MORAL DEVELOPMENT THEORIES
Andrea Jackson
School of Education, Liberty University
504: Educational Philosophy and Theories of Learning
Dr. Griffin
Introduction
Moral development is a concept that has been well studied throughout time to better
understand the progression from childhood to adulthood and how one can approach materials
such as education. Four important theories of moral development come from Piaget, Kohlberg,
Turiel, and Bandura, who all have fluctuating assumptions about a child’s development. Some
emphasis on development in stages that are determined by age, and others concentrate on the
involvement or revelation of life. An educator may find that their understanding completely
supports one theory, and other educators may find that fragments of multiple theories come
together to support their interpretation of development after learning about several theories.
Theories of Moral Development
Jean Piaget’s cognitive development suggests that a child’s intellect or cognitive
capabilities develop through four different stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete
operational, and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage begins at birth to age, during this
stage, children explore the world by using their senses and motor skills. “According to Piaget, by
the end of the sensorimotor stage, children have progressed from their earlier trial-and-error
approach to a more planned approach to problem solving” (Schunk, et.al). Another
development of the sensorimotor stage is object permanence, which begins at the age of two,
recognizing that objects exist even when they cannot be seen. The preoperational stage starts
at age two to seven, and children have a superior ability to think about things and use symbols
to mentally signify objects. He believed that young children have a deficiency in understanding
the principle of conservation. One characteristic of conservation is centration, which is paying
attention to only one part of a situation. Another thing that has not developed in the
preoperational stage is reversibility, the ability to change route in one’s thinking to return to a
starting point. Finally, during the stage of egocentric children believe that everyone sees the
world precisely as they do.
The concrete operational stage begins at age seven to 11, and children can form concepts, see
relationships, and solve problems, but only if they include objects and situations that are
recognizable. One task that children learn during this stage is seriation, arranging things in a
rational order. Arranging things, for example, from smallest to largest. One skill is mastered,
then transitivity can begin, where children can identify two to three objects related to one
another. The formal operational stage starts at age eleven to adulthood, the skill to deal with
potential and hypothetical circumstances.” The adolescent can accept, for the sake of argument
or discussion, conditions that are arbitrary, that are not known to exist, or even that are known
to be contrary to fact.” A formal debate is considered a hypothetical situation.
Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development suggests that learning comes first
over development. The first step in his stage is self-regulation and independent thinking, which
involves learning that sounds and actions have meaning. The second step is evolving interior
structures and self-regulation involved practices. The last step is for them to use signs to learn
on their own to think and solve problems. He believed that children used private speech to
solve problematic tasks and that the zone of proximal development is most effective through
learning. “This means intervening between what the student already knows and can resolve
independently – their real development zone, and what they may come to know – their
potential development zone” (Stoltz). According to Schunk, Mediation is another approach that
Vygotsky believed helped learn through explaining, modeling, breaking down complex skills,
knowledge, and concepts. Scaffolding, meaning providing a great deal of support during
learning and then taking away that support, is another approach that Vygotsky believed was
effective. He also believes that cooperative learning strategies are effective because peers learn
from one another.
Elliot Turiel’s Moral Domain Theory studies social reasoning and behavior from a
developmental standpoint. He suggests that individuals make honest judgments based
on different domains, specifically moral, conventional, and personal domains. “The
central claim is that children distinguish the different domains by ascribing to “moral”
rules a set of characteristics that “conventional” ones lack” (Heath, et.al). In the domain
of the conventional, by difference, actions have no essential meaning and obtain
importance only through the set of rules that give the action its meaning. For example,
classify objects such as fruits and vegetables. The second main feature of the
conventional domain is that the rules attend as essentially an efficient role of
coordinating social communication. “Social conventions are … behavioral uniformities
which coordinate interactions of individuals within social systems. “Personal domains
are about personal choices we make.
Albert Bandura’s Theory of Moral Development via Social Learning
Bandura's theory involves four phases: attention, retention, reproduction, and
motivation. In the first stage of attention, students pay attention to role models. “In the
classroom, you gain the students' attention by presenting clear and interesting cues, by
using novelty or surprise, and by motivating students” (Schunk, et.al). Retention
teachers model what they want students to imitate and give them a chance to practice
or rehearse it. During the reproduction stage, students try to match the behaviors of
their model. Motivational stage in the classroom is when teachers praise or give a grade
for matching their desired behavior. Vicarious learning is used in most classrooms when
the teacher calls out someone who is exhibiting good behavior and rewards them by
telling them good job in the hope that others will follow this example. Self-regulating
learning is when students observe their own behavior and punish themselves.
Two theories that are the same
According to Schunk, Piaget, and Kolberg's studies, children and adults have different
reasons for rules that direct their behavior in certain situations. The first stage of the
preconventional level of morality is like Piaget’s stage of heteronomous morality due to form
and content. Heteronomous reality is the rules imposed by others, and in Kolberg’s theory of
preconventional children obey authority so they are not punished. In Kohlberg's conventional
level of morality and Piaget’s autonomous morality they both are defined as cooperation with
peers. This belief is about doing to others as you would want them to do to you.
Differences among theories
Elliot Turiel suggests that individuals make honest judgments based on different
domains, specifically moral, conventional, and personal domains, as Bandura's theory involves
four phases: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. In Turiel’s theory, students
classify objects, and in Bandura’s theory, it is about following the role of their given model. For
example, animals in Turiel's stage are a classification, but if used in Bandura’s theory teacher
could have students be quiet like a mouse.
Choose one theory and explain how it aligns with a biblical worldview.
Bandura's social learning theory aligns with 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT, because it states,” All
Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is
wrong in our lives.” Just like Bandura’s theory, students learn from their role models. We as
Christians learn from Jesus as are role model. Paul cautioned Timothy to prove both courage
and an eagerness to suffer, and it is a worthy example of abilities to imitate and to avoid. Also,
in Acts 16:31 NLT, it says, Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in
your household. Students, according to Bandura, believe if they follow the behaviors of their
role model, they will be rewarded. As we as Christian believe that if we are saved, we can set an
example for those in our lives, and they too should be saved Another scripture Isaiah
1:18“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
According to the social theory, a classroom comes together by setting an example for our
students to pay attention to one another, as the bible states for us to reason together. Psalm
119:105 NLT states, Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” If we apply
this scripture to Bandura’s theory, we as teachers should guide our classroom and expect
students to follow if we provide them with the knowledge to follow. The most influential
statement representing the importance of modeling is Jesus’: “Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14-15).
References
Nlt Study Bible: New Living Translation. (2017). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Heath, J. (2017). Morality, convention, and conventional morality. Philosophical Explorations,
20(3), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/13869795.2017.1362030
Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective. (8th ed.). Pearson. Stoltz,
T., Weger, U., & Marcelo da Veiga. (2024). Consciousness and education: contributions by
Piaget, Vygotsky, and Steiner. Frontiers in Psychology, 15.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1411415
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