What factors influence moral development in early childhood? How did you come to understand right from wrong? What in your background or experiences influenced this understanding? How are moral reasoning and decision making shaped in ECEC environments? Should teaching positive moral reasoning and decision making be an explicit goal of ECEC? Why or why not? What are some cautions ECEC professionals need to consider in how they make and communicate moral, value-based assessments with young children? Response/Comment on this diablogg Hello all, Before we delve into what factors influence moral development in early childhood, we must note what moral development is and why it is important that we recognize it and the shortcomings that may stem from these methods of viewing morality. Piaget notes this as the ways in which people have come to “understand how human societies constitute and recognize law, […] [as well as how these societies] construct rules that the social group[s] consider valid and obligatory” (Carpendale, pg. 270, 2009). Piaget notes, that issues begin to stem from the foundations of these norms, as it can be noted, that these ideologies are socialized of what is viewed to be morally correct or incorrect (Carpendale, pg. 271, 2009; Cherry, 2021). Furthermore, “Piaget argued that biological factors alone are insufficient to account for the development of knowledge” and as such just by being born, it does not mean one is able to distinguish right from wrong (Carpendale, pg. 272, 2009). Although, he did mention “that ‘it cannot be denied that the idea of equality or of distributive justice possesses individual or biological roots are necessary but not sufficient conditions for its development’” (Carpendale, pg. 272, 2009; Kingsford, Hawes & Rosnay, 2018). So then, what is morality? Well, throughout academia regarding “early childhood literature,” there was no specific answer that could be utilized to explain what the moral self truly is constructed upon as there are many factors that come into play and variation of the formulation of morality (Kingsford, Hawes & Rosnay, pg. 654, 2018; Carpendale, pg. 272, 2009). How then can we explain the factors that which influence moral development in early childhood? Interestingly, there are instances where “certain forms of morality” can emerge and cultivate through relationship formulation (Carpendale, pg. 273, 2009). This is because development of morality can stem from the ways human beings are “socialized” and the influences they are exposed to on a daily basis that help shape their morals. Furthermore, on the opposite side of the spectrum it can be noted that negative morality can stem from poor socialization that leads to antisocial behaviours (Baker & Liu, 2021). Through these antisocial behaviours, one is placed in socially isolating settings and in turn, is not formulating relationships that can cultivate morality. As mentioned by Carpendale (2009), morality can stem from our relationships and I, for one, developed my moral compass through my relationship with my parents. Through my parents, I learned what was socially acceptable and what was not. Though I believe that my morality may have been foundationally grounded on my relationships with my parents, I also believe that it has been pillared with my relationships with my friends and educators to solidify the foundations of my moral compass. In addition to this, I was born in the Philippines, and I learned that there is a communal understanding of morality, and as such, I abided by the socialized standards of what constitutes as right or wrong. To illustrate, I was taught is that those older are always to be respected and followed, as well as one must always be polite and hospitable to those around them. It is through my cultural background and relationships that I was able to shape my moral compass. Although, it should be noted that morality will evolve through time as there is a universal view regarding morality, and there are country-based ideas regarding morality that one assimilates into their understanding. I know, personally, I have done some assimilation in my moral compass when moving to Canada. Why does morality shift so often? This is due to morality being a socialized ideology of what right and wrong is defined as and therefore, it constantly varies from country to country and evolve through time. In classroom environments, morality is shaped by the rules in place that children must abide by and thus they act in accordance with it (Baker & Liu, pg. 2, 2021). Furthermore, “children [are] consistently judg[ing] scenario[s] to [note what is] unacceptable” (Baker & Liu, pg. 2, 2021). Thus, children can understand levels of morality when defined and it is the educator’s responsibility to recognize the child’s behaviour and “respond to misbehaviours with [addressing moral concerns through […] referenc[ing the concerns specifically]” (Baker & Liu, pg. 2, 2021). As educators, we must be very specific in addressing concerns otherwise it can be difficult for children to understand (Baker & Liu, 2021). In some instances, it can be due to poor socialization that creates negative behaviours and poor morality. Thus, by properly socializing children, we can create a space that allows for children to thrive. I believe that we should be teaching positive moral reasoning and make it a goal in ECEC. I believe that by educating them, we are paving the road for children to make decisions with a better, conscious mind. Throughout life, we are constantly making various choices and I believe that by educating them on positive moral reasoning, we can help them understand their choices and create better possibilities for them as they will be more morally conscious of their choices. As we grow into adulthood, we will be presented with various challenges and must make choices and our morality will be tested. By educating them now, we are allowing for them to practice and learn from their mistakes before making bigger mistakes in their later stages of adulthood. Some cautions ECEC professionals need to consider is communicating their thoughts through “specific moral concerns [instead of] unelaborated statements condemning behaviours” like I mentioned earlier (Baker & Liu, 2021). To further, if we do not address the specifics and only mention a broad aspect of it, children, in some instances, may not understand what they did that was not a desirable outcome. Thus, through communication, we can show and socialize them and improve their moral development. Thank you for taking the time to read this, Cyril References: Baker, E. R., & Liu, Q. (2021). Moral Reasoning and Moral Behavior: Intersections of Reasoning with Aggressive Forms and Functions in Early Childhood. Early Education and Development, 32(4), 534–552. Carpendale, J. (2009). Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development. In U. Müller, J. Carpendale, & L. Smith (Eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Piaget (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, pp. 270-286). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CCOL9780521898584.012 Cherry, K. (2021, April 24). Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. Verywell Mind. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-development-2795071 Kingsford, J. M., Hawes, D. J., & de Rosnay, M. (2018). The moral self and moral identity: Developmental questions and conceptual challenges. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 36(4), 652–666. https://doi-org.ezpxy.fanshawec.ca/10.1111/bjdp.12260
