Theme I: Experiencing Learning
Unit 3: Growth and Development
CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR S.C. TEACHER CADET COURSE | EXPERIENCING EDUCATION, TENTH EDITION
According to Kohlberg, most preschoolers are in the preconventional stage. Sometimes by
early adolescence, children reach the conventional stage. While some senior high students
may reach the postconventional stage, some researchers believe that most Americans never
go beyond the conventional stage at any age. (As an example, our last four presidential campaigns have been based on the "Law and Order" substage, causing us to question the average
American's status in moral development.) Kohlberg believed that children can be attracted to
operating at high levels of moral reasoning, and parents and educators should seek ways to
help young people go beyond the preconventional stage.
Some Criticisms of Kohlberg's Theory
Instructors may wish to consider the following criticisms of Kohlberg’s theory in presenting
this information to Cadets:
A. Kohlberg sampled only men in his research. What difference might exist between men and
women in moral development?
B. Kohlberg did not sample a variety of cultures. What are some relationships between
culture and moral development? What are some differences in morals between cultures?
C. Kohlberg's theories deal with moral thinking. What are some connections between
moral thinking and moral behavior?
D. Kohlberg's theories are based on self-reported data from the respondent to the interviewer.
How reliable might this be? How reliable might this not be?
PAGE I – 3 -21