JCE Moral Education 18 cheat sheet

Kohlberg's three levels are preconventional (punishment/obedience and instrumental exchange), conventional (interpersonal conformity and law-and-order), and postconventional (social contract and universal ethical principles).

Piaget's heteronomous morality (rules fixed by authority, judged by consequences) precedes autonomous morality (rules as mutual agreements, judged by intention), typically shifting around age 10.

Gilligan's ethics of care critiques justice-oriented reasoning, emphasizing relationships, responsiveness, and contextual responsibility over abstract rules.

Rest's Four-Component Model: moral sensitivity (recognizing a moral issue), moral judgment (deciding right action), moral motivation (prioritizing moral values), and moral character (implementing action).

The domain theory of Turiel separates moral judgments (harm, justice, rights - universal, unalterable) from social conventions (arbitrary, authority-dependent) and personal matters.

Virtue ethics (Aristotle) locates morality in cultivated character traits and practical wisdom (phronesis), with eudaimonia as the flourishing end.

Deontological reasoning judges acts by duty and rules (Kant's categorical imperative); consequentialist reasoning judges acts by outcomes (utilitarian greatest good).

Values clarification (Raths) uses choosing, prizing, and acting to help learners examine values without imposing a fixed moral content.

Character education approaches include direct instruction in virtues, modeling, service learning, and creating a caring school community (Lickona's cognitive, affective, behavioral triad).

Dilemma discussion (Kohlberg's just-community and plus-one matching) aims to expose learners to reasoning one stage above their current level to stimulate upward movement.

A caring classroom climate, teacher modeling, and consistent behavioral expectations are environmental levers that shape moral learning more than isolated lessons.

Formative assessment of moral education favors observation records, reflective journals, and structured discussion over single high-stakes tests.

Service learning links moral reasoning to action by combining community engagement with structured reflection on consequences and responsibilities.

Indoctrination differs from moral education in that it suppresses critical examination; moral education preserves learner autonomy and reasoned choice.

Socioemotional learning overlaps with moral education through self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Restorative practices address harm by repairing relationships (dialogue, accountability, restitution) rather than purely punitive sanctions.

Cultural context matters: collectivist settings may stress harmony and duty over individual rights, so moral curricula should avoid treating one framework as universal.