Challenge in Classrooms: Moral Reasoning and Emotional Competence

This article presents the first fruits of research focused on pupils in their first year at Secondary School. Its main aim is to explore the possible relationship between moral development, as understood by Kohlberg, and the impact that the components of emotional intelligence described by Baron-Cohen (e.g. self-concept, empathy, flexibility and control) have on moral detachment. At a cooperative school in the province of Alicante (Spain), following Kohlberg’s method and through an action-research design, we presented 11 dilemmas and a BarOn questionnaire (EQ-i YV-S) to be resolved by a small group of 25 boys and girls (ca. 12-14 years old) during their tutoring session. The obtained results show that the whole group was at the same level of moral reasoning, but at different sublevels. We also found that the same individuals who are at lower sublevels obtain lower scores (below the group average) in the four analysed emotional components (intrapersonal level, interpersonal level, stress management and adaptability). Use of moral dialectics in the classroom promotes cognitive progress, social responsibility and decision-making at a critical developmental moment