History of the Cognitive Developmental Approach to Moral Education Including Contributions Made by Both Dewey and Piaget

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The history of the cognitive development approach to moral education is becoming an increasingly popular topic in the fields of psychology and education due to regular news reports showing children attacking teachers, murdering parents, children’s gangs, and many more horrible crimes. Hence, the news doesn’t show the other side of the coin. Most children, do follow the rules most of the times, act fairly, treat friends kindly, tell the truth and respect others. Children are actually born with several inborn responses which predispose them to act in ethical ways. Empathy is part of our native endowment as humans. The study of moral development is a growing industry within the social sciences. Some theories focus on natural biological forces; others stress social influence and experience, while others claim judgment that comes from children’s intellectual development. Biological forces stress that morality comes from emotional dispositions that are hardwired when we are born. Learning theorists claim that children’s acquisition of behavioral norms and values are learned through observation, imitation and reward. And last, the third basic theory of moral development emphasizes intellectual growth which stresses that young children’s moral beliefs is oriented toward power and authority. Contributions made by Dewey on moral education was very progressive in his times and was very advanced in his thoughts. His interest in education contributed to a movement called "Progressive Education" where he emphasized the importance of hands on experiences and believed that humans learn more when put in real life situations. This also brought attention to direct teacher and student involvement as they shared, interacted and explored their educational environment, hands on. If the child is driven towards a goal, and if the material is of interest, it would lead to a positive
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