Thomas Lickona
Jenna Volgamore
Jody Zillner
Background
A developmental psychologist and Professor of Education at the State
University of New York at Cortland
Directs the Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs (Respect and
Responsibility).
Visiting Professor at Boston and Harvard Universities
Past President of Association of Moral Development
Serves on the Board of Directors of the Character Education Partnership
and the advisory councils of Character Counts Coalition and Medical Institute for Sexual Health.
He speaks at school and conferences about character education and
moral development.
Ph D. in Psychology from the State University of New York in Albany. Extensive work on the growth of a child’s moral reasoning
Influences
Kohlberg (Stages one through five)
William Damon and Robert Selman
Theory
The Stages of Moral Reasoning:
Preschool to Adulthood
Stage 0: Egocentric Reasoning
Preschool- around age 4
Stage 2: What’s in it for me fairness
Early Elementary ages
Stage 3: Interpersonal Conformity
Middle to upper elementary grades and early-to-mid teens
Stage 4: Responsibility to “The System”
High school years or late teensCritique
What set of values the children should be
learning.
Character Education has no
Classroom Applications
Meaningful and challenging academic
curriculum
Develop students’ intrinsic motivation
School staff must become a learning and moral
community
Moral Leadership from staff and students
Parents and Community members
Assess the school and staff as character
“When we think about the kind of character
we want for our children, it’s clear that we
want them to be able to judge what is
right, care deeply about what is right, and
then do what they believe is right- even
in the face of pressure from without and
temptation from within..”
References
http://www.cortland.edu/character/bios.h
tm
http://www.character-education.info/Art
icles/stages_of_moral_development.htm
http://www.cortland.edu/character/bios.h
tm