A Look at the Moral Reasoning of Prospective Canadian Teachers
The moral reasoning of prospective Canadian teachers ( ns = 256) was measured using Rest's Defining Issues Test. Results indicated that the subjects operated predominantly on the “law and order” orientation (Kohlberg's stages 3 and 4) with a tendency toward anti-establishment and an inclination to choose “gobbledygook” statements as important considerations for making moral decisions. No sex difference was observed. On the assumptions that a teacher needs to function morally, at least a level above his students to facilitate their moral growth to the next higher stage, and that a teacher should operate predominantly on the post-conventional level (stages 5 and 6) to teach democratic principles, the present findings suggested that the majority of the subjects are inadequate in their level of moral reasoning to teach effectively for moral development. Furthermore, the study questioned the subjects' ability to foster creative imagination and divergent thinking in the classroom.