Do Senior Secondary Students Possess the Moral Maturity to Negotiate Class Rules?

Abstract

Two studies are reported using written question sheets to assess attitudes to and moral reasoning about class rules among a total of 117 senior secondary school students and 87 trainee teachers. The studies confirmed the prediction of the multidimensional control model of the development of moral reasoning of Langford (1991a, b; 1992a, b) that the moral reasoning of such students about this topic is much more mature than predicted by Kohlbergian theory, their most important source of information for making moral decisions in this area being the general welfare of students and teachers. Other detailed predictions of the multidimensional control model were also, in the main, verified. It was found that, although the great majority of senior secondary students thought we ought to have those class rules that are necessary to protect the right of others to learn, there exist a small minority whose main aim is revenge upon schools and teachers and a rather larger minority who are not even prepared to uphold such rules in theory when it comes to classes in which they are not interested. It was concluded that while it is possible to reach agreement with the great majority of students of this age about rules to protect the learning of others, sanctions are needed to back class rules opposed by a minority even in theory.