Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Defining Issues Test'

Utilizing Lawrence Kohlberg's cognitive moral development theory as the guiding theory, the research undertaken sought to explore the moral decision-making process of emergency planners in the state of Florida. To assess the quantitative measurement for moral judgment, the research applied and used the Defining Issues Test (DIT) developed by James Rest (1979). The research examined the relationship between education, gender, age, and ethics training against the moral maturity of Florida emergency planners. With ethical maturity level as the dependent variable, analysis showed a significant difference between males and females, where females had higher postconventional scores than males regardless of educational levels. Also interesting was that postconventional scores for males rose as educational levels rose. However, there was no significant difference revealed between postconventional scores when age and ethics training were the independent variables. The results of this research may have significant implications for organizations before, during, and after a disaster. While empirical research has shown that higher education is positively associated with higher levels of cognitive moral development, the research has shown that it may only apply to males.

In 1988, P. Scott Richard's dissertation research at the University of Minnesota asserted that the Defining Issues Test (DIT), a widely accepted paper-and-pencil test of moral reasoning, exhibited item bias against religiously orthodox persons. Since 1988 (when Richard's data were reported), new methods of differential-item functioning (DIF) have developed, a new DIT has emerged (the DIT-2), as well as a Neo-Kohlbergian framework based upon moral schemas derived from Kohlberg's Piagetian-like six stages. With new methods, new tests, and unanswered questions, this study's results imply: (1) that DIT-2 items exhibit differential item functioning for religiously orthodox persons in statistically significant but not as practically significant ways as Richards' earlier findings, (2) that religious orthodoxy does influence macromoral reasoning as measured by the DIT-2, (3) that the maintaining norms schema is insufficient to explain the variables that contribute to why religiously orthodox persons score the way they do. This study implies that the maintaining norms schema may be misnamed because it appears to be measuring a different construct than maintaining norms macromoral reasoning.

The present research attempted to modify Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT) in order to better differentiate stage 6 moral reasoners from stage 5 reasoners. A review of the literature showed that the DIT seems to be both reliable and valid, yet it is unable to clearly differentiate between the stages of principled moral reasoning. After three pilot tests, newly developed stage 6 items were added to the DIT. The revised DIT was then administered to people believed to be stage 6 reasoners. Of the 30 respondents, three made the stage 6 cutoff. No stage 6 items were shown to clearly differentiate between stages 5 and 6.

The population of Kosovo had suffered years of abuse, ethnic cleansing, turmoil, human atrocities, and constant conflict--the results of which plunged Kosovo into costly war. Following the war, Kosovo was placed under the protection of the United Nations in 1999. Kosovo received many years of support and developmental assistance from the international community. Kosovo became a sovereign nation in February 2008. Kosovo's government immediately recognized the importance of serving the needs of the people with responsibility and integrity. There is no institution more important to the successful development of a sovereign nation and their economy than the ethical administration of a tax authority. In the spring of 2008, after Kosovo's declaration of independence, this study was initiated to determine the moral maturity of the members of the Tax Authority of Kosovo. This study provides an extensive review of the current situation in Kosovo and discusses ethical considerations in tax administration. The paper further provides a comprehensive discussion of ethical concerns and discusses the importance of moral development in the tax administration of Kosovo. Recommendations for managers and future research are presented.

Thesis advisor: Karen Arnold
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a business ethics course on the cognitive moral reasoning of freshmen business students. The sample consisted of 268 college students enrolled in a required business ethics course. The students took Rest's Defining Issues Test - Version 2 (DIT2) as a pre-test and then post-test (upon completing the course). Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression were employed to compare the pre-test and post-test scores of the students and to determine the relationship, if any, between the variables of gender, class size, instructor, class time of day, SAT scores, and students' GPAs; and the dependent variable of moral reasoning (N2) scores. Descriptive analyses showed that taking this kind of a course made a difference for virtually everyone. While women had higher pre-test scores, post-test scores, and overall gains in moral reasoning than men, men also had gains across the board. Gains were also found across all instructors, in both small and medium class sizes and regardless of what time the class occurred. Further, compared to the national sample of college students, the study sample was at the level of college seniors. Results of ANOVA testing showed that the gains in moral reasoning scores were statistically significant ones. However, the moral reasoning gains of students enrolled in the smaller sections (n = 19) were not statistically significantly different than students enrolled in medium sized (n = 27) sections of the same course. Finally, the independent variable of class time had the most statistically significant relationship with gains in moral reasoning scores. The findings of this study suggest several practices for institutions of higher education. First, certain curricular conditions should be considered by institutions with ethics courses. The content should be explicit and pedagogical strategies should include role-taking, the discussion of moral dilemmas, reflection, active learning, and cognitive disequilibrium. Second, increasing class sizes by eight students can help to maintain moral growth while still being financially efficient. Third, these findings may inform administrators when planning class times (the earlier, the better)
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education

This thesis aims to clarify the nature of the relationship between moral reasoning, as per the neo-Kohlbergian DIT approach of Rest and his colleagues, and liberalism-conservatism. Moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism are consistently found to be related but the resultant interpretation that liberals are more moral-cognitively advanced than conservatives has been challenged by Emler and his colleagues who argue that the DIT is liberally biased. Subsequent research on this issue has produced a methodological quagmire that this thesis aims to proceed beyond. The specific aim of this thesis is to test several different (or competing) hypotheses purporting to explain the relationship between Kohlbergian moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism. These are (1) that liberals are more morally advanced than conservatives; (2) that "advanced moral reasoning" is merely social presentation; (3) that moral reasoning is separately constrained by moral development and conservatism; (4) that moral development and liberalism represent distinct paths to postconventional reasoning preference; (5) that moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives are broader than usually thought; (6) that the political content of moral issues affects moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives; and (7) that moral reasoning instruments have exaggerated moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives. Study 1 found that a non-ipsative, indirect moral reasoning measure was correlated with liberalism-conservatism thus disconfirming hypotheses 2 and 7. Additionally, hypothesis 5 was not supported by several DIT findings. Opposing hypotheses 2 and 6, Study 2 found that a conservative version of the DIT was correlated with liberalism-conservatism although a potential methodological issue arose. Study 3 developed an objective measure of moral comprehension, broader in scope than previous moral comprehension measures, which demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Employing this measure, Study 4 found that moral comprehension and liberalism were weakly correlated and that they independently predicted moral reasoning, although their interaction did not. Together, these findings provide some support to hypotheses 1 and 4 but not hypotheses 3 and 6. Overall these findings reveal that liberals appear more moral-cognitively advanced than conservatives but, compared to conservatives, liberals appear to indicate preference for advanced moral reasoning earlier in their moral-cognitive development. This latter mechanism appears stronger and suggests that, although DIT scores are still somewhat reflective of moral-cognitive development, the DIT's estimate of liberals' moral-cognitive development is elevated. Future research can continue to explore these hypotheses (e.g., via longitudinal and/or "faking" studies) and, in so doing, further clarify the relationship between Kohlbergian moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism.

This thesis aims to clarify the nature of the relationship between moral reasoning, as per the neo-Kohlbergian DIT approach of Rest and his colleagues, and liberalism-conservatism. Moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism are consistently found to be related but the resultant interpretation that liberals are more moral-cognitively advanced than conservatives has been challenged by Emler and his colleagues who argue that the DIT is liberally biased. Subsequent research on this issue has produced a methodological quagmire that this thesis aims to proceed beyond. The specific aim of this thesis is to test several different (or competing) hypotheses purporting to explain the relationship between Kohlbergian moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism. These are (1) that liberals are more morally advanced than conservatives; (2) that "advanced moral reasoning" is merely social presentation; (3) that moral reasoning is separately constrained by moral development and conservatism; (4) that moral development and liberalism represent distinct paths to postconventional reasoning preference; (5) that moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives are broader than usually thought; (6) that the political content of moral issues affects moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives; and (7) that moral reasoning instruments have exaggerated moral reasoning differences between liberals and conservatives. Study 1 found that a non-ipsative, indirect moral reasoning measure was correlated with liberalism-conservatism thus disconfirming hypotheses 2 and 7. Additionally, hypothesis 5 was not supported by several DIT findings. Opposing hypotheses 2 and 6, Study 2 found that a conservative version of the DIT was correlated with liberalism-conservatism although a potential methodological issue arose. Study 3 developed an objective measure of moral comprehension, broader in scope than previous moral comprehension measures, which demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Employing this measure, Study 4 found that moral comprehension and liberalism were weakly correlated and that they independently predicted moral reasoning, although their interaction did not. Together, these findings provide some support to hypotheses 1 and 4 but not hypotheses 3 and 6. Overall these findings reveal that liberals appear more moral-cognitively advanced than conservatives but, compared to conservatives, liberals appear to indicate preference for advanced moral reasoning earlier in their moral-cognitive development. This latter mechanism appears stronger and suggests that, although DIT scores are still somewhat reflective of moral-cognitive development, the DIT�s estimate of liberals� moral-cognitive development is elevated. Future research can continue to explore these hypotheses (e.g., via longitudinal and/or "faking" studies) and, in so doing, further clarify the relationship between Kohlbergian moral reasoning and liberalism-conservatism.

The aim of this paper is to examine the capacity for ethical reasoning of Swedish certi-fied auditors in the five largest accounting firms in Stockholm, and also how ethics courses affect the auditors' ability to ethically statement. To calculate the auditors ability to ethical statement, questionnaire has been used. The questionnaire is based on a psychological instrument, the so-called Defining Issues Test. At the beginning of the questionnaire some questions are asked about the ethics courses. From the questionnaire a calculation was made of an average index called p-score (Principled score). With the help of Kohlberg moral development theory identification was made of an auditor's capacity for ethical reasoning. The empirical material shows that the averages of the Swedish public accountants land on Kohlberg conventional level. This means that audi-tors have a relatively high capacity for ethical reasoning. The result also shows that there is no link between participation in ethics courses and capacity for ethical reason-ing. The conclusion is that the Swedish auditors have a relatively high ability to manage conflicts of interest and make ethical decisions, but to provide independent audit the au-ditors need to be on the highest level in Kohlberg moral development theory. The accounting firms should offer ethics courses in greater extant to improve auditors' abili-ty to ethical reasoning.

The primary purpose of this research was to review the relationship between moral cognizance, as defined by the Defining Issues Test, and the compensation plan of a healthcare executive when factors such as licensure, career stage, gender, age, and ethics training were present. The study was conducted on 142 healthcare executives from both a publically traded for-profit hospital corporation and a multi-physician private practice. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were utilized to test the hypotheses of these moderating variables. The outcome of this study indicates that there is no difference in the relationship of moral cognizance and compensation plan of a healthcare executive when the factors of license, career stage, gender, age, or ethics training are involved. However, the analyses did find some interesting interactions of statistical significance between moral cognizance, as determined by P-score, and the individual factors of license and gender when compensation was not included. While the results of the study were inconclusive, the study extends Kohlberg's research on cognitive moral development using Rest's Defining Issues Test to healthcare executives. It also contributes to the existing body of literature by introducing the variable of compensation plan to the moral cognizance equation. Future research in the healthcare field in relation to moral cognizance and financial performance will become a necessity as the focus on healthcare as a business continues to grow and society insists the highest values from its providers.

Several significant breaches of ethics in the past few years have created renewed interest in the study of moral judgment. The examples used in this study include sub-prime lending, the Madoff investment scandal, and the torture of suspects in U.S. custody. The Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) theory was developed by Lawrence Kohlberg in 1969. Effectively, Kohlberg determined there were clearly defined stages of moral development in children--how they develop a sense of right, wrong, and justice. He expanded his research to adults and determined that human beings progressed through each of the six stages without skipping a stage and without reverting to a previous stage. James Rest later developed a survey instrument, the Defining Issues Test (DIT), designed to assess the stages of development, or moral maturity, of an individual without the lengthy interview process employed by Kohlberg in his research. Over 1,000 studies have since used the DIT. The DIT will be used in combination with a demographic survey to test the variables of educational level, age, gender, and ethical training against moral maturity. Research has provided mixed results for these variables when applied to the public sector. This study will compare the moral maturity of elected officials with that of appointed city managers who serve at the will of these elected officials. This paper will provide a discussion of the ethical concerns facing elected officials and appointed city managers as well as the potential hazards to good decision-making presented by differences in moral maturity, if they exist. The relationship of moral maturity and the other variables will also be discussed. Recommendations for public administrators and future research will be presented.

Digital piracy, the illegal copying or downloading of copyrighted digital products without approval from the copyright holders, has brought great economic loss to the software and digital media industries. Previous studies using moral developmental theory have not found consistent relationships between moral judgment and attitudes towards digital piracy. While some researchers have developed individual test items to assess relationships between moral judgment and attitudes toward digital piracy, others have relied on the Defining Issues Test (DIT). However, in that the DIT represents a general measure of moral judgment based on broad social issues, it, too, may not adequately assess an individual’s reasoning specific to issues regarding digital piracy. The purpose of this study was to create a reliable instrument (i.e., DP-DIT) modeled after the DIT designed to assess moral judgment regarding digital piracy as well as to examine and compare the ability of both DP-DIT and DIT2-short to predict attitudes, intentions and behaviors regarding digital piracy of college students. Results indicated the reliability of both the DIT2-short and the DP-DIT were discounted, quite likely due to the small number of stories contained in each. DP-DIT appeared to have greater predictive ability due to its advantage in predicting attitudes toward digital piracy, especially using DP-DIT MNS. However, even though here DP-DIT MNS was the strongest predictor of attitudes toward digital piracy, it explained a limited amount of variance. Further research to improve reliability and validity of DP-DIT is warranted.

This dissertation tackles the ageless human debate of the body versus the soul. Based on Kohlbergian theory, the multidisciplinary literature review advances the proposition that moral development proceeds in waves of referential egoism leading to nonreferential altruism that is couched in power--the apple of the eye. Many inter organizational studies using the Defining Issues Test have compared moral maturity levels coming from various academic backgrounds. Previous studies have purported that education is the chief moderating variable for moral maturity, with little regard for paradigmatic bases of power. Yet, in this study noncoercive power is carefully controlled because of the highly technical procurement process used in construction contracting. Coercive power and position in the food chain become the main moderators, because success is not measured by charm or wisdom or even social relations, but only by the low bid in accordance with the contractual specifications. The results from 93 respondents of the Iowa Architects Institute of America (n = 93) indicated that despite the higher education and aesthetic interests, the sample of architects ranked low on moral maturity level when compared to the average of the DIT data bank as a whole. Postconventional scores were 36.4 versus 39.1, respectively. Few intra organizational studies have been conducted examining moral maturity levels among groups in the same work setting. This research also compared the moral maturity of intra industry groups in marketing dyads consisting of architects, contractors, and suppliers using the Defining Issues Test and ANOVA. Again it was expected that architects with higher education and aesthetic interests would rank highest. So in addition to the architects, the members of the Iowa Associated General Contractors and Iowa Associated Builders and Contractors were solicited. This added 32 contractors (n = 32) and 27 suppliers (n = 27), to the total sample (n = 153). Findings showed significant differences among the groups (F (2, 150) = 3.64, p = .05). Yet post hoc comparisons revealed that there was no significant difference in moral maturity levels between architects and contractors engrossed in the same power paradigm (p = 1.00). However, a significant difference existed between architects and suppliers (p =.024). This implication is consistent with the teleological pattern that is prevalent in research studies of salespeople. In summary, performance-based organizations and theorists of stakeholder theory may expect no less than orthodox and opportunistic choices in the real world of business as long as performance remains the ultimate criterion of success.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:16:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1383308 bytes, checksum: 500cb4671d2745cbb4da5d7e8c4c20ab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
Since the late 1980s until the 2010s, Brazil experienced political, economical and educational transformations that modified the relationships between individual and society. In the political, the country emerged from dictatorship, and achieved the political stability lived today. In the economical, the country faced crisis that foster the creation of new currencies, until reached the economical stability with Real in the mid-1990s. In the educational, the country has gone through transformations in the structure of basic and higher education with the implementation of the law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education and the National Curriculum, and the policy of expanding the higher education. Given these chances in the socio environment of Brazil, and based in the Kohlberg s Theory of Moral Development (Kohlberg, 1984), who defines moral as justice thoughts, a study was designed with the propose of verify if there were changes in the quality of moral judgment of young adults from 1988/1989 and 2011, and of adolescents from 1996 and 2011. This research involves the participation of 210 young adults, age range 17 and 32 years, students from a public university, and 222 adolescents, age range 14 and 17 years, students of private schools, all of the city of João Pessoa. The Defining Issues Test DIT (Rest et al., 1974) was used as instrument. The results showed that in the years of 1988/1989, the young adults showed post-conventional moral judgment, with predominant use of the stage 5, whereas the young adults in the year of 2011 showed conventional moral judgment, with predominant use of stage 4. Both the adolescents of 1996 and the adolescents of 2011 showed conventional moral thought, with predominant use of stage 4. The results for adolescents confirm the theoretical assumptions about the level of development planned for this phase, and they corroborate various empirical studies, indicating also that the different sociopolitical and economic situations did not affect the predominant moral judgments for adolescents. The results for young adults indicate that the development of these young people, in 2011, is below of the predicted level, taking into consideration the theoretical approach and the data of young adults in 1988/1989. Therefore, we can infer that the young adults in 2011 were affected by current economic and socio-political conjunctures. Thus it is assumed that the instability of the economic and sociopolitical conjunctures in 1988/1989, that was marked by popular participation in social movements directed to the preservation of the common good, may have favored the development of post-conventional moral judgments. It is assumed also that the stability of the current economic and socio-political conjunctures, but marked by issues such as disclosure of corruption in the political sphere, violence in society, and the competition in the labor market, and precariousness of basic services to society, may have favored the development of conventional moral judgment, aimed at preserving the law as a way to maintain social order.
Desde o final da década de 1980 até a década de 2010, o Brasil passou por transformações políticas, econômicas e educacionais que modificaram as relações entre indivíduo e sociedade. No âmbito político, o país saiu do regime ditatorial, passou por um processo de redemocratização e atingiu a estabilidade política vivida na atualidade. No âmbito econômico o país enfrentou crises que provocaram a criação de novas moedas até que atingiu estabilidade com o Real em meados da década de 1990. No âmbito educacional, o país passou por transformações na estrutura do ensino básico e superior com a implementação da Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional e dos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais, e com a política de expansão do ensino superior. Diante dessas mudanças na conjuntura social do Brasil, e tendo como base a teoria do desenvolvimento moral de Kohlberg (1984), que define moral como pensamentos de justiça, elaborou-se um estudo com o objetivo de verificar se ocorreram mudanças na qualidade do julgamento moral de jovens adultos dos anos de 1988/1989 e 2011 e de adolescentes dos anos de 1996 e 2011. Essa investigação contou com a participação de 210 jovens adultos, de 17 a 32 anos, alunos de uma universidade pública, e de 222 adolescentes, de 14 a 17 anos, alunos de escolas da rede privada, todos da cidade de João Pessoa. Como instrumento utilizou-se o Defining Issues Test DIT (Rest et al., 1974). Os resultados mostram que em 1988/1989 os jovens adultos apresentaram julgamento moral pós-convencional, com predominância do uso do estágio 5, enquanto que os jovens adultos de 2011 apresentaram julgamento moral convencional, com predominância do uso do estágio 4. Tanto os adolescentes do ano de 1996, como os adolescentes do ano de 2011, apresentaram julgamento moral convencional, com predomínio do uso do estágio 4. Os resultados encontrados nos adolescentes confirmam as suposições teóricas sobre o nível de desenvolvimento previsto para essa fase e corroboram vários trabalhos empíricos, indicando, além disso, que as diferentes conjunturas sociopolíticas e econômicas não afetaram os julgamentos morais predominantes dos adolescentes. Já os resultados encontrados para os jovens adultos indicam que o desenvolvimento destes jovens, para o ano de 2011, está abaixo do nível previsto, tendo em consideração o aporte teórico utilizado e os dados dos jovens adultos dos anos de 1988/1989. Portanto, é possível inferir que os jovens adultos do ano de 2011 foram afetados pelas conjunturas sociopolíticas e econômicas atuais. Assim, presume-se que uma conjuntura social instável política e economicamente, e marcada pela participação popular em movimentos sociais voltados para a preservação do bem comum, pode ter favorecido ao desenvolvimento de julgamentos morais pós-convencionais. Assume-se também que uma conjuntura social estável política e economicamente, mas marcada por questões como a divulgação da corrupção nas esferas políticas, a violência na sociedade, a concorrência no mercado de trabalho e precariedade dos serviços básicos oferecidos à sociedade, pode ter favorecido ao desenvolvimento de julgamentos morais convencionais, voltados para a preservação das leis como forma de manter a ordem social.

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an outcomes-based program evaluation for the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The study included one primary research question, with two subquestions. The primary research question asked to what extent students in the program developed moral judgment consistent with program goals of rehabilitating students and preparing them for effective ministry. The first subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different class years. The second subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different personality types. A cross-sectional study was conducted with students during the fall of 2005 using the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instruments. All 101 program students were invited to participate in the study. To provide a benchmark for student scores, 30 Seminary faculty members were asked to complete the DIT-2. The student response rates were 94% for the DIT-2 instrument and 97% for the MBTI instrument. The response rate for faculty was 20%. After removing two outliers from the freshmen class, statistically significant differences were found in the principled moral reasoning scores (P scores) of freshmen (m = 22.146, sd = 12.002) and juniors (m = 30.274, sd = 13.165). No significant differences were found in moral reasoning based upon personality types. The mean P score among faculty members was 34.02 (sd = 15.25). In response to the primary research question, it was determined student scores did show moral reasoning differences consistent with the program goals. Conclusions reached in this study were limited because of the cross-sectional design. Further research is necessary before conclusions may be generalized beyond the sample.
Ed.D.
Department of Educational Research, Technology and Leadership
Education
Educational Leadership

The focus of this research was to identify the moral reasoning and moral judgment of elementary school principals who serve in high-poverty schools. The study was undertaken at the request of the client public school district who was attempting to identify characteristics of current elementary principals serving in high-poverty schools. Two research questions guided this study concerning the moral operational level of the principals. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the work of Lawrence Kohlberg and his stages of moral development. Participating principals were administered the Defining Issues Test-2 (DIT-2), a pencil-paper questionnaire that presented five moral dilemmas and a series of statements asking for the participant to rank solutions to the dilemmas. The results indicated that the majority of participants operated from lower levels of moral development, reasoning, and judgment. Participants' scores were matched with their schools' performance grades. There was not an indication that high moral scores and high school performance were linked. This study confirmed the results of an early study conducted by Vitton and Wasonga (2009) and encourages a deeper examination of the results of accountability and principal decision making.
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership; Executive

Previous research by Vitton & Wasonga (2009) and Strenth (2013) found public school K-12 principals struggling in the moral reasoning and decision-making measures of the second Defining Issues Test ("DIT-2"). In response to these studies, this research sought to collect, to examine, and to compare DIT-2 data for educational leaders at various stages of the principalship track in an effort to determine and/or to isolate the locus of principals' reported underperformance. The moral reasoning and decision-making of regular-education K-12 public school principals and assistant principals in Florida, and current master's degree students in educational leadership programs at a large public Florida university were measured and compared. Research questions were posed: 1) to find the levels of moral reasoning and decision-making reached by acting principals, acting assistant principals, and current master's students in educational leadership programs; 2) to determine if there was a difference between these principals, assistant principals, and master's students in moral reasoning and decision-making; and 3) to see if there was a difference in moral reasoning and decision-making between principals across various years of experience. The DIT-2 was administered anonymously to participants through an online link, and was scored by the University of Alabama's Office for the Study of Ethical Development. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods principally to determine the degree to which participants reasoned and made decisions based upon personal interests, upon the maintenance of norms, or upon the basis of more sophisticated principles. Results showed master's students in educational leadership outperforming active principals and assistant principals in moral reasoning and decision-making by more often employing sophisticated principles and by more often avoiding choices associated with personal interests. With regard to principals, the difference was statistically significant on DIT-2 N-2 scores (based on ANOVA and t-test results) and P-scores (based on t-test results, but not based on ANOVA results). Principals not only underperformed master's students in educational leadership statistically significantly, but also underperformed active assistant principals in comparisons of group means on DIT-2 sub-scores. This research confirms the prior works of Strenth (2013) and Vitton & Wasonga (2009), where principals had been found to struggle in measures of moral reasoning and decision-making. These consecutive and consistent findings now require consideration, discussion, and action by the array of K-12 public school stakeholders. In response to the startling findings that K-12 principals are significantly underperforming those still aspiring for the principalship, a substantial, alarmed, and sober re-examination must take place as to what has happened to principals in K-12 public schools, and as to what can and must be done about it.
Ed.D.
Doctorate
Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Education and Human Performance
Educational Leadership; Executive Track

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
教育學系
104
The main purpose of this study is to explore influencing factors between elementary school teacher and moral judgment. First it illustrates the differences and similarities between Neo-Kohlbergian approach and Kohlberg’s theory. Second, it uses the DIT(Defining Issues Test，DIT) to measure the P scores (principled morality score ) of elementary school teacher. Finally, it analyzes significant test between elementary school teacher P scores and background (Educational Status,Gender and moral studies course ). This study mainly uses document analysis and concept analysis to understand the context and definition of Moral Judgment. Using Descriptive Statistics, T-test and ANOVA to achieve three purposes above. Thus we can realize the relationship between elementary school teacher and P score average, and the significant test result between elementary school teacher P scores and background (Educational Status ,Gender and moral studies course ). The results of this study are as follows: 1.The P score average of elementary school teacher is 38. 2.There isn’t a significant difference between Educational status and P score. 3. There isn’t a significant difference between gender and P score. 4. There isn’t a significant difference between moral studies course and P score

Recent literature by several eminent psychotherapists ·such as Bergin and Beutler argues that counsellors' personal values are probably the greatest influence on the success and outcome of therapy and that the counsellor tends to convert the client to the counsellor's values. This literature provided strong support for this researcher's contention of the need for similar studies in pastoral counselling. The researcher was particularly concerned about the role of pastoral counsellors' value systems and moral judgement development in counselling situations. The researcher selected the Rokeach Value Survey and the Rest Defining Issues Test as instruments to test a sample of South African pastoral counsellors in this regard. The research questions addressed were as follows. Firstly, what are the value systems of a sample of pastoral counsellors in the South African context? Secondly, what are the moral judgement development levels of the pastoral counsellors? Thirdly, what is the relationship between the rank ordering of values and pastoral counsellors' levels of moral judgement development? Fourthly, what implications could these variables have for pastoral-client pairing in pastoral counselling? The chief findings were as follows. Firstly, the pastoral counsellors were shown to have conservative value systems with a preference for introspective terminal values over social terminal values. Secondly, the pastoral counsellors had a P score of 39.6 on the Defining Issues Test. This compares favourably with Asian university students who score between 36-40 as opposed to American university students who have a mean P score of 42.6. The researcher concluded that the conservative religious ideology of the sample helped to explain the low P scores somewhat. Thirdly, the Spearman correlational coefficient indicated little correlation between the Rokeach Value Survey and the Rest Defining Issues Test. Fourthly, both instruments indicated that the conservative nature of the pastoral counsellors would no doubt make them very effective counsellors in most denominations. They would tend to counsel in support of the status quo in the church. A major recommendation of the study was the need for further pastoral counsellor education in dealing with moral values issues.
Practical Theology
D.Th. (Practical theology)