Moral Consciousness in a Community of Inquiry

Abstract

In this qualitative research study moral consciousness was examined in a chosen sample of two groups of children, aged 7-8 and 11-12 years, respectively. An emergent research design was used, which meant analysing the data continually so that significant meanings could emerge in the process. What was important in the study could not be predetermined, but evolved from the categories of meaning that I derived inductively from the data. The results show that children have a strong moral sense and this is fostered in a "Philosophy with Children" type of community of inquiry. As participants in a community of inquiry, they grappled with issues of fairness, responsibility, choice and the value of human life. Gender differences were evident in how fairness and responsibility were perceived. Differences were also obvious in how older and younger children defined friendship and approached a topic. The research findings indicate that the interactive dialogue process helped the children to develop skills to deduce, infer, clarify, make connections, distinctions and generalisations. In listening to and respecting others they exhibited an ability to reciprocate which is central to moral judgement and action. This seemed to be deepened in the ongoing course of the dialogues. A defining feature of the inquiries was the collaborative search for truth.