JCE Moral Education 18 key terms

The deliberate process of helping learners develop values, moral reasoning, and conduct, usually through school curricula and classroom relationships that shape character and ethical judgment.

An approach that helps learners identify and rank their own values through discussion and reflection, rather than having values imposed by a teacher or authority figure.

A school-based approach that intentionally cultivates virtues such as honesty, responsibility, and respect through explicit teaching, school climate, and consistent adult modeling across the school day.

The thinking process a person uses to decide whether an action is right or wrong, weighing intentions, consequences, rules, and the welfare of the people affected.

A stage theory describing moral judgment moving from obedience to avoid punishment, through conformity to social expectations, toward universal ethical principles applied consistently regardless of authority.

The earliest level of moral judgment, in which a person decides right and wrong mainly by expected rewards and punishments rather than by shared rules or internal principles.

A level of moral judgment in which people follow the norms of their family, group, or society, valuing approval, law, and duty because these maintain social order.

The most advanced level of moral judgment, where a person evaluates rules against broader principles such as justice, human dignity, and the common good, even when this conflicts with law.

A situation in which two or more moral obligations conflict, so that any available choice requires sacrificing something ethically important and no option is clearly correct.

A stable, admirable character quality such as honesty, courage, or compassion that disposes a person to act well habitually rather than only occasionally or under pressure.

A repeated pattern of conduct formed through practice until it becomes automatic, so that acting fairly or kindly requires less deliberate effort over time.

The capacity to reason independently about ethical matters and to act on self-endorsed principles rather than simply complying with pressure, reward, or unquestioned authority.

A condition in which a person's moral choices are governed by external authority, rules, or approval rather than by their own reflective judgment and commitment.

The quality of holding consistent values and behaving in line with them, especially when honesty or principle carries a personal cost and no one is watching.

The willingness to act on ethical convictions despite fear, social disapproval, or risk to one's status, standing up for what is right when others stay silent.

The ability to understand and share another person's feelings and perspective, which supports caring behavior and reduces the likelihood of harming others.

The cognitive skill of imagining how a situation looks from another person's viewpoint, including their knowledge, needs, and likely reactions.

An emotional response of concern for someone who is suffering, combined with a motivation to help relieve their distress rather than merely feeling sorry for them.

Voluntary action intended to benefit others, such as sharing, helping, comforting, or cooperating, often performed without expectation of reward or recognition.

A shared expectation within a group about how people ought to behave in a given situation, backed by social approval, disapproval, and sometimes formal sanction.

A considered decision about what is right or wrong in a particular case, reached by weighing relevant principles, facts, consequences, and the interests of those affected.

The unplanned lessons learners absorb from routines, rules, teacher behavior, and school structures, which can quietly reinforce or undermine the values a school officially teaches.

The overall quality of relationships, safety, fairness, and belonging experienced in a school, which shapes whether learners feel respected and adopt the values being taught.

Influence exerted when learners imitate the observable conduct of teachers, parents, or peers, making consistent adult behavior a powerful and often unintended moral lesson.

Enduring beliefs about what is important and desirable, which guide priorities, attitudes, and behavior and often serve as the foundation for moral decisions.

The degree to which being a good and ethical person is central to how someone defines themselves, motivating behavior that matches their moral self-image.

An approach to wrongdoing that focuses on repairing harm through dialogue among the person responsible, those affected, and the community, rather than on punishment alone.

The obligation to answer for one's actions and their consequences, accepting responsibility openly and taking steps to make amends when harm has occurred.

A structured educational method that combines community service with reflection and curriculum objectives, so that helping others also deepens understanding and civic responsibility.

Preparation for participation in public life, teaching knowledge of institutions alongside the dispositions and skills needed for responsible, informed, and cooperative civic involvement.

Teaching that seeks to install fixed beliefs while suppressing questioning and evidence, leaving learners unable to evaluate the ideas they have been given critically.

The view that moral judgments have no universal standard and are valid only relative to a particular culture, group, or individual perspective.

The principle that people should receive what they are due, including fair treatment, fair distribution of benefits and burdens, and fair responses to wrongdoing.

The ethical principle that every individual has inherent worth and should be treated with dignity, honesty, and consideration, never merely as a means to an end.

The capacity to manage one's emotions, impulses, and attention in order to act according to chosen standards rather than momentary feelings or external pressure.

The ability to notice when a situation involves ethical stakes and to anticipate how one's actions might affect others, which precedes moral judgment and action.

A set of cognitive strategies, such as blaming the victim or minimizing harm, that allow people to act against their own moral standards without feeling guilt.