Faculty Publications

Implications Of Piaget's Constructivist Theory For Character Education

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Action in Teacher Education

Volume

20

Issue

4

First Page

39

Last Page

47

Abstract

Character education from the constructivist perspective is outlined, drawing on Piaget's research on children's reasoning about moral rules, such as telling the truth. Piaget's distinction between two types of morality offers a framework for thinking about education. Parallel to the two types of morality are two types of teacher-child relationships, one that promotes children's moral development and one that hinders it. The first principle of constructivist education is to establish a socio-moral atmosphere in which mutual respect is continually practiced. Examples are given about what teachers can do to create a cooperative interpersonal atmosphere in the classroom. Research is described that shows that children from a constructivist kindergarten were more advanced in their interpersonal interactions than children from DISTAR and eclectic classrooms. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Original Publication Date

1-1-1999

DOI of published version

10.1080/01626620.1999.10462933

Link to Full Text

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