A grounded theory of the moral processes of 3- and 4-year-olds in a preschool setting

Due to an increasing recognition that emotional experiences and relationships are, like cognitive functioning, important to moral development, the focus in moral development research has begun to shift from adolescents and adults to younger children. This study focuses specifically on the moral processes of 3- and 4-year-olds, investigating these processes as they appear naturally in a preschool setting. Here moral processes are defined to involve those processes that affect how children interact with others or with their environment in a positive or negative way. Approximately twenty-five 3- and 4-year-old children in a preschool in California's Central Valley were observed and videotaped during their regular classroom activities for 3 days. These observations were then analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results include a discussion of the context in which moral processes develop and the experiences that, within this context, contribute to their development. Some of these experiences take place in relation to the external structure surrounding the children. Classroom routines and rules, as well as the way that teachers interact with and instruct the children, provide a structure for the children that guides them in their interactions with others. Other experiences take place within the relationships that these children share with each other and with their teachers. Finally, some experiences that contribute to the development of moral processes seem more unique to the individual child. These experiences reflect the child's emotional responsiveness and the child's ability to learn by watching others. The author also discusses the moral processes themselves, as they emerge and are observed within this preschool setting. The child's response to external structure includes the moral processes involved in responding to social expectations and recognizing to social order, as well as the child's desire to understand the reasons behind these expectations. Within relationship, the child shows the ability to support others and to resolve conflicts. The child also internalizes certain standards for being and behaving. The author concludes this study by presenting a theoretical model of the moral processes of 3- and 4-year-olds. The model highlights the interdependence of three domains significant to moral development: external structure, relationships, and child.