventional stage moral reasoning becomes
more influenced by society's norms, rules, and the desire to maintain social order. A social
system that encourages responsibilities and social order helps influence our perception of right
and wrong (Mcleod, 2023). Finally, in the post-conventional stages which include some adults,
individuals tend to develop their ethical principles and values based on their understanding of
universal ethical principles. He believed that only a small percentage of people ever reached this
stage, this stage was extremely rare throughout all populations (Cherry,2022) Any situation that
is considered morally acceptable in society is always determined by these keeping principles.
Elliot Turiel
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Moral Development Theories
Elliot Turiel's theory of moral development is an outstanding plan in the field of
psychology that looks to understand how individuals achieve their moral beliefs and values.
Turiel's theory, often referred to as the "social domain theory," suggests that moral development
is not an orderly process but is instead influenced by many social and cultural factors. Central to
his theory is the idea that individuals differentiate between different domains of social
knowledge, including the moral domain, the social-conventional domain, and the personal
domain.
In Turiel's view, the moral domain is characterized by principles of fairness, justice, and
harm prevention, and individuals slowly develop an understanding of these moral principles
through interactions with their social environment. Turiel's theory emphasizes that moral
development is not solely determined by factors but is shaped by the social context in which an
individual is raised. This perspective has significantly helped our understanding of moral
understanding and highlights the importance of having moral reasoning and ethical decision-
making in children and adolescents by creating environments that support the development of
moral principles and the values that we hold close.
Albert Bandura
Albert Bandura's theory of moral development, known as social cognitive theory, is a
significant contribution to our understanding of how individuals acquire and shape their moral
values and behaviors. Unlike traditional developmental theories that emphasize the role of innate
factors or external rewards and punishments in shaping morality, Bandura's approach shows the
importance of social learning and observational learning. Bandura argued that individuals learn
moral standards by observing the behaviors and consequences experienced by others, particularly
Moral Development Theories
through role models and the media. His theory highlights the role of self-regulation and self-
efficacy in moral development, emphasizing that individuals can exercise control over their
actions and make moral choices by evaluating the expected outcomes and consequences of their
behavior. Bandura's work has greatly influenced our understanding of how moral values are
acquired and reinforced through social interactions, offering valuable insights into the complex
interplay between individual agency and the social environment in the development of moral
character.
Two Theories and Their Similarities
Jean Piaget's Theory of moral development and Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory of moral
development share many similarities. First, both theories show the importance of stages in order
in human development. Piaget suggested that cognitive development progresses through distinct
stages, while Kohlberg posited that moral development also follows a series of stages. Secondly,
both theorists believed that development is an active and ongoing process influenced by an
individual's experiences and interactions with the environment. Additionally, both Piaget and
Kohlberg recognized that individuals go through shifts in their thinking and moral reasoning as
they advance through the stages. Last, both theories took notice the role of social interaction in
shaping development, with Piaget making emphasis on peer interaction and Kohlberg using the
role of moral issues and moral discussion. The things both theorists have in common show the
nature of cognitive and moral development as outlined by Piaget and Kohlberg.
Two Theories and Their Differences
Albert Bandura and Elliot Turiel had distinct theories of moral development. Bandura's
social learning theory posited that moral development is largely influenced by observational
learning and reinforcement. Bandura stated individuals gain moral values and behaviors by
Moral Development Theories
observing the actions of others, especially significant role models, and then reenacting those
behaviors. In contrast, Elliot Turiel's domain theory of social and moral development emphasized
the role of cognitive processes in moral reasoning. Turiel argued that individuals develop their
moral understanding through active cognitive processes, such as perspective-taking and using
different methods of moral principles from social conventions. While both theorists
acknowledged the importance of social interactions and experiences in moral development,
Bandura emphasized the behavioral aspects of learning, while Turiel focused on the cognitive
underling of moral reasoning.
Jean Piaget Biblical Worldview
Jean Piaget's theory of moral development allows children to develop through stages of moral
reasoning as they continue to grow and interact with their environment. This theory aligns with
the biblical worldview because I greatly believe it is based on the infallible word of God.
It
resonated with the biblical teaching, according to Corinthian 12:11, which states, “When I was a
child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child. When I became a man, I put that way of childish
things (NIV). This scripture highlights the importance of growth and self-regulation in our
everyday lives. Sometimes students may become distracted from their image and may find things
that are related to their moral self-development (Gutek,2014)
Conclusion
Moral development is important to the everyday lives of educators. As a Christian
educator, it is important to relate this finding to our teaching to guide our students. There have
been many theorists that have related their work, and it has fit into the biblical worldview.
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Moral Development Theories
References
Cherry, K. (2022, November 7).
Levels of developing morality in Kohlberg’s theories
. Verywell
Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-
2795071#:~:text=Moral%20development%20is%20the%20process,the%20two%20(moral
%20reasoning).
Gutek, G. L. (2014).
Philosophical, ideological, and theoretical perspectives on Education
.
Pearson.
Mcleod, S., on, U., & 25, S. (2023, September 25).
Piaget’s theory of moral development
. Simply
Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget-moral.html