This method was developed by Lawrence Kohlberg, who was inspired greatly by the work of Piaget. Kohlberg identified six stages of moral development and grouped them into three significant levels. Using Piaget's work as an influence, Kohlberg expanded on his findings. He believed that the development of an individuals moral judgement and reasoning increased as their age increased. Moral reasoning is the basis for ethical behavior. It should be noted that this is not a truth for every adult, with Kohlberg stating that not all adults surpass level two.
The six identifiable stages of development (divided into the three major levels) are:
Level I: (Pre-conventional)
We see the stages more in-depth below:
The six identifiable stages of development (divided into the three major levels) are:
Level I: (Pre-conventional)
- Stage 1: Avoid personal punishment.
- Stage 2: Obtain personal rewards.
- An individual in the above stages is focused on themselves. Generally, level one individuals are children who have not begun formal schooling.
- Stage 3: Obey laws, contracts.
- Stage 4: Follow family/group rules.
- An individual in the above stages will typically conform to following established laws and rules. Generally, level two individuals are school age persons. Some adults may not go beyond this level.
- Stage 5: Create new laws.
- Stage 6: Affirm life.
- An individual in the above stages will explore universal ethics. They show a thought process of moral vs. legal rightness with the knowledge that sometimes rules should be broken. Many adults will reach level 5, but only a small percentage reach level 6, which takes into the account the views of all others involved.
We see the stages more in-depth below:
So, what are the implications for gifted students in the classroom? Teachers often "tell" their learners what they should or should not do; what is "right" and what is "wrong." This comes from the perspective of what is right and wrong in the eyes of the teacher, the adult. In Kohlberg's model the students are faced with a problem, or dilemma. For example, they may be told a story about a boy who witnesses his friend do something wrong. The boy in the story is faced with many decisions such as telling on the friend and getting him in trouble, trying to convince the friend to tell on himself, choosing not to tell anyone, etc. It is important that the students think through and examine the dilemmas and decide what they would do and what they believe is right. Surprisingly, the decision is not the most important aspect of this model. The value of this model lies in the reasoning behind the decision. As learners move through the development stages they begin to develop deeper levels of thinking, reflecting, and moral reasoning.
Benefits of Using Kohlberg's Model:
|
Limitations of Using Kohlberg's Model:
|