This research is located in the interdisciplinary field of curriculum studies, drawing on both psychological and sociological theories of pedagogy. I explore classroom practice, through a qualitative study into a preparatory school curriculum innovation called DIY: Dream, Innovate Yourself, which encourages children to develop skills (both topic-specific and dispositional) that prepare them for the modern world of business, where flexible thinking, creative problem solving and collaboration are high on the list of ‘hiring qualities’. Using concepts of learning, cognitive and moral development, semiotic mediation, and pedagogy, I develop an analysis of the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of mediation and learning in DIY: Dream, Innovate Yourself. The findings gathered through classroom observation and interviews with learners, suggest that DIY is meeting its intended aims through the programme. However, due to limitations in the data that could be collected, these findings must be treated as preliminary.

The subject of this research, namely career choice of high school graduates, has been considered from the position of moral reasoning. Qualitative analysis of data collected from interviews carried out with 32 graduates identifies career choice to be a significant factor determining the identity of each graduate. The research is based on assumption that moral reasoning is nourished by each one's identity and loyality to oneself, respectively. The basis of this career identity is formed by so called "inveteracy", reflected by various ways in individual's attempt to make a choice that is authentic. Categorically speaking, there exist "plots", that make career selection process complicated, as well as "problematizations", that make any authentic choice virtually impossible. Career choice is interpreted by means of three domains throughout which it becomes apparent both how this process fosters the individual's relationship with the outside world, with those closest to him/her and with himself/herself and what kind of affect this relationship has on his/her very identity. During the research, career choice turns out to be a continual and complex process that far surpasses the actual period of submitting a college application.

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<p><em>Suffering is often awarded a prominent p</em><em>lace in many conceptions of ethics as a consideration worthy of moral concern. This is done however, without a thorough understanding of what suffering is, or why suffering is morally significant, as full accounts of the nature and moral significance of suffering are few and far between. Our attention in this project is on elucidating what suffering is, and why it is morally significant, as well as understanding suffering’s complex relationship to well-being. Additionally, we also utilize what has been established about suffering to begin to understand and outline what the ramifications of treating suffering as a separate consideration might be for morality.</em><em> </em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><em><br /></em></p> / Master of Philosophy (MA)

Le raisonnement sociomoral (RSM) est une habileté essentielle durant l’adolescence, car elle guide les décisions sociales, facilitant le fonctionnement social. Quelques facteurs sociocognitifs et socioémotionnels semblent favoriser l’évolution du RSM, cependant leur contribution particulière reste nébuleuse, car ils ont été étudiés de façon isolée. Cette étude explore les habiletés associées au RSM mature chez les adolescents en santé, ainsi que la contribution spécifique des fonctions exécutives, en utilisant un outil écologiquement valide pour cette population. Nous avons détecté quatre contributeurs indépendants du RSM mature : l’âge, l’intelligence, la flexibilité cognitive et la fluence verbale, ainsi que des différences de genre concernant la maturité du RSM et la prise de décision sociomorale. Les résultats de cette étude contribuent à améliorer la compréhension du développement moral à l’adolescence et soulignent l’importance d’utiliser des outils écologiquement valides pour mesurer les habiletés sociales. / Sociomoral reasoning (SMR) is an important skill during adolescence because it guides social decisions, facilitating social functioning. A number of sociocognitive and socioemotional factors are likely to underlie the evolution of SMR abilities; however their relative contribution remains unclear given that to date their roles have typically been explored in isolation. This study explores the underpinnings of SMR maturity in typically developing adolescents and the specific contribution of executive functions using an ecologically valid tool for assessment in the adolescent population. We detected four independent contributors of SMR maturity in healthy adolescence: age, intelligence, cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency, as well as gender differences in SMR maturity and sociomoral decision-making. Taken together, the findings of this study contribute to better understanding moral development during adolescence and highlight the importance of using ecologically valid tools to measure social skills.

Face aos obstáculos presentes em salas de aula de ciências e à busca por ações que vão ao encontro das necessidades educacionais atuais, a inserção de práticas argumentativas ganha espaço na literatura científica. Dentre as estratégias promotoras da argumentação, a abordagem de questões sociocientíficas (QSC) é de particular interesse, uma vez que, consoante suas características, pode não somente contribuir para a formação de cidadãos que entendam a natureza da ciência, suas aplicações e implicações sociais, econômicas e políticas do conhecimento científico, como também auxiliar no desenvolvimento moral dos mesmos. Contudo, para que práticas sugeridas pela literatura possam ser empregadas de maneira eficaz em sala de aula da educação básica, faz-se necessário a formação de professores que, para além de possuir as habilidades fundamentais, como da argumentação, compreendam e valorizem essas diferentes práticas como formas viáveis de promoção da aprendizagem significativa em ciências. Nesse contexto, temos como objetivo promover, exercitar e analisar a argumentação e a sensibilidade moral exibida por licenciandos em química diante de QSC, a partir do estabelecimento de práticas de leitura de histórias em quadrinhos (HQ). Dessa forma, para a promoção da argumentação e exercício da sensibilidade moral dos futuros professores foram extraídos três casos da HQ \"Trinity - a história em quadrinhos de primeira bomba atômica\", a qual foi previamente submetida a análise para identificação da sua pertinência para pesquisa, bem como do seu potencial pedagógico. Os casos para argumentação foram elaborados com base no material Moral reasoning in scientific research e permite o contato com o raciocínio informal dos licenciandos, mais especificamente com a sua sensibilidade moral. No que diz respeito aos dados coletados, estes foram inicialmente estudados à luz do Padrão de Argumento de Toulmin (TAP) e, posteriormente, analisados com base no Modelo dos Quatro Componentes, que permitiu a investigação da sensibilidade moral dos educandos. Foram identificados neste estudo, em consonância com a literatura, argumentos de pouco complexidade estrutural, que apesar de aprimorados no decorrer das atividades foram pouco influenciados pela leitura da HQ. Em contraponto, a sensibilidade moral exibida pelos licenciandos, embora limitada, foi diretamente afetada pela leitura do texto quadrinizado, o que pode ser atribuído a diferentes recursos da linguagem dos quadrinhos que promovem uma maior sensibilização no leitor. Outrossim, os resultados discutidos neste trabalho reforçam a necessidade de práticas não somente voltadas para o desenvolvimento das habilidades argumentativas de professores em formação, como também para o desenvolvimento moral. Cabe também salientar a validade do Modelo dos Quatro Componentes e do material Moral reasoning in scientific research para estudos envolvendo o raciocínio moral, o que se torna ainda mais relevante face o número incipiente de trabalhos existentes sobre a temática na literatura nacional / Faced with obstacles encountered in lessons and the search for actions that meet current educational needs, some attention has been paid to argumentative practices in the literature. Among the strategies encouraging argumentation, the approach to socio-scientific issues (SSI) is of particular interest, as, according to its characteristics, it does not only contribute to peoples´ education who understand the nature of science, its applications and social implications, economic and political aspects of scientific knowledge, but also helps their moral development. However, so that the practices suggested by the literature can be effectively used in basic education lessons, teachers need to be trained in fundamental skills such as the ability to argue, understand and value these different practices as viable ways of promoting meaningful learning in science. In this context, we aim to encourage, practice and analyze argumentation and the moral sensitivity shown by Chemistry Education undergraduates considering SSI, based on establishing practices of reading graphic novels. Thus, to promote future teachers´ argumentation skills and practice moral sensitivity, three cases from the graphic novel \"Trinity - a Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb\", were extracted, which were previously analyzed to identify their importance for research, as well as the pedagogical potential. The cases for argumentation were developed based on the material Moral Reasoning in Scientific Research and enables contact with the undergraduates´ informal reasoning, more specifically with their moral sensitivity. Collected data were initially studied considering the Toulmin\'s Argument Pattern (TAP) and later analyzed based on the Four Component Model, which enabled us to investigate the students´ moral sensitivity. In this study, in agreement with the literature, we identified arguments of low structural complexity that, although improved while doing the activities, were little influenced by the reading the graphic novel. In contrast, the moral sensitivity shown by the undergraduates, although limited, was directly affected by reading the graphic text, which can be attributed to different language resources of graphic novels that encourage greater sensitivity in the reader. Moreover, the results discussed in this paper reinforce the need for practices not only aimed at developing trainee teachers´ argumentative skills, but also for moral development. The validity of the Four Component Model and the Moral Reasoning in Scientific Research material for studies involving moral reasoning should be emphasized, which is even more relevant given the incipient number of studies on the subject in the literature in Brazil.

Thesis advisor: Karen Arnold / Liberal education has long claimed moral education to be a chief aim of its educational format. Liberal education supporters regularly assert its unique ability to foster moral and ethical development in students, but data regarding higher education's efficacy in promoting moral development are limited. Additionally, the educational goal of moral development suffers important philosophical and epistemological critiques which bring into question its adequacy as a worthwhile aim of contemporary higher education. In order to discern whether higher education resources should be used to pursue this educational objective, liberal arts practitioners and supporters must identify clearly what moral education is, whether it is a facet of college student development worthy of our attention, and how to adequately measure it. This study offers a careful analysis of data related to student moral reasoning development gathered in an evaluation process of a liberal education course at a mid-sized research institution. The central research questions focus on aspects of student moral development and students' perceptions of the moral dimensions of coursework and highlight how these interact with students' abilities to receive and process course materials and activities. The research design employs a concurrent triangulation approach to quantitative and qualitative course assessment materials. James Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT), a well-researched, neo-Kolhbergian measure of moral reasoning, and student writing were analyzed in pre- and post-course evaluations to investigate students' moral reasoning development as they entered, changed and left a year-long liberal arts course. Results reveal important features of student moral growth, illuminating how students at different levels of moral reasoning development and with varying degrees of change with respect to moral reasoning engaged with liberal education course materials and activities in quite distinct ways. This is an important step in uncovering the unique aspects of liberal education that may foster and sustain moral growth. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

A Educação Ambiental apresenta uma relação com o desenvolvimento moral no que se refere a valores ecológico-morais. Toda ação que é moral implica posicionar-se em relação aos valores e deveres, ou seja, o sujeito apropria-se de um valor, não sendo simplesmente obrigado a seguir uma norma externa, mas tomar para si mesmo esse valor, priorizando um comportamento e almejando um bem. Esse é o caso de valores associados à natureza. As ações morais podem remeter a modificações do ambiente que nos circunda e, por isso, é importante discutir e refletir sobre os valores que temos na relação homem-natureza. O espaço escolar parece ser o local adequado para o diálogo, a discussão e o debate que oportunizam a formação de valores associados à natureza. Esta pesquisa parte da necessidade de buscar relações entre a teoria do desenvolvimento moral de Piaget e a de Kohlberg com os valores ecológico-morais. Com isso, podemos iniciar uma compreensão do desenvolvimento da moral ecológica em adolescentes. Nos utilizamos de um aporte teórico no campo da Filosofia moral, fazendo uma leitura rápida pela história e como foi sendo concebido o que é moral. Depois nos centramos em Immanuel Kant com a noção de heteronomia e autonomia, sendo essa última a verdadeira moral. Este filósofo foi uma forte referência para os estudos de Piaget sobre a moral. A fim de aproximar a filosofia moral com os valores ecológicos, nos utilizamos do princípio de responsabilidade abordado por Hans Jonas que propõe uma ética de preservação e proteção diante de uma crise ecológica global No campo da psicologia moral, estudamos a teoria do desenvolvimento moral de Jean Piaget e de Lawrence Kohlberg para compreender como se desenvolvem os valores morais na criança e no adolescente. Em seguida, buscamos pesquisas atuais que procuram relacionar essas teorias com o desenvolvimento dos valores voltados à natureza biológica e físico-química. O método empregado foi baseado na teoria do desenvolvimento moral de Piaget e de Kohlberg, bem como estudos sobre o desenvolvimento moral que compreendem questões ambientais. A pesquisa, portanto, está imersa na área da psicologia moral com enfoque na relação homem-natureza. Foram entrevistados 15 sujeitos, entre 13 e 18 anos, estudantes da educação básica e do início da educação superior. Após revisão de literatura e a partir da análise dos dados produzidos nesta pesquisa, sugerimos que haveria um paralelismo entre as tendências de desenvolvimento moral (anomia, heteronomia, autonomia), descritas por Piaget, e os níveis de raciocínio ecológico-moral (antropocentrismo, biocentrismo e ecocentrismo), encontrados em recentes investigações. Em conclusão, elaboramos os níveis de desenvolvimento da moral ecológica de acordo com os raciocínios ecológico-morais compreendidos por meio das falas dos sujeitos: nível 1: raciocínio ecológico-moral antropocêntrico, nível 1.1: transição entre o raciocínio ecológico-moral antropocêntrico e biocêntrico; nível 2: raciocínio ecológico-moral biocêntrico; nível 2.1: transição entre o raciocínio ecológico-moral biocêntrico e ecocêntrico; nível 3: raciocínio ecológico-moral ecocêntrico. Ao final trazemos algumas reflexões acerca da área da Educação Ambiental como subsídios para o desenvolvimento de valores ecológicos-morais no ambiente escolar. / Environmental education holds a relationship with moral development where ecological-moral values are concerned. Every action deemed moral implies taking a stand regarding values and duties, that is, an individual appropriates a value and is not simply being obliged to follow an outside rule, but take on that value by prioritizing a certain behavior and aiming towards an asset. That is the case of values associated with nature. Moral actions may revert to changes to the environment surrounding us, and therefore, it is important to discuss about and reflect upon the values we hold towards the human-nature relationship. The school space seems to be the adequate place for a dialog, discussion and debate to bring about opportunities to form nature related values. This research stems from the need to seek the relations between Piaget's and Kohlberg's moral development theories about ecological-moral values. This will allows us to begin to comprehend the ecological moral development in adolescents. We have utilized a theoretical foundation in the field of Moral Philosophy through a glance of history and the way in which what is moral came into conception. We then centered on Immanuel Kant with the notion of heteronomy and autonomy, the latter being the true moral. That philosopher served as a strong reference to Piaget's studies on moral. In order to bring moral philosophy closer to ecological values, we utilized the principle of responsibility as approached by Hans Jonas, who proposes a preservation and protection ethics in the face of a global ecological crisis. In the field of moral psychology, we studied Jean Piaget's and Lawrence Kohlberg's moral development theory to gain an understanding of how moral values develop in children and adolescents. After that, we searched current research that seek to relate those theories with the development of values aimed towards the biological and physical-chemical nature. The method employed is based on Piaget's and Kohlberg's moral development theory, as well as studies on moral development that include environmental issues. The research is thus immersed in moral psychology focusing on the human-nature relationship. Fifteen basic education and early higher education students aged between 13 and 18 were interviewed. Upon reviewing the literature and from analyzing the data this research rendered, we suggest that there could be a parallel between the moral development trends (anomie, heteronomy, autonomy) as described by Piaget, and the levels of ecological-moral reasoning (anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism), found in recent investigations. In conclusion, we have elaborated the levels of ecological moral development according to the ecological-moral reasoning through the speech of the individuals: level 1: anthropocentric ecological-moral reasoning, level 1.1: transition between the anthropocentric and biocentric ecological-moral reasoning; level 2: biocentric ecological-moral reasoning, level 2.1: transition between the biocentric and ecocentric ecological-moral reasoning; level 3: ecocentric ecological-moral reasoning. Lastly, we present some reflections about the Environmental Education area as subsidies for the development of ecological-moral values in the school environment.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:38:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoelmaGAS.pdf: 410605 bytes, checksum: 66cd9379cf7414999d27b75821e087d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-09 / This study analysed the relationship between the production of argumentative discourses and the development and (re)signification of ethical/moral concepts, conceptions and reasoning. It focused on ethical-argumentative reasoning concerning other people and their different points of view. The specific aims of this research were: (1) to investigate the considering alternative positions on adolescents previous views on a specific topic; (2) to verify whether the ability to generate counterarguments was associated with higher levels of moral reasoning, according to Kohlberg theory, and (3) to have a better comprehension of a possible relationship between adolescents abilities to use cognitive and verbal-argumentative strategies and the (re) signification of concepts/beliefs of an ethical/moral nature, and also the solution of conflicts of the same nature. The participants in this study were seventh grade students of private and public schools. Four empirical tasks were used in order to evaluate argumentative and moral reasoning. These tasks focused on: the evaluation of moral dilemmas (DIT); the evaluation of moral dilemmas with the presentation of a written justification for subjects responses; the production of arguments and the reaction to counterarguments. There was also a group-debate situation in which both argumentation and the discussion ethical/moral issues were observed. The moral dilemmas tasks aimed to evaluate the level of moral reasoning of the participants. The argumentation tasks investigated whether the adolescents generated and justified a point of view and how they dealt with counterarguments or alternative information which could lead the participants to modify their initial positions on the topic under discussion in a monological situation as well as in a group-debate setting. The results showed that, in a monological situation, most of the adolescents produced only a partial developed argumentative discourse, whereas in a more social-verbal interaction situation their discourse appeared to be more elaborated. As a general result, it was observed that the confrontation with the other s views, or dealing with counterarguments allow the adolescents to re-evaluate and re-elaborate their own views on a debatable topic. Regarding the relationship between counterargumentation and moral reasoning, it was verified that there was a subtle tendency associating the two processes. However, other factors, such as, social, emotional and cultural aspects might also influence the development of moral reasoning / A presente disserta??o procurou analisar a produ??o de discurso argumentativo como meio para constru??o/(re)significa??o de conceitos, concep??es e racioc?nios ?tico/morais. Teve como eixo o racioc?nio ?tico-argumentativo voltado para outras pessoas e seus diferentes pontos de vista. Prop?e, mais especificamente, tr?s objetivos: (1) investigar a considera??o de posi??es alternativas sobre as posi??es pr?vias dos adolescentes acerca de um tema controverso; (2) verificar se a capacidade dos jovens de considerar outras alternativas em rela??o ao seu ponto de vista, ou seja, se a capacidade de gerar contra-argumentos reflete-se em n?veis mais elevados de racioc?nio moral, segundo Kohlberg; (3) compreender a rela??o entre a capacidade do adolescente de usar estrat?gias cognitivas e verbais-argumentativas e a (re)significa??o de conceitos e cren?as de natureza ?tico/moral, bem como entender como solucionam os conflitos que derivam dessas quest?es. A pesquisa foi realizada com adolescentes da 7? s?rie do ensino fundamental II, das redes p?blicas e privadas de ensino. A coleta de dados deu-se atrav?s da aplica??o de quatro tarefas emp?ricas que observavam: a avalia??o de dilemas morais (DIT); a avalia??o dos dilemas morais, atrav?s da apresenta??o por escrito das respostas dos participantes; a produ??o de argumento e a rea??o ? contra-argumenta??o. Houve ainda uma situa??o de grupo-debate, na qual se observou tanto o processo de argumenta??o quanto a forma como os adolescentes lidavam com quest?es ?tico/morais. As tarefas referentes aos dilemas morais visavam investigar o n?vel de racioc?nio moral dos adolescentes. As de produ??o e avalia??o de contra-argumentos, observaram se os adolescentes eram capazes de gerar e justificar um ponto de vista, bem como a maneira como lidavam com contra-argumentos ou informa??es que poderiam levar a modificar suas posi??es iniciais, tanto em situa??o de argumenta??o monol?gica como em situa??o de grupo-debate. Os resultados mostram que, numa situa??o de argumenta??o monol?gica, a maioria dos adolescentes apresentou um discurso argumentativo com uma estrutura apenas parcialmente desenvolvida. Diferentemente, na situa??o de maior intera??o s?cio-verbal (grupo-debate), os adolescentes produziram argumentos mais elaborados. No geral, constatou-se que o confronto com contra-argumentos permite ao indiv?duo re-elaborar sua posi??o inicial. No que se refere ? rela??o entre contra-argumenta??o e racioc?nio moral, verificou-se que houve uma tend?ncia ainda que sutil ao se associar esses dois processos. No entanto, outros fatores como os aspectos sociais, emocionais e culturais podem tamb?m influenciar o desenvolvimento do racioc?nio moral

Researchers have documented the high prevalence of crime in society and the need for programs to assist in the reduction of crime. Social cognitive and criminal lifestyle theories were the two major theoretical frameworks applied to this study due to their focus on the influence of cognitive change on behavioral modifications. A lifestyle approach in such programs reshapes criminal thoughts and transforms criminal behaviors. The efficacy of a lifestyle program in a community correctional facility outside of federal prison walls, modified to run 3 months with parolees and probationers, lacks evidenced research. Using a 2x3 between groups factorial ANCOVA, archival data, which had not previously evaluated, was used to assess whether there were any treatment or cohort differences in criminal thinking. Archival pre and posttest data from The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles were collected from 3 cohort groups who participated in 5 weeks of the criminality program as compared to 5 weeks of primary group programming. Pretest scores on the criminal thinking inventory were controlled to assess the presence of any posttest differences between treatment conditions and cohorts. This study's findings reported statistically significant differences in posttest scores for the criminality program as compared to the primary group program. Using study's findings, clinicians can develop programs that assist in changing an individual's worth, values, and thinking process, which may assist in building outcomes of lower recidivism rates. These lifestyle changes can promote positive social change within the social structure of offenders, the community, and society.