Morals and Ethics

in K-12 Education
Why it matters

Proposed problem
Moral and ethical development of students
has drifted in k-12 education
Programs are plugged in such as individual
pieces, not cohesively integrated into the
daily lives of students
Focusing on the Ends and not the Means

A Historical Glance 1600s - 1800s

1600s

Schools focus was morals and ethics - learning to

read scripture and strict obedience to rules.
Deontological

Massachusetts School Act (1647) AKA The Old Deluder Satan Act ordered towns 50 households or more to instruct the young so they
could read scripture.

Seeking religious freedoms.

Led to free and public education in the U.S.

A Historical Glance 1600s - 1800s cont.

1700s

Religion and morality continued to be the focus,

however knowledge was recognized as a worthy
goal.
Act in 1787 stated Religion, morality, and knowledge being
necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind,
schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged
Edwards and Richey, 1947 (as cited in Laude, 2001, p. 3).

A Historical Glance 1600s - 1800s cont.

1800s

Education evolved as a social structure used to

equalize class structures, and create social mobility
to those who otherwise would not have access.
Teleological - civil rights

rule utilitarianism / restricted utilitarianism

A Historical Glance 1600s - 1800s cont.

1600s - 1800s Themes

Religious
Indoctrination / Civic Duties
Love of God & Love of Country
Conventional Morality
Moral Axiology and Virtue Ethics

A Historical Glance 1900s - Today

1900s

Turn through the 50s - Shift from moral axiology to

more virtue ethics; conventional morality; civic duty

1960s

Psychology of moral development - Lawrence Kohlberg

Child centered
Individual rights and questioning
Greater push for separation of church and state

A Historical Glance 1900s - Today cont.

1970s

Reflective morality - students decided for themselves

what was right and wrong
Teachers were neutral and took a role of
facilitator instead of indoctrinator
Gone by the end of the decade

A Historical Glance 1900s - Today cont.

1980s

Reflective equilibrium

Traditional but universal virtues approach in a secular

environment - Publicly supported by government

1990s

Character education continued to grow

Character Education Partnership (1993)

President Clinton made it a national priority

A Historical Glance 1900s - Today cont.

2000s
President Bushs education reform
agenda
U.S Department of Education makes
character education a priority
Programming focused
Words of the month etc.

Enter Performance Character

Diligence, Effort, Attention, Motivation

Increased pressure and accountability NCLB

Personal success and achievement in K-12
Skills and traits related to excellence

Social Emotional Learning

Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Responsible decision making
Connection to Emotional Intelligence?

Where we are
headed.
A need for equilibrium.

Focusing on the Ends and not the Means

Overemphasis on goals (ends)

Not spending enough time on how to get there (means)
think back to 1787
Financial Crisis
Self-serving Egoism
Education for making a good living, rather than for
living a good life, appears to be the overriding concern
for most people in the United States today (Lampe,
2010, p.50)

How to approach the problem?

Complexity and numerous theories make it
difficult to approach in a clear and cohesive
manner.
Ones approach to moral education will be constrained
by what one assumes the boundaries and aims of
education are (Sanger & Osguthorpe, 2005, p65).

What is the aim of education?

Psychologist John Dewey felt as cited
in (Raulo, 2000, p. 507) all education
is, and should be, moral education.

Michael Hand, 2014

Moral Formation and Moral Inquiry

Mutually reinforcing yet distinct

Formation (metaethical - what): subscribing to certain

moral standards
Inquiry (normative how): investigation of weather and
which standards are justified why are students holding
themselves and others to standards of conduct

More to research to come!!

Justice
Care
Critique
We have all been a part of K-12 education.
How have the leaders in that environment
impacted your moral and ethical
development?

References
Callahan, J. C. (1988). Basics and background. Ethical issues in professional life (pp. 3-21)
Hand, M., & Hand, M. (11). Towards a theory of moral education. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 48(4), 519; 519-532; 532.
Lampe, P. (2010). Ethical education. Teaching & Learning, 24(2), 48-58. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.bgsu.edu:2048/login?url=http:
//search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=52544159&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Laud, L. E. (1997). Moral education in america: 1600s-1800s. Journal of Education, 179(2), 1. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.bgsu.edu:
2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=slh&AN=214298&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Raulo, M. (2000). Moral education and development. Journal of Social Philosophy, 31(4), 507-518. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.bgsu.edu:
2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4370795&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Shields, D. L. (2011). Character as the aim of education. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(8), 48-53. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.bgsu.edu:2048/login?
url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ926257&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site; http://www.
kappanmagazine.org/content/92/8/48.abstract
Smith, B. H. (2013). School-based character education in the united states. Childhood Education, 89(6), 350-355. Retrieved from http:
//ezproxy.bgsu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1022677&login.asp&site=ehostlive&scope=site; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2013.850921