MORAL DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY FINDINGS

Childhood & Late Childhood Stage (Preschool) Learning through Observation and experiences, peer influence, societal expectations, parental roles & significant others

Case subject: Name: Age:

Amir Razan Bin Ahmad Bustomi 6 years old

School: SK Kg Soeharto Preschool

What is moral development? : MORAL DEVELOPMENT--> the process by which children acquire society's standards of what is right and wrong. Method used in case study: 1. Observation in class and at home, social activities between peers and siblings. 2. Questionnaire: questions based on situation of right and wrong and children experiences. : to parents, parental roles on how to Educate/nurture moral value in daily life : on teacher, societal expectations on Preschool children Moral reasoning can be defined as being the process in which an individual tries to determine the difference between what is right and what is wrong in a personal situation by using logic

Preschool years mark a child's transition from egocentricity to empathyor at least the potential for empathy. Amir Razan is helpful and considerate during observation in class and at home. Of course, it's still a struggle for him. When forced to choose between his own selfinterest and empathy, the subject will still probably choose self-interest. Yet when his own selfinterest is not threatened, the subject may freely provide consideration and empathy to others. For example during our class observation, the subject willingly to help his peers or share food as long as it is not affecting him. UNQUESTIONED OBEDIENCE Based on Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning, Amir Razan is in Level 1 of moral reasoning which is unquestioned Obedient.. During observation in class we can see that he is very obedient to the teacher. When we asked him why he should follow the rules or take turns in playing games or queuing, he simply said that his teacher will scold him if he breaks the rules. At stage 1 punishment is tied up in the child's mind with wrongness; punishment "proves" that disobedience is wrong. The reason for Amir Razan to be good

is to stay out of trouble. He learnt from his observation and experience what will happen if they do something wrong in the class As most of the children also have the same main ideas of unquestioned obedience, they will question their friends who did wrong in the class or during play time. This environment will influence the subject in his moral growth. But after school hour, Amir Razan is not under preschool regulations and we can see the differences in moral act between him and his friends in their social activities. This is because he only thinks rules only apply in school not during playtime with his friends afterschool. Still every game has its own rule to play so Razan must follow the rules when he plays the game or his friends will be upset. So in everyday situations, children abide by some rules, they have some sense of right and wrong and ask questions about how this came to be. At home, Amir Razan is more tolerance with his siblings. This is maybe because he is not the eldest, he is more empathy to his younger brother and sister or maybe because he will be scold if he had a quarrel with them. As we all know toddlers are extremely egocentric and the moral reasoning is lower.
Societal expectations and parental role

During our case study, we interviewed his Teacher, Pn Asyikin Rahman about the societal expectation on preschool children. She believes children in this age are in a process of disciplining themselves. Based on our survey most adults want their child to be more aware of their act and be more responsible. Children must obey their parents on what is right or wrong. Amir Razans mother normally will advise him about the right or wrong on the religious side of view. People who do bad thing will be punish by God and send to Hell and those who do good thing will be sending to heaven. He also becomes more aware of the rules by watching older people and imitating their behavior. Amir Razan is likely to follow his parents action or attitude. We find that his parents are being as natural moral educators. His parents act as models for moral behavior when they relate events in their lives to their children. Children closely observe their parents' interactions with each other, with family members, and with people more generally, and from those observations learn a great deal about how to treat others. As parents can model respect and compassion toward others, so may they model behavior that is harmful or abusive.