Chapter 49: Social Cognitive Theory and Practice of Moral Development in Educational Settings:

The current landscape of developmental moral and social cognitive theory is complex and contradictory. Over the past 10 years, in particular, a disconnect between thought and action, the ability of young children to reason at a moral level, and the instability of stages has troubled moral development theories in general and structural cognitive theories specifically. The following chapter will outline these issues within the framework of a current developmental social cognitive theory, focusing on both theoretical and methodological issues. This chapter will provide an overview of the social cognitive theory known as domain theory, including the theory’s development, its generalizabil-ity, characteristics which make it unique, and evidence to support it. The chapter will discuss the educational implications of a developmentally and culturally appropriate social cognitive and moral theory. Finally, this chapter will make recommendations for its application in practice within the context of character education delivered in school environments. Such applications will be discussed with an emphasis on the promotion of healthy adult-child and child-child relationships as a foundation for sociomoral learning at various stages of development.