Brief descriptions of recent research in early childhood moral development and the author's own hypotheses about the relevance of moral development theory on early childhood classrooms and curricula are provided. The three recent research studies focus on young children's development of a capacity for empathy, social perspective, and sense of…

This teaching guide presents a description of the inquiry method as applied to the study of India. Some specific techniques are presented that might be employed to use India-related materials for secondary level Asian studies. The inquiry learning method is emphasized, in contrast to most materials on the study of India which offer a traditional,…

It is stated in the introduction that growing numbers of educators and researchers are concerned with how students develop values and they are examining strategies for values clarification. This monograph presents historical background and recent trends in value education. It discusses the values clarification approach and the cognitive…

Writing samples representing argumentation, exposition, narration, and description were gathered from 52 fourth-grade pupils. Significant differences were found among the four modes of writing and among high, medium, and low ability groups, for T-unit length and clauses per T-unit; lesser differences also were found for clause length.…

This study examined the effects of a cross-age training program on the interpersonal conceptions of the students serving as trainers. A total of 24 sixth graders participated in the study, 12 in the training group and 12 in the control group which received no training. The training group met twice a week, once to lead dilemma discussion groups…

This paper presents a cross-sectional investigation of adolescents' and young adults' reflective epistemological development. Three groups of 8 subjects (4 male and female) ages 10, 14, and 18 were given Piagetian tasks, the Kohlberg moral judgment questionnaire, and an epistemology interview covering such concepts as knowledge, thought, feeling,…

This document presents the annual report of the Danforth Foundation. Emphasis is placed on the history of the Foundation, trustees, administration, and consultants; president's statement; higher education; precollegiate education; urban affairs; operational procedures and practices; limitations to the grant-making of the Foundation; grants; and…

To report on the Conference on Values in the Community Colleges, it was decided to publish the major portions of the tape-recorded proceedings verbatim, with few excisions. The theme of the conference was "The Community College in Social Revolution: Purposes and Priorities for the Seventies." The speeches followed by audience discussion…

This document describes Swedish preschool "insight and partnership programmes" designed to develop social and moral values concomitant with a democratic society. The programs were tried out in six preschool groups of 18 to 20 6-year-old children, The "insight programme" was made up of suggestions and instructions concerning…

This essay critically views the prescriptions of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg concerning moral education within the public schools. Piaget's paradigm of the moral life is elaborated, and his prescriptive theories for the schools are presented. In contrast to Durkheim, Piaget argues that schools should resist adult-imposed moral rules whenever…

This collection of readings, which focuses on children's education and family influences, is taken from authors of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Puritan-evangelical concepts comprise most of the book, exemplified by such authors as (1) John Robinson, (2) John Locke, (3) Cotton Mather, (4) Susanna Wesley, (5) John Wesley, (6) Jonathan…

New social studies curricula and methods need to be adapted to fundamental aims of education -- the stimulation of cognitive and moral development. Educational implications of Piaget's work in cognitive stage development and the author's work in moral stage development are based upon the cognitive developmental transition of John Dewey, who…

Research efforts in the area of moral development of the child, as based on Piaget's theory, are discussed. Some of the important processes Piaget uses to explain cognitive growth are presented first, followed by his theory of how the individual's capacity for moral judgment evolves. The research discussed tests Piaget's chief underlying…

This paper analyzes the moral reasoning and perceptions of inmates in an eastern youth reformatory. A series of prison dilemmas, reflecting conflicts experienced by inmates and guards, was administered to 34 inmates; in addition, each inmate was given the standard Kohlberg moral maturity interview. Responses were scored for moral judgment and…

The report describes two experiments involving the ability of preservice social studies teachers to stage score moral thought statements. Stage scoring is defined as keeping a record of statements in accordance with the stages of moral development originated by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg. The two experiments involved the use of three stage…