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In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Meaning of Moral Development 2. Stages of Moral Development 3. Factors Influencing Moral Development 4. Role of Teacher in Moral Development Educational Implications of Moral Development.
Moral development is one of the most significant aspects of the personality development. It is thus a major task of society and education. Moral- development proceeds along with social development. A person whose social development has been disturbed due to some, or the other reason, a person who is socially maladjusted develops immoral behaviour.
Immoral behaviour is that behaviour which fails to conform to social expectations. Such behaviour arises not due to ignorance of social expectations, but due to intentional disapproval of social standards or lack of feelings of obligation to conform. Similarly a person who has been deprived of the opportunity to learn social behaviour develops unmoral or non-moral behaviour. Unmoral or non-moral behaviour arises due to ignorance of what the social group expects rather than intentional violation of the group’s standards.
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The term moral is derived from the Latin word mores meaning manners, customs and folk ways. Morality is indissolubly linked with the social system. The child has to learn what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. He has also to learn his duty.
Dimensions of Moral Development:
By Bquer Mehdi and Dr. B.P. Gupta in an NCERT publication entitled, ‘Psychology of the child and curriculum’ observed, Moral development of the child implies inculcation in the child a number of qualities for which curriculum provides ample opportunities. According to them, following are some of the important moral qualities which need to be attended to in schools.
Honesty in words and deeds, Truthfulness, Righteousness, Self-control, Compassion, Duty consciousness and Self-respect & a desire to respect others.
Meaning of Moral Development:
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Hemming, in his book. ‘The Development of Children’s Moral Values’ writes, “Moral development is the process in which the child acquires the values esteemed by his community…………. acquires a sense of right and wrong in terms of these values…. learns to regulate his personal desires and compulsions so that, when a situational conflict (arises, he does what he ought to do rather than what he wants to) do …. Moral development is the process by which a community seeks to transfer the egocentricity of the baby into the social behaviour of the mature adult.”
Moral development includes moral behaviour and moral concepts:
1. Moral behaviour:
Moral behaviour means behaviour in conformity with the moral code of the social group. The term ‘Moral’ comes from the Latin word ‘mores’ meaning manners, customs and folkways. Moral behaviour not only conforms to social standards but also it is carried out voluntarily. It is always a companied by a feeling of responsibility for one’s acts. It involves giving primary consideration to the welfare of the group and considering personal gain or desires as having secondary importance.
2. Moral concepts:
Moral concepts are the rules of behaviour to which the members of a culture become accustomed and which determine the expected behaviour patterns of all group members.
Concept of Morality:
The term ‘Morality’ stands for following the moral code of society or conformity in behaviour to the manners, values and customs of the social group. It also includes a sense of right or wrong. Morality consists of ideals or rules that govern human conduct. Morality has a social reference.
Moral standards vary from group to group depending upon what has been accepted by the group as the socially approved behaviour. True morality comes from within the individual. It is internal in nature and not imposed by external authority.
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It should be noted that a moral code is based on moral concepts which have been learned gradually over a long period. The fundamental concepts are learned in the home by direct teaching and imitation, motivated by threats of punishment and promises of reward. Later, these home grown concepts are broadened and reinforced by learning from teachers, from adults in authority and from peers.
Stages of Moral Development:
Stages of Moral Development according to Havighurst:
Havighurst recognises following five levels of moral development:
1. A-moral stage:
This stage lasts from birth to two years. The new born baby has no idea of good or bad, or right and wrong. He is moved solely by his urges and wants. He is unaware of the effects his act has on others.
2. Self-centered stage:
This stage usually goes up to six years. Some individuals may remain fixated at this stage even much later. At this stage the person learns to distinguish between self-interest and group interest but he is not prepared to sacrifice his own interest. A self-centred act is done more with a view to satisfy one’s impulses or desires than to disregard a moral rule.
3. Conforming conventional stage:
During this stage motive or activity of the child is not self-approval but group approval. At this stage a child may ignore his own impulses and act only in the manner which is normal in his group. Conformity to norms of the social group is fairly common at the late childhood stage. By doing so he learns many right things.
4. Irrational conscientious stage:
Conscience is a term which is used for internal self-criticism which makes a person reject an act because it conflicts with his ideals even though it may attain his external goals. Behaviour is irrational conscientious when an individual acts in the light of the values which are held emotionally rather than rationally.
For example, always speak the truth even if it results in somebody being hanged or found out by a mob and lynched. Almost all adolescents pass through this stage of holding on to social values or emotional basis before they attain the highest level of moral development.
5. Rational altruistic stage:
That highest level is the rational altruistic stage. Here the values are not found in emotional conditioning but in rational judgment. In other words the person acquires values and ideals at rational and not at emotional basis. That is the values are put above or below in a hierarchy in relation to their consequences for the welfare of others. At this level a person adheres neither to the group norm nor to abstract ‘law’ or morality. But he acts and decides on the basis of reasoning and the best consideration for others.
Stage of Moral Development by Kohlberg:
Like Piaget Kholberg believes that the child’s moral development proceeds from specificity to generality. Kohlberg mentions six developmental stages that fall into three fundamentally different levels (Pre-conventional Level, Conventional Level and Post-conventional Level) of moral orientation.
(1) Pre-conventional level:
At this level the control of conduct is external. Required conforming standards of behaviour consist of pressures or commands which come from sources outside the person. For example the parents set the standards which are to be confirmed. The motive for the moral behaviour is also external at this stage. The motive is to avoid external punishment, to secure awards or to have favours.
This level is divided in two stages:
i. Stage 1: Punishment and obedience orientation:
Obedience is based on fear of punishment. Children have no real sense of morality or conscience. They, however, show unquestioning deference to those who have power to punish. There is no concept of the rights of others. Might is right. At this stage the child primarily pays attention towards keeping himself away from difficulty and in this way saves himself from pain, obstruction to his freedom and anxiety. This is similar to the stage described by Piaget as the stage of objective responsibility.
ii. Stage 2: Instrumental-relativist orientation:
The child at this stage also remains attentive to his needs but he understands now that others too have rights. Because of this sometimes he agrees to compromise on the efforts for fulfilling the needs of other persons. ‘You scratch my back and I shall scratch yours.’ Rules are conformed for the purpose of gaining favours and rewards from others.
(2) Conventional level:
At this level control of the individual’s conduct still remains external. Still rules adhered to are those of others, but motivation to comply with this expectations is internal. Morality is measured in terms of performing goods acts and maintaining the conventional social order or the expectation of others.
iii. Stage 3: Nice-girl/good boy orientation:
Nice-girl/good boy orientation is predominant. Moral behaviour is that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them. Right action is defined by general consensus and the motive behind the right action is the desire to remain accepted by others. At this stage the child tries to please others and obtain their approval. He moulds himself to the traditional patterns of social norms and in arriving at judgments keeps himself and others intentions in mind. What Piaget calls as personal responsibility that appears at this stage.
iv. Stage 4: Law and order orientation:
The child understands that the social system is dependent on the performance of their duties by the individuals and on their willingness for respecting the laws. Thus moral ideals become more generalized and motivation to live upto them shifts from concern about the reactions of immediate others to a sense of duty to respect authority and maintain the social order. This stage might be called the ‘law and order’ stage.
(3) Post-conventional level:
The control of conduct at this level becomes internal. The standards conformed to come from within the individual and the decision to act is based on an inner process of thought and judgment concerning moral matters. There is a thrust towards autonomous moral principles, which have a valid basis and application.
v. Stage 5: Social contract orientation:
At this stage a sense of duty still prevails, but morality now is seen more as a responsibility to honour contractual agreements and the rights of others. Right actions are defined according to those norms, needs and rights which are accepted unanimously by the society. A sense of fairness and legality becomes more important than the need to maintain the social order.
Laws can be changed when they no longer express the will of the majority, maximize social welfare, or promote institutional functioning. There is recognition that all individuals have rights irrespective of their race, sex or social status. Most of the adults are capable of functioning at this stage.
vi. Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation:
At this stage morality is oriented toward individual principles of conscience. Conduct is now governed by internalized ideals regardless of others reactions. Morality is distinguished from legality. Moral decisions take into account intentions, situational factors, mitigating circumstances and other factors that differentiate superficially similar situations.
In order words, the individual not only keeps in mind the norms of the society but also the limits to which the universal moral principles are applicable. The universal principles of justice, the reciprocity and quality of human rights and respect for the dignity of mankind as individual persons form the basis of conscience.
Moral Development at Different Stages:
Infancy Stage (Birth to 5 years):
During first two years of life the child has no conscience, no sense of right or wrong, and no values. Hence no significant moral development takes place during first two years of life. But the child is not immoral. He is rather unmoral or non-moral. He does not perform the wrong acts intentionally. Wrong acts are caused due to ignorance and his inability to understand what is good or what is bad. As the child has no conscience during the first two years of life, it is no use teaching him moral behaviour and moral concepts. Hence parents must wait until the child develops his conscience and is able to understand what the society expects.
Before the child enters school, he is expected to distinguish right from wrong or do’s from do not’s in simple situations and to lay the foundation for the development of conscience. Moral concepts during this period are specific at first and relate to specific situations in which they were learned.
Piaget is of the view that since the pre-school child is un-capable of abstract thinking and generalisation he considers good behaviour in terms of specific acts, such as obeying the mother or helping the mother, and bad behaviour in terms of not doing what his mother or father wants him to do.
Kohlberg opines that during this stage conduct is determined by external factors like approval and disapproval or reward and punishment. Thus the child’s behaviour is oriented towards obedience and punishment. His behaviour is hedonistic in the sense that he considers acts as right that satisfy the self and sometimes his parents. If a particular behaviour brings pleasure, comfort, or some satisfaction and at times, if a particular behaviour pleases his parents, particularly mother, he repeats that behaviour.
Late childhood stage (5 to 12 years):
By the time a child is 6 or 7 years old, his capacity to understand relationship increases. Thus his concepts of right and wrong in different but related situations emerge. Consequently he moves from specific response to a generalised response. By the time a child is 8 years old his concepts become more generalised. For example he realizes that ‘stealing is bad’, rather than ‘it is wrong to steal a book’ as in early childhood or infancy stage.
During late childhood stage morality is defined as performing good acts and maintaining the conventional social order. Morality is held to be maintaining good relations and oriented towards getting approval, and pleasing and helping others.
During last part of late childhood period, moral behaviour is oriented towards authority, law duty and maintaining the status quo-which is assumed to be a primary value. The moral values of the child change as he associates with more people and with people whose values differ from those of his parents.
Adolescent stage:
Moral development is an important aspect of adolescent stage. By the time the individual reaches adolescence, his moral code is fairly well formed. During the earlier years when a child does things that the group regards as wrong, it is often assumed that his parents have not taught him how to behave. But as the child reaches adolescence, society expects him to behave in accordance with the mores of the group, because during adolescence he is better capable of understanding what is right and what is wrong.
Most adolescents learn to behave in a socially approved manner. But few others are socially ‘stupid’. They violate the mores of the group. But the society does not condone violation of its mores. Thus such adolescents pay the penalty in the form of social rejection. During the adolescent period morality is defined as conforming to common standards – rights or duties.
The adolescent is oriented towards existing rules and standards. But he no longer wants to accept all that is imposed on him. Rather he applies his conscience and individual rights in accepting moral behaviour. Adolescents prefer democratic techniques in teaching and learning moral behaviour. Adolescents who are trained through autocratic techniques resent those who teach them moral behaviour. Sometimes parental expectations come in conflict with peer group standards.
The adolescent in his attempts to conform to peer group standards ignore or revolt against the parent. Such adolescent reactions are known as adolescent rebellion. Adolescent rebellion is generally expressed in choice of friends, hours of coming in and going out of home, leisure time activities, dress and impersonal relationships with members of the opposite sex. Adolescents who are successful as moral beings have a smooth transition to adulthood. Failure to do so may lead to excessive worries anxieties and frustration.
Factors Influencing Moral Development:
1. Family:
Family plays an active role in the moral development of children. Ethical and moral virtues like co-operation, obedience, discipline, truthfulness, sincerity, self-submission, sympathy, love, honesty, sublimation of instincts, subordination of self, to the larger interest of the society, realising and discharging responsibility are developed in the family. Congenial environment in the family is conducive to moral development.
Family members having immoral background adversely influence moral development of the child. Studies show that lower class parents tend to place greater emphasis on conformity to external authority. The middle class parents emphasize internal regulation of behaviour. It may be due to the fact that the lower class boys behave more aggressively and experience less guilt in the process than the middle class boys.
Child rearing factors:
The child rearing practices also effect the conscience development. The love-oriented practices in child rearing are more effective in conscience development. In the families in which the child is given praise and warmth and life of reason is emphasized the conscience development takes place in an effective manner.
2. School:
School is said to be the fountain head of social and moral virtues. It plays an important role in moral development of students. Teacher’s personality i.e., his social and moral attitudes, habits, interests, values and beliefs, discipline in the school maintained through love, affection, sympathy, personal example of teacher exercises positive influence in moral development of students.
Co-curricular activities like mass prayer and morning assembly, social service activities, self-government, celebration of birth days of great men provide ample opportunities for the inculcation of moral qualities like honesty, obedience, truth, justice, fellow-feeling, love and respect for others. Thus the students get training in the habits and graces of moral life.
3. Neighbourhood:
Interests, habits, sentiments and character of neighbours exert significant influence in moral development of children. Presence of the houses of drunkards, dacoits, gamblers and prostitutes negatively influences moral development.
4. Religious institutions:
Religious institutions like temples, Gurudwaras, Church have been regarded as primary social and moral institutions. Religion is of dominant influence in determining social and moral attitudes and moral functioning. Thus ethnic or religious institutions significantly influence moral development of individuals.
5. Club and camp experiences:
Club and camp experiences prove useful in the development of valuable social and moral qualities like obedience, cheerfulness, politeness, kindness, co-operation, honesty, and loyalty.
6. Playmates and friends:
Playmates and friends have vital influence in the moral development of the child. His moral attitudes, beliefs, interests, sentiments, habit and character are influenced by playmates and companions.
7. Culture:
The existing cultural environment exerts a powerful influence in the moral development. Customs, traditions, mores folkways and values of the groups i.e., home, school as well as society significantly influence moral development. Social traditions, customs, values and norms are unwritten laws that the child has to follow.
8. Community:
Community in which the individual moves is a potent factor in moral development. The community influences on the child are Musemus, Cinema, libraries, programmes on radio and television, other recreational programmes and community environment at large.
Role of Teacher in Moral Development Educational Implications of Moral Development:
1. Personal example of teachers:
Moral development is a matter of being caught rather than taught. Everything that a teacher does in the presence of his pupils contributes directly or indirectly to their character and moral development.
2. Presenting moral ideals:
The teacher should present moral ideals before the students and should explain the methods of achieving them. He should try to sublimate, modify or reform various instincts of children. He should help the students in the development of moral attitudes habits and sentiments like honesty, truthfulness, co-operation, obedience, justice and social service etc.
3. Example of great heroes:
Teacher should place before children examples of great religious leaders and heroes of the history so that children may imbibe their ideas. Longfellow has rightly remarked,
“Lives of great men all remind us,
We can make our life sublime.”
4. Biographies of great-men:
Teacher should encourage children to read biographies of great men and religious books. Discussion around moral problems should be arranged. This will help children to incorporate certain qualities or virtues in their character and moral development.
5. Celebration of days:
Birth days and death anniversaries of religious leaders and heroes, Saints, Gurus, Rishis and Mahatmas should be celebrated in the school as these are helpful in developing moral sentiments in the students.
6. Other co-curricular activities:
Co-curricular activities form the backbone of the school. Qualities of character or morality must be reflected in every activity of the school. Morality can be developed through activities like mass prayers, morning assemblies, talks by eminent persons of character, and by actually living in the situations. Games and sports, and inter-school competitions are helpful in developing qualities of character and morality like straight forwardness, loyalty, fellow feeling honesty, sincerity and fairness.