Building Blocks of Theory

Kohlberg

Theories of Moral Development:

Preconventional Level:

Stage 1: Obedience Orientation - follow rules to avoid punishments

Stage 2: Rewards/Exchange Orientation - determining right and wrong by personal needs/wants

Conventional Level:

Stage 3: Being Nice/Relationships Orientation - being good = being nice to/pleasing others

Criticisms:

Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation - laws/authorities must be obeyed; social system must be maintatined

Postconventional Level:

Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation - moral choice is determined by social standards (i.e. "the greatest good for the greatest number."

Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principles Orentation - universal principles of human dignity/social justice that all people should uphold regardless of law

• Stages are not separate, sequenced, or consistent
• Moral decisions are based upon various stages not just one
• Theory is based upon Western male values
• Moral development occurs differently in women and other cultures
• Study was based upon longitudinal study of American men only

In the Classroom:

In the early elementary years students have a basic understanding of right and wrong. This is developed even further when students have written rules they are suppose to follow in the classroom.

As students get into middle years of elementary school they understand the idea of being good which pleases others. This can be helpful when teaching students how to treat one another.

In middle school students are figuring out who they are and their own identity. Often times this is defined by the social norms of their peers. Students are take on the mind set or mentality of their peers.

Erik Erikson

Erikson's Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development:

Stages:

Description:

Event:

Approximate Age:

Birth to 12-18 months

1. Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust

Feeding

Infant forms a loving and trusting relationship with caregiver.

18 months to 3 years

2. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt

Toilet Training

Development of physical skills (i.e. walking, grasping, controlling the sphincter). Learns control but may develop shame and doubt.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt

3 to 6 years

Child is more assertive and takes initiative.

Independence

Demanded to learn new skills or risk inferiority, failure and incompetence.

School

6 to 12 years

4. Industry vs. Inferiority

Adolescence

Peer Relationships

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

Achieving identity in occupation, gender roles, politics, and religion.

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young Adulthood

Love Relationships

Development of intimate relationships or suffer isolation.

Middle Adulthood

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

Parenting/Mentoring

Finding some way to satisfy and support the next generation.

Late Adulthood

8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Reflection and Acceptance

of One's Own Life

Creating a sense of acceptance of oneself and fulfillment of one's own life.

In the Classroom:

Like Piaget, Erikson's theory of psychosocial stages progress as children age. Erikson however has eight different stages of development.

Limitations:

Contributions:

When working with elementary age students it is important to recognize when something was wrong, especially when it is an action taken upon another.

Examples:

• "Stephen, that was not very kind of you. It hurt Dutch's feelings."
• "Amanda how would you feel if another classmate called you that name?"
• "Andrew you know you are not allowed to chew gum during class."
• "Justin, stop throwing you supplies around the room!"

Erikson believed in Piaget's idea that human develop in stages. This comes as a slight limitation to Erikson's theory. However Erikson had more stages and his were more specific and well thought out than Piaget's. Overall though Erikson's theory was well supported by the psychological community throughout.

Four Stages of Cognitive Development:

In the Classroom:

Stage:

Description:

Age Range:

Sensorimotor

0-2 years

• Symbolic thinking
• Remembers events
• Moving towards intentional actions/thinking

Jean Piaget

Preoperational

• Language development
• Struggles with past/future
• Things are present
• Egotistical

2-7 years (about the

time a child begins

speaking

Based upon what grade I am teaching this looks very different in the classroom. Piaget's research shows the older children get the more extensive their levels of thinking can go.

Concrete Operational

7-11 (about 1st Grade

to early adolescence)

• Logical thinking on concrete things
• Categorizes things
• Understanding of past, present & future

"Piaget argued that the development of cognitive operations such as conservation or abstract thinking cannot be accelerated...children had to be developmentally ready to learn" (Brainerd, 2003).

Formal Operational

Adolescence to adulthood

• Hypothetical thinking
• Deductive reasoning
• Abstract thinking/problem solving
• Multiple perspectives

If teaching primary-early elementary years, one might keep in mind that those students are developing language skills and may struggle to understand other's opinions and points of view.

Criticisms:

If teaching upper elementary to high school age, one might keep in mind that those students understand past, present, and future as well as hypothetical thinking/deductive reasoning.

• Doubting of four separate stages
• Lack of consistency
• Process is continuous vs. separate stages
• Underestimation of cognitive abilities of children

Piaget's Developmental Theory: an Overview (Davidson Films, Inc.)

Building Blocks of Theory