Sixty sixth graders were assessed for their level of moral development and rated by their teachers on classroom conduct. Children who employed lower stages of moral reasoning displayed more conduct problems and displayed more variability in their conduct ratings. (Author/BW)

A replication of earlier research, this study investigates the relationship between moral reasoning and classroom conduct. According to Kohlberg (1978), children who reason at preconventional levels (Stages 1 and 2) would be likely to disrupt a classroom, while children who reason at the conventional levels (Stages 3 and 4) should cause less…

It was hypothesized that (1) classroom conduct problems decline with increasing moral maturity, and (2) Stage 1 and Stage 3 levels of moral reasoning are associated with fewer conduct problems. In a study involving fourth and eighth graders, children with moral reasoning at Stage 1 and Stage 3 had fewer conduct problems than other children. (LB)