Western Kentucky University
Moral Developmental Consistency? Investigating the Role of Major
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
W. Pitt Derryberry
Abstract
Previous study has supported that those in education majors routinely score lower on assessments of moral development than do those in other majors. However, prior study has overlooked some important factors associated with moral development. The purpose of the current study is to further investigate the degree to which moral developmental differences exist by accounting for these oversights of previous study. In the current study, separate samples of college students in education, psychology, and other majors are addressed in terms of their moral judgment development, moral sensitivity, and areas relevant to micromoral functioning. The data collection is still ongoing, but current analyses indicate that moral judgment differences are not as ominous as previous study has portended, and no consistent trends are denoted in terms of moral sensitivity and micromoral functioning. Though there is not support for much moral developmental disparity among majors, the present study does acknowledge that there is room for improvement in all of the considered areas and suggests that efforts to facilitate change in these areas for education majors is worth pursuing.
Moral Developmental Consistency? Investigating the Role of Major
Previous study has supported that those in education majors routinely score lower on assessments of moral development than do those in other majors. However, prior study has overlooked some important factors associated with moral development. The purpose of the current study is to further investigate the degree to which moral developmental differences exist by accounting for these oversights of previous study. In the current study, separate samples of college students in education, psychology, and other majors are addressed in terms of their moral judgment development, moral sensitivity, and areas relevant to micromoral functioning. The data collection is still ongoing, but current analyses indicate that moral judgment differences are not as ominous as previous study has portended, and no consistent trends are denoted in terms of moral sensitivity and micromoral functioning. Though there is not support for much moral developmental disparity among majors, the present study does acknowledge that there is room for improvement in all of the considered areas and suggests that efforts to facilitate change in these areas for education majors is worth pursuing.