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Well, I did it again. I ran out of time. In class yesterday, with topics spanning a variety of theories, systems, and processes of human development, I didn’t have time to address the formation of moral reasoning and its’ application to teaching and learning.
The fact is, I don’t think I’m alone.
As Paul Barnwell, teacher and writer based in Kentucky, writes in his poignant article about the lack of moral education being taught in schools today:
For many American students who have attended a public school at some point since 2002, standardized-test preparation and narrowly defined academic success has been the unstated, but de facto, purpose of their schooling experience. And while school mission statements often reveal a goal of preparing students for a mix of lifelong success, citizenship, college, and careers, the reality is that addressing content standards and test preparation continues to dominate countless schools’ operations and focus.
Barnwell, P. Students’ Broken Moral Compasses: The pressures of national academic standards have pushed character education out of the classroom. The Atlantic. (2016).
As a society, have we prioritized academic standards and test preparation at the expense of moral development?
A quick review of the history of moral education in the United States points to the ebb and flow of moral education, a movement toward value-free education, the packaging and repackaging of character education, and the current emphasis on social emotional learning.
In fact, the very turning point that Barnwell argues is responsible for pushing character education out of the classroom, No Child Left Behind included character education as a central aspect to education reform.
This leads me to question:
-Is a focus on academic standards to blame or is something else standing in the way of moral education?
-Do teachers understand morality thoroughly enough to effectively facilitate learning experiences that foster its’ development?
-How can teachers make the time for moral education while also supporting academic rigor?
-Does this all come down to the fact that some professor ran out of time to address the importance of moral development during the one class dedicated to mentioning the topic???
In my attempt to answer these questions, I realized it’s pretty complex. Issues of fairness, empathy, trust, ethics, correctness, responsibilities, values, conduct, and judgements of what is right or wrong underscore just how complicated the construct of morality really is. Various interpretations exist among individuals, cultures, and societies.
So now what?
First, we need to learn more about morality.
The science of morality is an expanding topic of study among psychologists and neurobiologists. Discovery, a series by BBC World Service that explores the nature of science, produced a podcast titled “The Science of Morality.” During the episode, Dr. Carinne Piekema interviews leading psychology and neurobiology researchers who are working to break down moral beliefs into their component processes. Their research supports everything from teaching empathy to giving more hugs. (BTW, Hugs are always a good idea. We need more hugs. It’s a scientific fact!)
Second, we need to make small adjustments to what we’re already doing.
According to Teaching Tolerance:
Empathy and academics need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, a focus on empathy can increase student achievement. This toolkit for “Empathy for the ‘A’” shows teachers how to build empathy into their practice with a few adjustments to the things they already do.
Teaching Tolerance. Toolkit for “Empathy for the ‘A'”. (2016).
TT’s Toolkit for “Empathy for the ‘A'” supports teachers in making these small adjustments in their classroom through the use of student feedback, using games in the classroom, curriculum planning, setting goals, and building relationships.
Third, we need to get on board with the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) movement.
Another way to attend to moral education in the classroom is through the implementation of Social Emotional Learning. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a trusted source for knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based SEL. They provide a number of resources for educators including this systematic framework to identify, evaluate, and provide best-practices for SEL programs.
Lastly, we need to engage students in authentic learning experiences that address moral dilemmas.
Making space for classroom discussions that engage students in identifying and addressing community issues, societal problems, and social dilemmas is not only relevant and academically challenging, but offers opportunities for students to understand complex issues from multiple perspectives. This process of higher order thinking allows students to grapple with the contradictions inherent in human morality. When students obtain an awareness of moral judgements, they expand their own moral reasoning.
With this in mind, let me end with the classic moral dilemma that Kohlberg himself would propose to people to determine their morality of justice- The Heinz Dilemma. It goes as follows:
A woman was on her deathbed. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I’m going to make money from it.” So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man’s laboratory to steal the drug for his wife.
Kohlberg, L. (1981). Essays on Moral Development, Vol l. I: The Philosophy of Moral Development. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.
Now consider these questions:
-Should Heinz steal the drug? Why or why not?
-Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for a stranger? Why or why not?
-It is against the law to steal. Does that make it morally wrong? Why or why not?
I’d love to hear what you think. Share your comments below.
Sources:
Barnwell, P. (2016). The Atlantic. Students’ Broken Moral Compasses: The pressures of national academic standards have pushed character education out of the classroom. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/students-broken-moral-compasses/492866/
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2017). Framework for Systemic Social and Emotional Learning. Retrieved from: https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CASEL-Wheel-2.pdf
Discovery. BBC World Service. (2012). The Science of Morality. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00rdps3
Kohlberg, L. (1981). Essays on Moral Development, Vol l. I: The Philosophy of Moral Development. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.
McLeod, S. (2013). Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Retrieved from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html
Stateuniversity.com Educator’s Encyclopedia. (2019). Moral Education: A Brief History of Moral Education, The Return of Character Education, Current Approaches to Moral Education. Retrieved from: https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2246/Moral-Education.html
Teaching Tolerance. (2016). Toolkit for “Empathy for the ‘A'”. Retrieved from: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2016/toolkit-for-empathy-for-the-a
U.S. Department of Education. (2005). No Child Left Behind. Character Education: Our Shared Responsibility [PDF File]. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/character/brochure.pdf
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