Moral Reasoning on Environmental Issues : A Comparison of Secondary Science and Social Study Teachers and Their Students
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Date
1981-05Author
Pierce, Bryan C.
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
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Show full item recordAbstract
The purpose of this research was to determine if
secondary science and social studies teachers are using
significantly more principled moral reasoning (stages 5 and
6) than their students on environmental issues. Ancillary
research questions included comparing the principled moral
reasoning abilities of the following groups: social studies
versus science secondary inservice teachers; preservice
versus inservice teachers; college students enrolled in
preservice science, preservice social studies, and environmental
education classes; and male and female students in
grades 9-12. An additional research question was posed to
determine if there is a significant relationship between
the use of principled moral reasoning and teacher age or
years of teaching experience.
The Environmental Issues Test was administered and responses
were analyzed using the "P"score (percent principled
moral reasoning) for the following populations: A) college
students enrolled in Teaching Techniques in Secondary
Education - Science (n=10), Teaching Techniques in Secondary
Education - Social Studies (n=11), and Foundations of
Environmental Education (n=28); B) a preliminary sample of
volunteer science teachers (n=10) and their students in
grades 7-12; and C) a 15% random sample of central Wisconsin
(CESA 7) secondary science and social studies teachers
(n=33) and their students in grades 9-12.
Results indicated that the teachers scored statistically
significantly higher (p<.0001) than their students in
principled moral reasoning on environmental issues. Individual
teacher/class comparisons however revealed that over 15% of
the teachers scored less than the mean "P"score of their own
students. The educational significance of these results has
not yet been established.
Results of analyses for the ancillary research questions
found no statistically significant differences (p>.05) in
principled moral reasoning on environmental issues between
science and social studies teachers, between inservice and
preservice teachers, between any of the three college classes,
or between male and female students in grades 9-12. Further,
the "P"score of the teachers was not significantly related
(p>.05) to their age or years of teaching experience.
Implications of these results for environmental education
and for moral/values education in general are discussed.