Comparimg Elements of Moral Development in Japanese and Chinede Middle Schools

Comparimg Elements of Moral Development in Japanese and Chinede Middle Schools

Creators Higgins Marilyn

The development of "prosocial" attitudes and behavior, that is, actions and ways of thinking that bring about greater unity, harmony and community spirit is considered to be an essential aspect of moral development in any culture. Researchers have found that factors which develop prosocial behavior include close family and social ties, a sense of self-esteem, positive socialization through balanced methods of discipline, and direct instruction using a variety of role models in the educational process. This article reports on a research project carried out in 1998 comparing 200 students in four middle schools (two in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, and two in Anhui Province, China). The survey focussed on attitudes and behavior of students and teachers, discipline styles at home and school, and other factors in the students' internal and external environments thought to be related to moral development. The results of the research confirmed that the above mentioned factors do bear a relationship to high versus low functioning in the moral behavior of students. The study highlights that these factors tended to be higher among the Chinese students than for the Japanese students, corresponding to higher average "moral force" scores in the survey for Chinese middle school students. The implications for improving social and family ties through educational approaches and social services is considered.

[ISSN]1342-7148