KOHLBERG'S IDEAS AT WORK IN THE CLASSROOM

Level 3: Postconventional

Social Contract Orientation

• Elementary school examples

1. A combined first and second grade class makes its own rules during thefirst month of the year according to a class meeting where students discuss whatis proper and improper behavior in the classroom and why a particular behavioris inappropriate (ie., who is affected by your actions)
2. A second-grade teacher helped her students understand all aspects of amoral dilemma during a science project in which the class was incubating chickeneggs. The assignment was to open an egg each week to look at the developingchicken at various stages. Later that day, one of her students confided in herthat he thought it cruel to open an egg and kill the chick inside. She listenedwithout comment and decided to hold a class meeting discussing the topic. Theclass discussed many aspects of the assignment, including whether it really wascruel to kill a chick each week and alternatives to the assignment. Afterdiscussing all the aspects, students were encouraged to vote as to how tocontinue with the assignment (Lickona, 1993).

• High school examples

1. A high school teacher uses the following handout on the first day ofclass (Lickona, 1991):

• "Please remember that this is your room and your class. Thebehavior and participation of each person will shape the type of learning thatwill occur. Since one person's behavior affects everyone else, I request thateveryone in the class be responsible for classroom management. To ensure thatour rights are protected and upheld, the following laws have been establishedfor this classroom..."

• A high school teacher was having many problems with aggression in her classroom. One day she decided she could not take the constant fighting anymore and hadthe students participate in a class discussion about why fighting was wrong. The class developed a long list of reasons why fighting is wrong. She thenencouraged them to develop a list of alternatives to fighting or consequences offighting during class time. The students developed a long list, and only themost agreed upon consequences were used. For example, "a person caughtfighting will have to lick the floor" was deemed inappropriate by the classfor hygiene reasons, while "a person who feels the need to fight willquietly step out of the room to cool down for a few minutes" was acceptedby teacher and students(Faber and Mazlish,1987).

What about the second stage of this levelof Moral Development?