ECE 015 – Guiding Children’s Behavioral and
Moral Development
KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Lawrence Kohlberg
- Professor of Education and Social
Psychology at Harvard University
- He began as a developmental
psychologist and then moved to the field
of education.
- He was particularly well known for his
theory of moral development which he
developed through his extensive research
on the topic at Harvard
- Kohlberg's theory of moral development is
a theory that focuses on how children
develop morality and moral reasoning.
Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral
development occurs in a series of six
stages and that moral logic is primarily
focused on seeking and maintaining
justice.
What is Moral Development?
- Moral development is the process by
which people develop the distinction
between right and wrong (morality) and
engage in reasoning between the two
(moral reasoning).
Stages of Moral Development?
- Kohlberg's theory is broken down into
three primary levels. At each level of moral
development, there are two stages.
Similar to how Piaget believed that not all
people reach the highest levels of
cognitive development, Kohlberg believed
not everyone progresses to the highest
stages of moral development.
Level 1: Pre-Conventional
- Preconventional morality is the earliest
period of moral development. It lasts until
around the age of 9. At this age, children's
decisions are primarily shaped by the
expectations of adults and the
consequences of breaking the rules.
There are two stages within this level:
- Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment
o The earliest stages of moral
development, obedience and
punishment are especially
common in young children, but
adults are also capable of
expressing this type of reasoning.
According to Kohlberg, people at
this stage see rules as fixed and
absolute. Obeying the rules is
important because it is a way to
avoid punishment.
- Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange
o At the individualism and exchange
stage of moral development,
children account for individual
points of view and judge actions
based on how they serve individual
needs.
o Reciprocity is possible at this point
in moral development, but only if it
serves one's own interests.
Level 2: Conventional
- The next period of moral development is
marked by the acceptance of social rules
regarding what is good and moral. During
this time, adolescents and adults
internalize the moral standards they have
learned from their role models and from
society.
- Stage 3: Developing Good
Interpersonal Relationships
o Often referred to as the "good boy-
good girl" orientation, this stage of
the interpersonal relationship of
moral development is focused on
living up to social expectations and
roles. There is an emphasis on
conformity, being "nice," and
consideration of how choices
influence relationships.
- Stage 4: Maintaining Social Order
o This stage is focused on ensuring
that social order is maintained. At
this stage of moral development,
people begin to consider society as
a whole when making judgments.
The focus is on maintaining law
and order by following the rules,
doing one’s duty, and respecting
authority.
Level 3: Post Conventional
- At this level of moral development, people
develop an understanding of abstract
principles of morality.
- Stage 5: Social Contract and Individual
Rights
o The ideas of a social contract and
individual rights cause people in
the next stage to begin to account
for the differing values, opinions,
and beliefs of other people. Rules
of law are important for maintaining
a society, but members of the
 society should agree upon these
standards.
- Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles
Orientation
o Kohlberg’s final level of moral
reasoning is based on universal
ethical principles and abstract
reasoning. At this stage, people
follow these internalized principles
of justice, even if they conflict with
laws and rules.
Application of Kohlberg’s Theory
- Teachers and other educators can also
apply Kohlberg's theory in the classroom,
providing additional moral guidance.
- A kindergarten teacher could help
enhance moral development by setting
clear rules for the classroom, and the
consequences for violating them. This
helps kids at stage one of moral
development.
- A teacher in high school might focus more
on the development that occurs in stage
three (developing good interpersonal
relationships) and stage four (maintaining
social order).
How do children learn in the moral domain?
5 Stages of Moral Growth of Children
- Children go through moral development
stages, yet unlike physical growth, moral
growth doesn’t happen without some input
from parents. To develop into a morally
solid person, a child must be given a solid
foundation at each stage.
- Stage 1: Infancy
o The moral growth of children starts
at infancy. An infant does not have
the capacity to moralize, other than
having a sense of rightness or
wrongness as those feelings apply
to himself. After being nurtured in
the womb for nine months, a baby
enters the world, expecting that
nurturing will continue. Never
having been hungry, baby
concludes that hunger is wrong; it
hurts.
- Stage 2: Toddlerhood
o During this stage of moral growth,
children’s sense of “otherness”
begins. Toddlers learn that others
share their world; others have
needs and rights, too. The house
he lives in has “rules” that he must
learn to live by, which is frustrating.
The child does not yet have the
ability to judge something as “right”
or “wrong.”
- Stage 3: Preschoolers (3 to 7 years)
o A major turning point in moral
growth and development in
children occurs: the child begins to
internalize family values. What’s
important to the parents becomes
important to him. The six-year-old
may say to a friend, “In our family,
we do…” These are the child’s
norms. Once these norms are
incorporated in a child’s self, the
child’s behavior can be directed by
these inner rules — of course, with
frequent reminding and reinforcing
from parents.
- Stage 4: Seven to Ten Years
o Authority is not threatening to the
child but necessary for social
living. They believe that children
should obey their parents. And,
school-age children believe that if
they break a rule, they should be
corrected. This strong sense of
“should do” and “should not do”
sets some children up to tattle.
o The moral growth of children ages
seven-to-ten-year-olds has a
strong sense of fairness,
understands the necessity of rules,
and wants to participate in making
the rules. They begin to believe
that children have opinions too,
and they begin to sort out which
values profit them most — a sort of
“what’s in it for me” stage.
- Stage 5: Preteens and Teens
o This child is more capable of
abstract reasoning about moral
values and becomes interested in
what’s good for society. During this
stage of moral growth, children
may view parents more as
consultants than as powerful
authority figures.