Moral Development~Kholberg

 Kohlberg agreed with Piaget's  theory of moral development in principle but wanted to expand on his ideas. This resulted in the development of his well known stage theory of children's moral development.

According to Kohlberg, children early in their middle childhood stage of development will typically display “Preconventional” moral reasoning.  Children will acknowledge that it is considered immoral to steal from others; that you must earn or be given things and not simply take them. Children will tend to live in accordance with these rules but primarily for selfish reasons, as a way of avoiding punishment and obtaining praise for themselves. At this point in time, they will appreciate their ability to make different kinds of choices, and also the reality of consequences associated with those choices. They realize that morally good behaviors attract praise and positive regard from peers and adults, while morally bad choices bring about unpleasant consequences and negative regard. 

At the "Conventional" level we begin to understand the moral standards of valued adult role models. Authority is internalized but not questioned and reasoning is based on the norms of the group to which the person belongs.

At the "PostConventional" level Individual judgment is based on self-chosen principles, and moral reasoning is based on individual rights and justice 10–15% of adults, not before mid-30s.

McLeod, S. A. (2011). Kohlberg. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html

I have never had to make a moral decision that could possibly save someone's life but I have, had to make hard moral decisions. I have been raised in a religious family where I have been taught to always do the right thing no matter what. I haven't always done that though, I have struggled to make good choices,and I have suffered the consequences. But I also witness this from my little sister. I see her doing what she thinks is "right" and not understanding why something is wrong. Since she does not understand why things are right or wrong she does what she is told to do, in order to stay out of trouble.

Being able to understand the way children view morality will help me greatly when I become a teacher. It will be important to help my students understand why things are right or wrong. Also as I teach I will try to focus on the moral of the story and key things. I will also explain to them that not everyone has the same moral standards,and just because some people say something is "right" does not necessarily mean it is.