Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

OFFICE OF THE VICE- PRESIDENT FOR BRANCHES AND SATELLITE CAMPUSES
SANTA ROSA CAMPUS

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
IN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
LEARNERS AND LEARNING
PRINCIPLES

Prepared & Compiled by:

Assoc. Prof. TERESITA Z. BAUTISTA

Adapted by:

KIER JOHN A. MAGINANG, LPT, MAEd

 UNIT VII – THE MORAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG CHILDREN
“Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and
standards that have been critically examined and agreed upon
by the whole society” – Lawrence Kohlberg

OVERVIEW
Individuals, when confronted by situations where they need to make moral decisions,
exercise their own ability to use moral reasoning. Our ability to choose right from wrong is tied
with our ability to understand and reason logically.

Moral development refers to the ways we distinguish right from wrong as we grow and
mature. Very young children generally do not have the same level of moral development as
adults.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: After the completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
1. Explain the term “Moral Development” as viewed by Lawrence Kohlberg

2. Describe the Stages of Moral Development Theory of Kohlberg

3. Compare the view of Piaget with that of Kohlberg regarding moral development

4. Identify guidelines for promoting moral development

COURSE MATERIALS
People agree or disagree whether something is moral or immoral when they have common
ground. Moral behavior is in conformity with the moral code of the social group. It is controlled
by moral concepts – the rules of behavior to which the member of a culture has become
accustomed and which determine expected behavior patterns of all group members.

LESSON 1 – LAWRENCE KOHLBERG’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Lawrence Kohlberg (1976, 1986) stressed that moral development primarily involves moral
reasoning and occurs in stages. Kohlberg arrived at his theory after interviewing children,
adolescents, and adults (primarily males) about their views on a series of moral dilemmas. A
key concept in understanding progression through the levels and stages is that their morality
becomes more internal or mature. That is, their reasons for their moral decisions or values
begin to go beyond the external or superficial reasons they gave when they were younger. Let’s
further examine Kohlberg’s stages.

Kohlberg’s Moral Development believed that individuals progress through stages of moral
development just as they progress through stages of cognitive development. He argued that
correct moral reasoning was the most significant factor in moral decision-making, and that
correct moral reasoning would lead to ethical behavior. There are three levels of Moral
Development; and each level has two (2) stages:
 Photo from: cleverism.com

KOHLBERG AND THE CLASSROOM

Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development can help you to better understand your students
and help you to guide them in their moral development. Elementary-aged students will remain in
stage 1-3, but some students may reach the higher stages more quickly than their peers. You
can still introduce your students to different classroom activities designed to help strengthen
their moral character at any age.
Level 1 or Pre-Conventional Morality

Stage 1- children tend to obey the rules only to avoid punishments. Teachers can help to
guide their students’ moral development by setting a code of conduct for the classroom to
encourage good behavior; thus, teacher should set clear guidelines for behavior and clear
consequences for misbehavior. It is important to stay consistent with the code of conduct and
punishment system throughout the school year.
In Stage 2 of this level, children’s actions are based mainly on consideration for what other
people can do for them. They tend to follow rules out of self-interest. Implementing a system to
reward elementary students who follow the classroom rules and who exhibit helpful behaviors
can go a long way in encouraging moral behavior. In this stage, children understand that
behaviors that are punished are considered “bad” and those that are rewarded are considered
“good”. It is good idea to introduce classroom activities that encourage cooperation between
students. Games and assignments that require students to help one another in order to succeed
will help students to further develop their moral reasoning skills.
Level 2 or Conventional Morality

In Stage 3, children evaluate morality based on the person’s motives behind their behavior.
Children in this stage and can take different circumstance into account when deciding if an act
was moral or not. Children in this stage often want to help others, can judge others’ the
intentions, and can begin to develop their own ideas regarding morality. Teachers can allow
their students to create a code of conduct for the classroom. This lets the students be partially
responsible for the classroom rules, which they will be expected to follow.
At stage 4, individuals become more concerned with respecting authority, maintaining social
order, and doing their duty within society. In this stage, one considers an act morally wrong if it
harms others or violates a rule or law. Allow ample time for group projects and activities that
give students at different stages the opportunity to work together and learn how their behaviors
affects others in a social context.
Level 3 or Post-Conventional Morality
In Stage 5, people begin to value the will of the majority, as well as the well-being of society.
Though people at this stage can recognize that there are times when human need and the law
are conflicting, they typically believe that it is better when people follow the law.
By stage 6, people become more concerned with what they personally feel is right, even if it
conflicts with the law. At this stage, people act according to their own internalized standards or
morality even when it contradicts established laws.

Lesson 2 - PIAGET’S VIEW OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

The Premoral Period (4-6 YEARS)
➢ Preschool children show little concern for awareness of rules. These premoral children do
not play systematically with the intent of winning instead they seem to make up their own
rules. They think the point of the game is to take turns and have fun.

➢ Towards the end of the premoral period, the child becomes more aware of rules by watching
older children and imitating their rule-bound behavior.

➢ But the premoral child does not yet understand that rules represent a cooperative
agreement about how a game should be played.

The Stages of Moral Realism or Heteronomous Morality (6-10YEARS)

➢ The child develops a strong respect for rules and belief that they must be obeyed at all times
and that rules are laid down by authority figures such as God, the police, or their parents
and they think that these regulations are sacred and unalterable. They believed that there is
“right” side and “wrong” side to any moral issue and right always means following the rules.

➢ Children are apt to judge the naughtiness of an act by its objective consequences rather
than the actor’s intent.

➢ Moral realism stems from the fact that young children may be punished if and when their
behavior produces harmful consequences.
The Stage of Moral Relativism or Autonomous Morality (10-11 YEARS)

➢ Older autonomous children now realize that social rules are arbitrary agreements that can
be challenged and even changed with the consent of people they govern.

➢ They also feel that rules can be violated in the service of human needs.

➢ Judgments of right and wrong now depends more on the actors intent to deceive or to
violate social rules rather than the objective consequences of the act itself. Example: Jose
who broke one cup while stealing jam (bad intent) is naughtier than Pepe who broke 15
cups while coming to dinner (good or neutral intent)

Lesson 3 : GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTING MORAL DEVELOPMENT

✓ Use other-oriented reasoning with children. In telling the children the reasons why they
should do or should not do something, they should be able to understand the effects of this
on the other person/s. Thinking of other people’s welfare and not of oneself shows a higher
level of moral development.

✓ Use stories to promote thinking and discussions about moral issues. Instead of
directly telling children the “do’s’” and “don’ts” in behaving, tell them about stories they like to
hear but infuse these with moral things that they should know. After storytelling, questions
are asked and answers are discussed as to the why or why not. In this case, children will
understand and at the same time enjoy activity.
✓ Provide ample time for child selected play and materials that promote cooperation.
Activities or play wherein there is common goal to achieve will make children experience
taking turns and will learn how to cooperate.

✓ Make children realize that not all people/culture share the same value. Teachers should
spend more time talking to parents to know the values inculcated by them to their children
so that teachers can reinforce these in school.

✓ Plan thinking games that deal with moral intentionally. Children over the age of four can
begin to differentiate between actions that were intentionally done to one that was accidental.

FACTORS AFFECTING OR INFLUENCING MORAL DEVELOPMENT

❖ The Family. The home is where development and training begin. The child’s parents as well
as other members of the family “make” or “unmake” the child.

❖ Playmates. When children become attached to a group, they develop the “group feeling”,
which later on is accompanied by “group authority”. When a group is small and made up of
members who are close friends, the influence to the child’s behavior will be greater than
when the group is large or when the membership in the group shifts frequently.
❖ Schools. The school is the child’s second home. If the child has a good relationship with her
family, she expects the same relationship with her teachers, classmates, and other people
she meets in the school.

❖ Church. The child should know the purpose of going to church. A good religious instruction
will help the child in the control of his behavior.

❖ Recreational activities. The child’s wise use of his free time influences his values as well
as the quality of his behavior. Reading good books will contribute to the establishment of
desirable moral concepts.

READINGS/REFERENCES:
Student Development (Social and Moral Development) on Educational
Psychology. Authored by: Kelvin Seifert and Rosemary Sutton. Retrieved
from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/social-development-
relationshipspersonal-motives-and-morality/. and
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/moral-development-forming-
a-sense-of-rights-and-responsibilities/ License: CC BY: Attribution

How to Apply Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development in the Classroom as a Teacher.

Jennifer Wilber. February 13, 2019. Retrieved from:
owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Apply-Kohlbergs-Theory-of-Moral-Development-in-the-
Classroom-as-a-
Teacher#:~:text=Kohlberg's%20theory%20states%20that%20moral,childhood%2C%20adolesc
ence%2C%20and%20adulthood.&text=Understanding%20Kohlberg's%20theory%20of%20mor
al%20development%20can%20help%20to%20teachers,their%20students%20in%20the%20cla
ssroom.

WATCH:

Kohlberg’s 6 Stages of Moral Development

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4)

ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT:
1. What is moral development? What levels of moral development were identified by Kohlberg?

2. As a future teacher, what can you do to your students to develop in them the moral behavior?

3. Interview at least four preschool teachers or elementary school teachers (grades 1- 4). Ask
them “How do you promote moral development among your students inside or outside the
classroom?” Answers should be specific. Submit the picture of the conversation between you
and the teachers. Write their names and the level of students they are handling.
 UNIT VIII- SYNTHESIS OF PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, SOCIO-
EMOTIONAL AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG ADOLESCENTS
(10 – 19 YEARS OLD)
OVERVIEW
Adolescence is a developmental period which dependent children grow into independent
adults. This period usually begins at about age 10 years and lasts until the late teens or early
20s. During adolescence, children undergo striking physical, intellectual, and emotional growth.
Puberty is a unique and distinctive period and is regarded as an overlapping period because
it encompasses the closing years of childhood and the beginning years of adolescence. Until
they are sexually mature, children are known as “pubescents”, which later on, they are known
an “young adolescent”.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Describe the general characteristics of an individual from Puberty to Adolescent
2. Summarize the key features of the Physical development of adolescents
3. Describe the cognitive development among adolescents
4. Identify the socio-emotional and moral changes among adolescents
5. Explain the implications of adolescent care for parents and educational care givers.

COURSE CONTENT
Lesson 1: PERIOD OF PUBERTY

The period of adolescence begins with biological changes of puberty and ends with
the role and work of adult life. The specific ages for this period vary from person to person but
distinct phases have been identified. The advent of puberty may come early for some and late
for some others. But everyone goes through these stages: (1) Early Adolescence characterized
by puberty mostly occurring between ages 10 and 13; (2) Middle Adolescence characterized by
identity issues within the ages of 14 and 16; and (3) Late Adolescence which marks the
transition into adulthood at ages 17 and 20. The following are some physical developments for
this period:
 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
DEVELOPMENT
Pubertal Changes • This is manifested by a change in physical appearance a more
rapid rate of development known as growth spurt. The
phenomenon commonly results in a feeling of awkwardness and
unfamiliarity with bodily changes.
• Body changes include change in body dimensions (leg length,
shoulder width, trunk length).
• All the muscular and skeletal dimensions appear to take part in
the growth spurt during adolescence.
Sexual Maturity • Young teens develop both primary and secondary sexual
characteristics that are brought about by hormonal changes.
Primary sexual characteristics refer to the reproductive organs
themselves; e.g., the ovaries and testes. Secondary sexual
characteristics refer to other characteristic indicators of adult
male and female bodies (e.g., body hair).
• For females, the most significant primary sexual characteristic is
the first menarche, or first menstrual period.
• For males, the primary sexual characteristics include an
enlargement of the penis and testes, and the first spermarche;
i.e., the first ejaculation of mature sperm capable of fertilizing
 female eggs through sexual intercourse.
Sleeping Habit • Studies show that teenagers are not getting enough sleep and
would want more sleep.
• Shorter sleep time also contributes to increased levels of
depression, daytime sleepiness, and problems with sleeping.
Exploration • Becomes aware of changes in sexuality, thus undergoing a
period of exploration and adjustment.
Other bodily changes • Most adolescents desire an “ideal body”, which is the same as
being physically attractive or handsome in face (features of the
eyes, nose, lips, hair, etc.) and in body (tall and muscular for
boys and tall and slender for girls.
• It is a recognized fact that teens are the poorest eaters among
age groups, as they often skip meals, frequently take snack
foods at fast-food eateries.

COMMON EFFECTS OF PUBERTY CHANGES ON ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR

Desire for Isolation – When puberty changes, children usually withdraw from peer and
family activities and often quarrel with peers and family members. They spend much time in
daydreaming about how misunderstood and mistreated they are and in experimenting with sex
through masturbation. Part of this withdrawal syndrome includes refusal to communicate.
Boredom – Pubescent children are bored with the play they formerly enjoyed, with
schoolwork, with social activities, and with life in general. As a result, they do a little work as
they can, thus, developing the habit of underachieving.
Incoordination – Rapid and uneven growth affects habitual patterns of coordination, and
the pubescent child is clumsy and awkward for a time. As growth slows down, coordination
gradually improves.
Social Antagonism – Pubescent children is often uncooperative, disagreeable, and
antagonistic. Open hostility between the sexes, expressed in constant criticism and derogatory
comments, is common at this age.
Heightened Emotionality – moodiness, sulkiness, temper outburst, and a tendency to cry at
the slightest provocation. It is the time of worry, anxiety, and irritability. Depression, and
negative moods are common.
Loss of Self-Confidence – pubescent who used to have self-assured, become lacking in
self-confidence and fearful of failure. This is due to constant criticism of adults and peers, and
lowered physical resistance.
Excessive Modesty – the bodily changes cause the child to become excessively modest for
fear that other will notice these changes and comment on them unfavorably.
Lesson 2: ADOLESCENT PERIOD

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT DURING ADOLESCENCE

There is a slackening of the pace of growth, and there is more marked internal than external
development during later adolescence. As is true at all ages, there are individual differences in
physical changes. Even though boys have their growth spurt later than girls, their growth
continues longer at maturity, they are taller than girls. Because their muscles grow larger than
those of girls’ al all ages after puberty, boys surpass girls in strength and this superiority
increases with age. A person’s physical appearance, along with his sexual identity, is the
characteristic that concerns most adolescents and affects their self-confidence. Anxiety on the
sex-appropriateness of their bodies continues until the growth and development of the primary
and secondary sex characteristics have been completed. It is unusual for adolescent boys and
girls not to be concerned about their physical attractiveness. They realize that people treat those
who are attractive more favorably than those who are less attractive.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The changes that place in the adolescent’s intellectual growth are both quantitative and
qualitative. During adolescence, however, some abilities and skills appear to develop more than
the others. It appears that intellectual skills tend to become more specialized during
adolescence, and the individual may demonstrate what appears to be emerging special
interests, such as an aptitude for science or verbal skills.
The differentiation and specialization of abilities is sometimes heavily weighted by social-
cultural factors. Some adolescent’s life circumstance may result in dramatic changes in
intellectual performance. For example, an adolescent boy whose association with a peer group
that doesn’t value schooling, may show decline in his school performance.
Thinking about the meaning of words leads the adolescent to the creation of ideals. Thinking
about “what could be” makes him question “what is” and is sometimes the basis for conflicts
between him and adults. He begins to criticize the conditions of his own environment or the
persons in his family and school. Example, an adolescent may comment: “My teacher is not
good, she does not know how to teach and yet she scolds us very often.”
An important product of thinking about ideals is the adolescents’ future orientation. The
future orientation is a way of developing goals and organizing immediate activities meaningfully
in terms of a future is an important skill of adulthood. “I have to study harder in Mathematics. I’ll
need this when I take up Engineering in college”

EMOTIONAL CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCE

Adolescence has been a thought of as a period of “storming and stress” –a time of

heightened emotional tension resulting from the physical and glandular changes that are taking
place. Emotional maturity is when the individual assesses a situation critically instead of
reacting irrationally and emotionally to a situation. He is able to think about the circumstances,
to make decisions, to act accordingly and solve problems rather than engage in unhealthy
emotional outbursts. He should be encouraged to discuss his problems with the “significant
others”.
Sharing one’s emotional problem with a friend, writing a letter or praying hard can also
facilitate better understanding of the problem and lead to an insight. Though peers are the first
ones to be solicited for advice, the adolescents should be encouraged to share their worries and
anxieties with the appropriate members of their family.

SOCIAL CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCE

During early adolescence, peer-group acceptance is very important. As adolescence

progresses, peer-group influences begin to wane. The reasons are: Most adolescents want to
become individuals in their own right; and their choice of their companion. They have a
tendency to narrow down their friends to a smaller number.
Adolescents want as friends those whose interests and values are similar to theirs, who
understand them and make them feel secure, and in whom they can confide problems and
discuss matters they feel they cannot share with their parents or teachers.
The most pronounced change in this stage is in the area of heterosexual relationships.
Adolescents make the radical shift from disliking members of the opposite sex to preferring their
companionship to that of member of their own sex. As a result, social insights improve among
older adolescents. They are now able to judge members of the opposite sex as well as
members of their own sex better than they could when they were younger. The greater the
social participation of the adolescents, the greater their social competency, as seen in ability to
dance, to carry on conversation, to play sports and games, and to behave correctly in different
social situations. As a result, they gain self-confidence which is expressed in poise and ease in
social situations.

MORAL CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCE

According to Kohlberg the third level of moral development, postconventional morality, should
be reached during adolescence. This is the level of self-accepted principles. The first stage, the
individual believes that there should be flexibility in moral beliefs to make it possible to modify
and change moral standards if his will be advantageous to group members as a whole. The
second stage, the individual conforms to both social standards and internalized ideals to avoid
self-condemnation rather than to avoid social censure. In this stage, morality is based on
respect for self-and others rather than on personal desire.
The effective way people can control their own behavior is through the development of
conscience, an inner force that makes external controls unnecessary. When adolescents learn
to associate pleasant emotions with group-approved behavior, they will have the necessary
motivation to behave in accordance with group standards.
READINGS/REFERENCES
Developmental Characteristics of Young Children. Estrada, Aurelia. 2011. Rex Book Store,
Manila.
The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles. Corpuz, Brenda, et al. 2018.
Lorimar Publishing Inc., Quezon City.
Developmental Psychology. Gines, Adelaida C., et al. 2003. Rex Book Store. Manila
Developmental Psychology. Hurlock, Elizabeth. 1982. McGraw Hill Publishing Company,
Reprinted and Distributed by National Book Store. Metro Manila.