This book discusses the moral development theories of Piaget and Kohlberg and presents practical applications of these theories for teachers and parents. The author's purpose in writing the book is to present an exposition of the work of these men to the general reading public. Chapter titles are Introduction to Developmental Theories, presenting…

Moral education is described here as the process of getting better and better at dealing fairly with conflicting perspectives on what is right in a particular situation. (Author/AM)

Discusses the goal of Montessori education to develop environments for children that support their evolution as human beings. Proposes social, moral, cognitive, and emotional developmental outcomes for preschoolers, elementary children, and adolescents. (JPB)

The consequences of Watergate for children, their education, and their ethical and moral commitment is discussed in terms of the child's development of moral judgment, and in terms of the practical issues of how values are transmitted from one generation to another. (Author/AM)

Defends domain theory approach to children's moral development based on limitations of Piaget's original theory. Argues that Fowler's characterization of domain theory research omits important features and studies. Maintains that distinctions between morality and convention cannot be reduced to differences in perceptible harm and punishment; it is…

Children need to acquire the qualities of determination, carefulness, concentration, self-restraint, patience, conscientiousness, and endurance. These aspects of personal capability are important to the moral life in schools and thus should be part of their ethos. They must be modeled by teachers as ways to overcome and avoid difficulties. (VM)

Domain theorists' findings in Piaget's work in children's moral development do not contradict Piaget because they are predicted by objective responsibility; research has not established that children distinguish between moral and conventional events. Claims that Piaget underestimated early morality are based on research that neglects children's…

Identifies goals of character development for elementary school children. Offers four processes that promote positive social growth and moral maturity: (1) building self-esteem and a sense of community; (2) learning to cooperate and help others; (3) reflecting on moral choices; and (4) participating in decision making. Suggests how teachers have…

Identifies strategies early childhood educators can use to create an environment that encourages character development in young children. Provides reflective checklists for specific areas of character development and character education addressed: (1) content; (2) communication; (3) clarification; (4) community; (5) critical thinking; (6) context;…

Reports on an observation study of children's tattling behavior in a classroom setting. General conclusion is that in areas in which there was most interaction between children, there was the most tattling to adults and vice versa. The degree to which children are constrained to cooperate is discussed. (Author/AM)

The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S. Office of Education-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new…

A brief history of Chinese developmental psychology is given, and current main research projects are highlighted. (Author/MP)

Reports on experiments that examined the extent to which children's moral orientation is affected by the gender of characters experiencing a dilemma in children's literature. Children often responded to the character's dilemma by expressing a concern for others (care orientation) or focusing on issues of rights and justice (rights orientation).…

Investigated how children's decisions about allocating money to story characters were affected by the relationship (friends versus strangers) among the characters. Children's rationales for their decisions showed that equality was the most salient principle for decisions at all ages and that older children provided rationales based on benevolence…

This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association as part of a symposium, "A social learning alternative to structural theories for explaining developmental changes in childrens behavior." This presentation examines the moral development of a child in terms of a social learning approach, and discusses…