6.4 Challenges of Moral Development in Schools
Given that there is a current divide between moral development and teaching in the research literature, there must be alternative methods to include democracy in schools. There are some key challenges for this to occur.
First, there is conceptual ambiguity around moral development in schools, and also the implications around the dominant views of citizenship. Most people have strong ideals with regard to economics, politics, and society. The goal, therefore, is to encompass as many versatile discussions about all of these concepts. Bringing in different ideas is important to facilitate further discussions toward solutions (e.g., Republican and Democrat, Liberal and Conservative, Capitalist and Socialist, Patriotism and Communism).
Second, contextual pressures are found when a standard organizational tendency conflicts with the existing ‘citizenship education curriculum.’ The major role of schooling is to educate the masses and produce knowledgeable people to enter society. However, the changing tides of society do not necessarily follow the practices of education and learning. Society changes, regardless of any institution, so the institution is consistently playing catch-up to society. Educators find that it is a difficult endeavour to consistently keep up with social, cultural, and political norms.
Third, there seems to be a significant disparity between democratic values of freedom, autonomy, and natural law within the current classroom and school-wide practices of post-social constructions and multiplicity of knowledge and identity. Considering this gap, awareness and understanding need to be addressed first, before moral engagement can happen in schools. This needs to start at the top of the administration and work its way into the classroom. The problem with most ethical frameworks, in any field, is there is no winning or losing with ethics, just acceptance of the conclusion, whatever that conclusion may be.
In the activity below, test yourself on the challenges of moral development.
