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APPLYING KOHLBERG'S MODEL FOR DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS(2006 update - this was copied from a page which no longer exists... Honor Level System of Discipline:Budd Churchward, the author of The Honor Level System: Discipline by Design, explains that students function at different levels of discipline and states that schools should not expect all students to be disciplined the same. Mr. Churchward believes that rates of progression through the stages of Kohlberg's model differ from student to student, but that the progression from stage to stage is the same regardless of sex, race, or culture.
Churchward's main concern is that in a society that expects math, reading, and other subject's programs to be different for each student or each grade level, the discipline programs are the same at each level. He has developed a discipline program based on Kohlberg's ideas which takes into account the moral development of each student. He, like Kohlberg, believed students followed a progression of stages on the road to self-discipline, and each student progressed through those stages at his or her own personal rate. He renames the stages and offers some examples in his web page.
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Working Through the StagesChurchward encourages teachers to work through the stages; not skip from stage to stage. He encourages teachers to talk to the student to see what is troubling him or her: "Whatever the cause, it is worth taking the time to talk with the student and see what's going on". He further encourages teachers to help students through the stages and most importantly, don't give up! This tutorial contains information about Lawrence Kohlberg's ideas of moral reasoning, including its roots in Piaget's ideas of moral realism and morality of cooperation. |
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Lawrence Kohlberg's ideas of moral development are
based on the premise that at birth, all humans are void
of morals, ethics, and honesty. He identified the family
as the first source of values and moral development for
an individual. He believed that as one's intelligence and
ability to interact with others matures, so does one's
patterns of moral behavior (Woolfolk, 1993). Kohlberg based his ideas of moral reasoning on Piaget's moral reasoning and morality of cooperation. He described three main levels of moral development with two stages in each level.
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How do Kohlberg's ideas apply to the classroom?
Is Kohlberg the answer to all moral dilemmas? Many people disagree with Kohlberg for various reasons. We will touch on some of the criticisms of Kohlberg's theory, including whether moral development occurs in discreet stages, whether moral reasoning matches moral behavior, his bias against women, and the reliability and validity of his testing methods. The work of Carol Gilligan will be outlined in this part of the tutorial. Is anyone using Kohlberg's ideas in the classroom? We will profile real life examples of applications of his theories in the classroom environment. Budd Churchward, author of The Honor Level System: Discipline by Design, has developed a discipline program taking into account Kohlberg's ideas. |
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KOHLBERG'S IDEAS OF MORAL REASONING Kohlberg defined moral reasoning as judgements about right and wrong. His studies of moral reasoning are based on the use of moral dilemmas, or hypothetical situations in which people must make a difficult decision. Kohlberg defined a subject's level of moral reasoning from the reasoning used to defend his or her position when faced with a moral dilemma. He thought this more important than the actual choice made, since the choices people make in such a dilemma aren't always clearly and indisputably right. He noted that development of moral reasoning seemed to be related to one's age. However, he also determined that the highest level of moral reasoning was not reached by all of his subjects. |
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Examples of Kohlberg's six stages of moral
development (Woolfolk, 1993) Consider the following moral dilemma: Mr. Heinz's wife is dying. There is one drug that will save her life but it is very expensive. The druggist will not lower the price so that Mr. Heinz can buy it to save his wife's life. What should he do? More importantly, why? This is one of the dilemmas that Kohlberg used to determine stages of moral development. Examples of the reasoning individuals at each stage of development use to solve this dilemma are outlined below. The reader is encouraged to examine the links offered at each stage. These links contain concrete examples of each of applications of these types of reasoning in the classroom. Level 1: PreconventionalAt this level judgement is based solely on a person's own needs and perceptions.
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Level 2: ConventionalThe expectations of society and society's laws are taken into account in a decision about a moral dilemma.
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Level 3: PostconventionalJudgements are based on abstract, more personal principles that aren't necessarily defined by society's laws.
Kohlberg's ideas are everywhere! For examples of how Kohlberg's ideas fit in U.S. Congressional debates click here. |
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Level 1: PreconventionalPunishment-Obedience orientation
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Level 1: PreconventionalPersonal Reward Orientation
Student 1: "She called me a jerk!" Student 2: "Well, he pulled my hair!"
Level 2: ConventionalGood Boy/ Nice Girl Orientation
Level 2: ConventionalLaw and Order Orientation
Level 3: PostconventionalSocial Contract Orientation
Level 3: PostconventionalUniversal Ethical Principle Orientation
For further reading on the fostering of moral development in children, the reader is directed to the work of Thomas Lickona. |