Moral development refers to how children develop concepts of right and wrong based on social and cultural norms. Piaget and Freud proposed influential theories of moral development. Piaget viewed it as a constructivist process where interaction and thought build moral concepts. Freud believed moral development occurs when selfish desires are replaced by social values. Kohlberg's theory identified six stages of moral reasoning organized into pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional levels of increasing complexity. Social learning theory also views moral judgments as rule-governed behaviors acquired through observation and social interaction.

1. VALUE EDUCATION
Unit-II
Child Moral Development
Dr.N.SASIKUMAR
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
Alagappa University
Karaikudi-630003

2. CONCEPT OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
 Moral development refers to the process through
which children develop the standards of right
and wrong within their society, based on social
and cultural norms, and laws.
 The gradual formation of an individual's
concepts of right and wrong, conscience, ethical
and religious values, social attitudes, and
behavior.
 Piaget conceptualizes moral development as a
constructivist process, whereby the interplay of
action and thought builds moral concepts.

3. Psycho-Analytic Approach
Written by the founder of psychoanalysis,
Freud 1962 proposed the existence of a
tension between the needs of society and the
individual.
According to Freud, moral development
proceeds when the individual's selfish
desires are repressed and replaced by the
values of important socializing agents in
one's life.

4. Freud‘s Psycho-analytic Theory
Psychoanalysis is defined as a set of
psychological theories and therapeutic
methods which have their origin in the work
and theories of Sigmund Freud.
The primary assumption of psychoanalysis
is the belief that all people possess
unconscious thoughts, feelings, desires, and
memories.

7. Freud‘s Psycho-analytic Theory

8. Social learning theory
approach in moral education
 Social learning theorists view moral judgmental standards
and moral acts as instances of rule-governed behaviors
which children acquire through observing the judgmental
responses of live and symbolic models and through direct
interactions with a diverse array of socialization agents
within their culture.
 Social learning theory suggests that social behavior is
learned by observing and imitating the behavior of
others. Psychologist Albert Bandura developed the social
learning theory as an alternative to the earlier work of
fellow psychologist B.F. Skinner, known for his influence
on behaviorism.

9. Cognitive developmental approach-Piaget‘s
theory of cognitive development

10. PIAGET‘S THEORY OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT

12. Kohlberg‘s theory of Moral development
The framework of Kohlberg’s theory
consists of six stages arranged sequentially
in successive tiers of complexity. He
organized his six stages into three general
levels of moral development.
Kohlberg identified three levels of moral
reasoning: pre-conventional, conventional,
and post-conventional. Each level is
associated with increasingly complex stages
of moral development.

13. Kohlberg‘s theory of Moral development