Qualitative Investigation of Moral Development of Students at Higher Education Level: In the Context of Kohlberg's Theory

The stage of adolescence is the most crucial stage where individuals begin to consider the morality and trying to be moral person. The study examined the moral development of students at the higher education level. Researcher adopted qualitative approach that grounded in Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. Kohlberg’s theory consisted of three levels – pre-conventional, conventional, and post conventional. Researcher used interview inventory as a mean of data collection. Interview inventory comprised five moral dilemmas and each dilemma has different scenarios. Thematic analysis and coding system were used for analysis the data and then generated the findings. Findings showed that most of the respondents were fall in category of post-conventional stage of the theory of Moral development. It indicated that students at MPhil level have strong moral reasoning. Their moral reasoning depicted the understanding of sense of sympathy, support, honesty, and family values. The results suggested the institutions play a vital role in promoting the moral and ethical development in students, underlining the importance of generating environments that encourage ethical and moral decision making.