Moral development is viewed as a matter of progression in the cognitive reasoning and rationale underlying choices and judgments. Traditionally, retrospective reports of rationales have been used to measure moral development levels, resulting in unreliable information. Information Integration Theory attempts to assess individual differences in…

A case study of a novice poet based on six interviews reveals significant differences in the writing processes of beginning and experienced poets. While the novice's unfamiliarity with other poets' work or methods of working and his own practice of writing only when he spontaneously finds himself in a certain mood distinguished him as a beginner,…

Provides recommendations for improving the quality and relevance of rehabilitation research. Recommendations include (a) increasing positive collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and disabled consumers in the planning, designing, and implementation of rehabilitation research projects; (b) expanding the use of single-case experimental…

Teachers with relatively high scores on the Defining Issues Test of moral development, contrasted with teachers with relatively low scores, had a more democratic view of teacher and student roles, and saw rules as protecting the rights of individual students as well as the group's rights. (NH)

Describes working with psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg in developing assessments of a group's sense of community, mutual acceptance of social norms, and the democratic process. Explains how Kohlberg influenced the author's professional work. (Author/NB)

Examines responses of sixty preschool children interviewed on their understanding of war. Although the majority of children could not articulate details of the specific nature of war, they indicated that war was bad for morally relevant reasons. Implementations of the findings for preschool educators are discussed. (Author/DST)

The author critiques Smith's assertions that (1) there is such a thing as elitism in an educational context, (2) artwork can engender a heightened experience and (3) the careful choosing of exemplary pieces of art as instructional materials for art education is necessary to help students achieve the aesthetic experience. (RM)

Examined the relationship between empathy and moral reasoning, age and gender differences in expression of emotional empathy, and flexibility of moral reasoning in 330 adolescents, ages 12 to 20. Moral reasoning, assessed by Flexibility of Moral Judgement Index, and empathy were found to be unrelated. (Author/DST)

Character education's single-minded focus on virtues and moral exemplars is apt to leave young people wondering what an individual does to be honest or courageous or generous or determined. Kohlberg's well-known levels of moral development do not involve the application of universal principles until the most mature stages. Some discussion of moral…

Representing an attempt to document the basic assumptions of Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental theory of moral judgment, a 20-year longitudinal study was conducted. Assessed was the moral judgment development of 58 boys ages 10, 13, and 16 when the study began. At each of six testing times, subjects were individually interviewed on their…

This article explores the role of values in social science research and in public policymaking for programs that intervene in the lives of children and their families. A values classification scheme is described that was used in the To Strengthen Families Project. (PP)

Three issues--the Catholic school experience, the ruling of the Supreme Court on abortion, and the nuclear debate--are discussed from the point of view of a Catholic living in the United States. (JM)

The news media are actively involved in constructing reality rather than neutrally transmitting it. Media education should be concerned with who owns and controls the media; how ideological effects are constructed; what values are implicit in the constructions; and how the audience reads the constructions. (IS)

A model based on statistical analysis of alternative choices, practical considerations, and ideal considerations can help students develop decision making skills. Students assign numerical ratings to considerations, chart them, and then construct a scattergram to show correlations between real and ideal considerations, for example. Examples of…

Examines the nature and value of undergraduate students' experiences with the academic library based on responses from more than 300,000 students between 1994 and 2002 to the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). Highlights include demonstrating the library's educational value; information literacy; satisfaction with the college…