Page 6 - LESSION 7.pmd

Domains of Development

Let us briefly study the stages of moral development as proposed by psychologists
Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg.

Notes According to Piaget, children’s moral development can be understood by observing
their understanding of rules during play. He described children moral development
through two stages namely heteronomous and autonomous morality.

Heteronomous Children believe that rules are universal, fixed and handed
Stage down by any external authority. They believe that rules
cannot be changed and anyone who breaks the rules will be
punished. Since children in this stage see rules as
unchangeable, they seldom show any flexibility towards
changing rules.
Autonomous As children grow older, their sense of morality moves
Stage towards more flexibility and they start believing in
everyone’s good. Children believe that rules are for the
benefit of all and if any rule does not benefit all, it can be
changed by common consensus.

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, moral development takes place at three levels:

z The pre-moral level
z The level of conventional morality

z Post-conventional morality
At the pre-moral stage, children learn right and wrong from the people around
them. Their conduct is determined by external factors like approval and
disapproval by authority figures or rewards and punishment. Thus, a child’s
behavior is oriented towards obedience and punishment. As the child approaches
middle childhood, the capacity to understand relationships and moral codes expand
and it continues to grow in adolescence.

At the level of conventional morality, children tend to believe that rules can be
changed if they do not serve the common good of the society.
In the post-conventional stage of moral development, the sense of right and wrong
is decided by one’s own conscience and nothing can be imposed from outside.
One may keep certain universals like value for life at the highest order of values
and may also break a law for the same.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 7.3
1. Choose the correct option:

(a) Theory of Moral Development (three levels) is given by:
Kohlberg

94 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION