Teaching and learning moral values through kindergarten curriculum

TEACHING AND LEARNING MORAL VALUES THROUGHKINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM

ABEER AL-HOOLI, P H . D .

College of Basic Education,Paaet Kuwait

ZAID AL-SHAMMARI, P H . D .

Assistant Professor and Coordinator of EducationGulf University for Science and Technology

Kuwait

In this research study we investigated kindergarten-aged chil-dren's moral values in Kuwait. This study utilized severalquantitative and qualitative research methods in the course oflooking at three terms—moral development, the meaning ofvalue, and the meaning of morality—as experienced by kinder-garten-aged children. Participants were 600 children and eleventeachers in six education districts in Kuwait. The instrument usedwas the Kindergarten Moral Value Questionnaire (KMVQ),which was administered in all six districts. Participating teachersand children were also observed and interviewed. Teachers'involvement and interaction with children during class and non-class activates were noted. Results indicated that using theKMVQ with kindergarten children provided valuable under-standing of their judgments on various moral issues. Researchersfocused on eight dimensions: truthfulness, honesty, gratitude,loyalty, reasonability, fairness, mercifulness, and patience. Eachof these dimensions was included in several hypothetical situa-tions to assess the morality level of each child. Most studyoutcomes were very encouraging. For example, more than 50%of the students showed high morality on each of the eight dimen-sions. Each of the statements in each of the dimensions wasstatistically significant at the 0.001 level. It was also found thatthe eight dimensions were significantly correlated at .01 levels.A conclusion and recommendations are provided.

Most prominent research studies (e .g., Kohlberg addressed six stages based onKohlberg, 1958,1973,1971,1981,1984) three levels:on moral development and moral reason- (1) a preconventional that includes twoing have been conducted longitudinally. stages of obedience and punishmentFor example, Kohlberg's studies particu- and individualism, instrumentaUsm, andlarly emphasized people's progression in exchangedeveloping moral reasoning through six (2) a conventional that includes two stagesidentifiable stages, one stage at a time, and of "good boy/girl" and law and order;revealed the continued acquisition of and finallymorality through social interaction (3) a post-conventional that includes twothroughout the lifetime. stages (social contract and principled

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Kindergarten Curriculum... / 383

conscience).Sockett (1993) indicated that "Much of

what we are told is 'good' in the processof schooling is morally totally unexam-ined...But technique in teaching itselfimplies a view about what a human beingis, what a person is, and that is at the veryleast evaluative and certainly moral" (pp.14-15).

In the present study we investigatedkindergarteners' moral values at the firstlevel, where Kohlberg believes childrenages 1 to 10 years old are likely to be expe-riencing the preconventional level. Morespecifically, children ages 1 to 5 years oldbase their moral reasoning on good andbad acts; they believe that morality is basedon obeying rules to avoid punishment froman adult who is viewed as authoritativeand requiring unquestioning obedience.Children ages 5 to 10 years old are viewedas "self-serving" because they lack respectfor the rights of others and are more self-centered. As children grow they candevelop more complex moral reasoning asthey interact with their peers and societyin general.

Jewell (2001) analyzed moral devel-opment in the work of Kohlberg,Silverman, and Greener, and found thatthese theories explain how people thinkabout morality, not about moral behavior.This led Jewell to identify four contrast-ing paradigms of moral development:(1) the ability to resolve moral dilemmas

with thoughtful reflection, rather thaninstinctive reaction

(2) the willingness to engage in moralbehavior and eschew immoral behav-ior

(3) the willingness to engage in social

behavior rather than be isolated and selfabsorbed

(4) the willingness to practice self denialthan self-indulgence (p. 7).Huxley (2006) indicated that the moral

development of children differs from thatof adults:

"When people talk about moraldevelopment, they are referring totheir conduct and attitude towardsother people in society. They look tosee if you and I follow societalnorms, rules, and laws in terms ofchildren and describe their ability todistinguish right from wrong" (p. 1).Indications of moral values deteriora-

tion in the rising generation include thedecision to ignore others' viewpoints andproperty, denial of parents' rights; andexpressed indifference to codes and regu-lations. As a result, society has becomemore violent, less conservative, and freer.This deterioration has caused today's chil-dren to be more aggressive and exaggerateusing vulgar slang language. Deteriora-tion in young people's conduct standardsis due to the loss of a moral guide eitherat home and/or school.

Kindergarten Children and Moral ValuesMorality values form via experiences

inside and outside the school. These val-ues are formed differently child to child,with individual situations leading to theformation of different values in differentchildren. McDonald and Rogers (1995)examined the moral and cognitive devel-opment of 37 girls from kindergarten tofifth grade. These children were inter-viewed and asked to give written andverbal assent. In addition, six transcripts

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from conversations with two kindergarten,two second grade, and two fourth gradegirls were examined thoroughly. The pur-pose of their study was to gain knowledgeand understanding of the ways in whichgirls respond and make decisions based ontheir culture. Study results showed that par-ents and other adults have obvious effectson children's acquisition of morality. Inthis study, girls were experiencing a com-munal sense throughout their interactionwith adults. Therefore, kindergarten-agedchildren learned the values of "nice" andwere praised for obedience. Also, girlslearned about their sex based on parentaland community expectations, with thesevalues translated to the school communi-ty as per their parents' wishes.

Teaching as Moral Activity"To understand something as intenseand personal as teaching, it is criti-cal we know abut the person theteacher is., ," (Goodson, 1992, p.234).Walsh (1994) stated that, "teaching is an

art. However many skills go into it, as doso many skills go into an artist's efforts,the decisions that must be made about whenand how to combine these skills; the knowl-edge to do this is not a technical skill. Nodoubt it can be learned, but it also comesfrom one's underlying beliefs and passionsabout children and the world".

Miller and Pedro (2006) believed thatteachers are responsible for creating andmaintaining a respectful classroom envi-ronment for children. They consideredteachers to be children's models and assuch, they should self-reflect and be opento new people and culture (Sanville, 2003).

Buzzelli (1996) explained the moral impli-cations of the teacher-child discourse inearly childhood classrooms, noting thatteaching is based on the interactionbetween teacher and children, so that"therefore [it] must be guided by a moral-ity of relationship" (p. 1). Teachers shouldbe engaged in changing children's behav-ior through the course of teaching andlearning to reach prescribed ends. Jackson,Boostrom and Hansen (1993) addressedthe moral life of school as: "a way of try-ing to make people better than they arewhich means that it is always legitimate toask questions about how well or how poor-ly the teacher's students are being treated.And to raise questions about how one per-son treats another, no matter what therelationship, is to enter domain of moraljudgment" (p, 173).

In the Vasconcelos (2000) study, twoyears of naturalistic observations on akindergarten teacher named Ana were col-lected, and interviews were conducted withpeople around her (family, colleagues,mentors, etc.) in order to understand herpersonal and professional paths and theways in which she perceived teaching to bea "moral act." Results showed that Analoved teaching and believed that teachingis "profoundly embedded within her selfand a form of "public service." It is impor-tant for teachers to love teaching so thatthey may perform it with love and care,especially for young students.

Hong (2003) conducted an ethnographicstudy of Korean kindergartners' reasoningduring group discussions of problematicmoral situations. Aspects included: rea-soning about others' perspectives, graspingthe cause of the problems, and seeking


ways to solve the problems. He found thatkindergartners were actively engaged inthe discussions and were able to adopt andadjust some of their points of view in somemoral discussions. The researcher sug-gested involving children in furtherdiscussion sessions. Later in the follow-ing year. Hong (2004) examined ways inwhich teachers helped children to partici-pate in cultural discussions on problematicmoral situations such as understandinghuman minds and coexistence. The studyinvolved observations of three Koreankindergarten classrooms with 90 kinder-gartners and three teachers withapproximately 13 years of teaching expe-rience. Findings revealed that teachers doplay an important role in helping childrenacquire others' viewpoints and perceptions.As the researcher argued, the cognitivedevelopmental perspective, which is basedon Piaget's theory, states that moralitydevelopment takes place in social contextsand experiences. As a result, young chil-dren are unable to develop moralreasoning. His study revealed that "youngchildren have a theory of mind and they aremore capable of taking another's perspec-tives, based on their theory of mind that theadults assume" (p. 13). Korean childrenare able to reach solutions to moral prob-lems by discussing and learning from eachother's perspectives. Their morality isbased on their cultural beliefs and values.On the other hand, Korean educationemphasizes the teaching and learning ofmoral values. More specifically, Koreanadults believe that it is their duty to teachchildren moral dispositions and values inschools.

Dunn (2002) conducted a case study tounderstand the ways in which studentteachers negotiate and influence profes-sional moral development. She observedand interviewed a student teacher in sixvisits over eight weeks. At first, the par-ticipant believes that her professional moralresponsibility is to put children first byrespecting each child's autonomy andintegrity. However, as she gains more expe-rience in her interactions with children andteaching, she develops moral autonomythat is closely connected with the moraldevelopment of children. She becomessocially sensitive and has respect for herprofessional values in the context of teach-ing. She realizes that her moral imperativehas expanded into more educationalresponsibilities, such as considering stu-dents' needs, sharing responsibility withothers, and implementing curricula stan-dards.

Musa and Khawaldah (2007) conduct-ed a study in Saudi Arabia's school systemof teachers' compliance with social valuesin their teaching. The study sample con-sisted of 400 male and female teachers. Inorder to identify the social values prevail-ing in practicing education, researchersdeveloped a questionnaire. The resultsshowed that teachers seem to have socialvalues to a great degree and to a certaindegree and there are no statically signifi-cant differences in the degree of teachers'compliance with social values attributedto gender, experience, and academic qual-ification variables. Unfortunately, teachersfail to address and discuss moral issues toprotect themselves from unsupportiveschool officials, resulting in a lack of moralsensitivity, concern, or commitment in the


classroom. They simply want to protectthemselves (Dwayne, 1996).

Morality in the KindergartenCurriculum, Teaching, and LearningAgreeing that kindergarteners need lov-

ing and caring teachers, Tirri and Husu(2000) tried to uncover ethical dilemmasin the theoretical framework of virtue epis-temology. Twenty-six kindergarten andearly elementary teachers involved in thestudy were required to provide 26 writtenreports about real-life moral dilemmas theyhad experienced in their work. Resultsshowed that teachers believed that chil-dren need to be safe, led, loved, andprotected from psychological and physicalharm. The conflicts between teachers andparents are common, whereas teachers actaccording to their professional codes.Finally, "the evaluation of ethical conflictsbecomes an intersubjective judgment, nota personal affair" (p. 17).

Later, Husa (2002) negotiated the ped-agogical space between "right" and"wrong" by focusing on the ethical con-flicts found by 26 in written reports fromkindergarten and early elementary schoolteachers. The results indicated that teach-ers' negotiation competency is learnedthrough experiences in school settings, notformal preparation programs. Further,teachers' own moral characters come firstas they prepare to accept their profession-al obligations. Each teacher is "strongly"affected by the school's culture and phi-losophy. Nucci (1997) identified fiveeducational practices that enable teachersto engage in moral education that is nei-ther indoctrinative nor relativistic. Theseare: moral education should focus on issues

of justice, fairness, and human welfare;effective moral education programs areintegrated within the curriculum, ratherthan treated separately as a special pro-gram or unit; moral discussion promotesmoral development when the students use"transactive" discussion patterns, are atsomewhat different moral levels, and arefree to disagree about the best solution toa moral dilemma; cooperative goal struc-tures promote both moral and academicgrowth; and firm, fair, and flexible class-room management practices and rulescontribute to students' moral growth (p.126).

Bers (2001) tried to flnd the kind ofenvironment that affords opportunities forprimary students to be engaged in discus-sion about their inner world and moralvalues using computational tools. This ledto the development of Zora and Sybil. Zorawas designed to represent two differentways of learning about personal and moralvalues; Sybil was constructed to representthe community, and to promote self-aware-ness, moral issues and multiculturalunderstanding. This study produced learn-ing but left unanswered questions—mostimportantly, "will young people that par-ticipated in this experience carry theirexplorations of identity and values into therest of their hves?" (p. 71).

Taylor, Ogawa, and Wilson (2002)looked at the moral development of Japan-ese kindergarteners; they interviewed 28kindergarten children, their teachers, andthe kindergarten director. Through the useof qualitative methods, the data show thatthe social system—laws, justice, duty, andsocial rules—affect Japanese children'smoral decisions and emotions such as


empathy and anger, which impact theirmoral reactions to certain problems.

Selected Characteristics of KuwaitiKindergartens, Curricula, and Teachers

As background for the study context,we offer a few selected characteristics ofthe Kuwaiti kindergarten, kindergarten cur-riculum, and kindergarten teachers. Eachofthese is described in the following sec-tions.

Kuwaiti KindergartenThe Kuwaiti community, like other

communities worldwide, has its own par-ticular beliefs, language, religion, moralvalues, criteria, ethics, style of thinking,and working methods; all of which steerand organize the community's system andmovement on all political, social, and eco-nomic dimensions. The system ofeducation and teaching in Kuwait isdesigned to create suitable opportunities toassist individuals to achieve integral andcomprehensive growth—spiritually, ethi-cally, mentally, socially, and physically tothe best of their ability—in light of estab-lished religion, principles, heritage, andculture (Ministry of Education, 2007). Asin many other developed countries,Kuwaiti kindergartens provide a high-qual-ity educational program for children:"Kindergarten goals in Kuwait are almostthe same as those in the United States andEurope... derived from the philosophy ofearly childhood education, such as matu-ranist, behaviorist or interactionist" (Hatch,1987, p. 13).

Kindergarten is offered in a buildingfrom the elementary school and is designedto provide two years of education to four-

to six-year-old children. The first years isfor children aged 3 i/á to 4 ¥¿ years, andthe second is for children aged 4 '/è to 5 ^Ayears. The Kuwait Ministry of Educationprovides free kindergartens for Kuwaitichildren. The Committee on KindergartenCurriculum Development in the Ministryof Education established ten general goalsfor the kindergartens of Kuwait.The aims are:(1) to help children gain religious beliefs

and ideas(2) to help children acquire a sense of

belonging; to their family, society, theArabian Gulf, the Arab nation, and theIslamic nation

(3) to promote strong self-esteem(4) to help children acquire the means to

be honest and positive in their rela-tionships with adults

(5) to help children learn responsibilityand independence, and learn the accep-tance of living in a cooperative society

(6) to help children become aware of theirphysical needs, keeping their bodiessafe and healthy, to practice healthyhabits in playing, relaxation, sleeping,eating, and dressing, and to be assistedin learning the habits of security athome, outside, and within the kinder-garten

(7) to help children develop their five sens-es, develop control and appreciate theuse of their bodies, and to develop apositive sense of self

(8) to help children acquire basic livingcapacities

(9) to help children extend their concernfor and conception of their natural sur-rounding environment, dealing with itin a positive way (Kuwait Ministry of


Education, 2007).

Kindergarten in Kuwait is a transition-al phase that prepares children to entergeneral education in Kuwait's education-al system. The curriculum deemedappropriate by the Kindergarten Depart-ment in Kuwait for kindergartners is basedon twenty-four themes for instructionalpurposes each year. The present study wasconcerned with the second year, whichincludes children aged 4 '/i to 5 '/̂ years old.The curricular content includes twelvethemes: my kindergarten, i'm human, peo-ple work, my nutrition, water and air,animals and plants, the four seasons, myreligion Islam, Kuwait, my country, com-munication and transportation, the oil, andthe sea.

Each classroom is divided into severalsections called "learning centers." Thechild performs certain activities within thecenter to understand the experience andexpress it in one form or another. An "expe-rience" is one of the different aspects ofregular activities that the child acquiresinside or outside his kindergarten classroom.

Kuwaiti Kindergarten CurriculumThe kindergarten curriculum is com-

prised of instruction and play. Children aretaught about and through language, liter-ature, arithmetic, natural science, music,art, motor skills, role-play, and creativity.Each of the themes used in Kuwaiti kinder-gartens runs for two weeks at a time.Throughout the school year, the teachersfollow Ministry of Education-plannedthemes, with the kindergarten teachersreceiving a "Teacher's Theme Manual" to

help them in planning or choosing theirlessons. For example, the first levelincludes eleven themes such as:(1) my kindergarten(2) who I am(3) my family, relatives, and neighbors(4) my health and safety(5) water and air(6) animals and plants(7) sounds, color, and shape(8) cooperative society(9) communication and transportation,(10) my country Kuwait(11) the sea.

Themes in the second level include:(1) the computer(2) people(3) my food(4) teacher-student choice

(please note: these are themes designed bythe Kuwait Ministry of Education for theschool year 199912000).

Kuwaiti Kindergarten TeachersTwo teachers are assigned to each

kindergarten classroom. They work togeth-er to provide knowledge and guidance tothe children. Teachers must have a bache-lor's degree from either Kuwait Universityor the Basic College of Education, major-ing in kindergarten. Before acceptance inone of these institutions, candidates mustpass an interview and personality test. Fur-thermore, the Kuwait educational ladderconsists of five stages:(1) kindergarten—a two-year course for

ages 4-6(2) elementary—a six-year course for ages

7-12


(3) intermediate—a four-year course forages 13-15

(4) high (secondary)—a three-year coursefor ages 15-18; and (5) university andcolleges.

Descriptions of Selected TermsRelated to Moral Values

Two specific terms were selected foremphasis in this research study:(1) the meaning of value(2) the meaning of morality.

Each of these selected terms isdescribed below.

Meaning of ValueIn sociology, truthfulness is the ability

to satisfy human desire, which is an impor-tant attribute for individuals andcommunities (Fairchild, 1964), In the edu-cational dictionary, it means "importantattribute for psychological, social andmoral considerations, in general, it isbehavior and work instructors" (Carter,1979).

The English philosopher Murrierdeclared in his book Morality Principles,that value in its vast meanings is virtue andvice. The virtue attribute, in his opinion,is not subject to analysis or definition asit is secret in issues as yellow color is secretin definite things. These values cannot berecognized except by prediction.

Al-Marsafy (1991) defined values as agroup of standards, attitudes and higherideals that, combined with individual truth-fulness, yields social behavior. Thesestandards indicate behavior, activity andsignificant or implied experiences, as wellan individual commitment to these valuesthrough attitudes towards people and the

community.These definitions indicate the impor-

tance of the social and cultural factorssurrounding the individual, and the impor-tance of the experiences to an individualin establishing and affecting values. How-ever, there is a significant differencebetween standards and the values concept.Standards are rules of conduct, while val-ues are levels of future desire for somesituations. A standard also requires theapplication of many separate values at thesame time (Al Juwhary 1980, p. 68),

Meaning of MoralityMoral values are a group of psycho-

logical arrangements acquired by theindividual in living in a social sphere. Insum, morality is developed according tolearned customs, traditions and ideals inrelation to a certain community and its val-ues. Moral values are the degree to whichan individual accomplishes the moral val-ues standard followed in this study.

Research MethodsIn the present study we examined moral

implications in teaching and learning inthe kindergarten classroom. This studyinvolved both qualitative and quantitativemethods through the use of a question-naire, observations, and interviews. Morespecifically, this study sought to examinemoral values as evinced by kindergarten-ers and responses to specific cases inkindergarten settings according to eightdimensions. These were: Truthfulness,Honesty, Gratitude, Loyalty, Reasonabil-ity, Fairness, Mercifulness, and Patience,Second, researchers observed the ways inwhich kindergartners are taught—content

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and context. Third, we wished to ascertainwhether moral implications are integratedwithin the curriculum and the differentways in which they are presented. Final-ly, the study intended to gain anunderstanding of the effect of kindergartenprogram on children's acquisition of moralvalues.

Several research questions guided thisstudy. These were as follows: (1) how doKuwaiti kindergartens respond to prob-lematic moral situations in the classroomsetting; (2) how do teachers use classroomdiscourse, during teaching and learningactivities with children, to implementmoral values; and (3) what kind of moralvalues are presented in the kindergartencurriculum?

A total of 600 kindergarten children,both male and female, in Kuwait were thetarget audience. KMVQ questionnaireswere distributed to each individual child inall six educational districts in the state ofKuwait. Each child's teacher was asked toexplain each situation in the questionnaireto each child in her classroom. Elevenkindergarten teachers were observed indi-vidually in each different school andeducation district. Finally, informal inter-views took place with the observedteachers.

Researchers developed for this study aKMVQ questionnaire to achieve thestudy's objectives. The Kindergarten MoralValues Questionnaire (KMVQ) wasdesigned to gain an understanding of chil-dren's moral judgment on certain moralsituations in the kindergarten setting.Answers provided insights into the chil-dren's moral values when interacting withclassroom peers and adults. Researchers

developed the questionnaire based on year-long interviews and observations withkindergarten teachers and children in sev-eral kindergarten schools in six educationdistracts in Kuwait. The KMVQ was devel-oped in three stages: first, the researcherinterviewed 30 kindergarten children tounderstand their perceptions of certainmoral values, such as honesty and loyal-ty, when introduced by the researcher viastories that contained these values. Afterreading, the stories were discussed and theteacher asked for children's opinions.

The researchers then visited the class-room to observe teachers' involvement andinteraction with children during class andnon-class activates. This process wasundertaken to gain an understanding ofhow and what kinds of situations shouldbe included in the questionnaire. KMVQconcentrates on eight dimensions: Truth-fulness, Honesty, Gratitude, Loyalty,Reasonability, Fairness, Mercifulness, andPatience. Each dimension has several sit-uations that reflect the morality level ofeach child in the study.

Second, an observation guide list wasdeveloped to be used in class observationsto obtain a more detailed and comprehen-sive picture. Third, content analysis wasapplied to all written or visual materials(kindergarten curriculum materials pre-sented by the Ministry of Education inKuwait) to identify moral characteristicsand to witness how often moral values werementioned and how much discussionoccurred on each moral.


ResultsResearchers used several procedures to

code and analyze data, using SPSS (Sta-tistical Package for the Social Sciences,version 15.0).The results are summarizedbelow.

First, researchers answered the firstresearch question via use of the KMVQ toevaluate children's judgments on moralsituations that they faced or might experi-ence in the classroom sitting.

Second, the researchers observedeleven teachers in fifteen classrooms insix educational districts. These observa-tions revealed in general that Kuwaitichildren were aware of moral values andthe ways in which to implement them intheir everyday life and situation. This maybe due to the strong religious reward andpunishment system. On several occasions,Farrah, one of the kindergarten teachers,deliberately sought to convince her class-room children that God watched them andrewarded their good manners and punishedthe bad. As she mentioned several timesduring children's arrival to school and cir-cle time: "God is everywhere, we cannotsee him but he could. You cannot hide fromGod. So be aware of what you doing andwhat you say to others. If you do goodthings, God will reward you with heaventhat has everything you like and want tohave. However, if you do something wrongto others and/or say bad words, God willput you in hill and no body will save you."

During observations, no certain themeor activities were found to focus on teach-ing youngsters' moral values; however,teachers were able to involve moral teach-ing in their teaching. For example, in theAnimals and Plants Theme, several

observed teachers were determined toteach children ways in which they couldtake care of animals and treat them mer-cifully and encouraged children to raisepets at home.

Patience was a value that children wereexposed to in every activity. Children wereforced to learn to be patient. In fact, dur-ing my observation, one of the researchersheard teachers telling their students to bepatient when materials and educationalgames were involved in an activity.Researchers felt that children acquired thepatience value but were not convinced thatit was a good thing to do. One time a childwas heard saying to his teacher: "I knowI have to be patient until somebody fin-ishes playing; then I will be able to play".

In term of the truthfulness value, teach-ers were aware that children sometimesbelieve what they think, not what is hap-pening to them, as indicated by Farrah,one of the teachers. Therefore, researchersfound that teachers made it very clear thatchildren need to say the truth and nothingbut the truth, as Miriam, another teacher,said. So, whenever there was a disputebetween two children about who got thegame in the learning centers, teachersinsisted on hearing the truth about whostarted the fight and the reason behind it.Kindergartners were encouraged to bor-row books from either the kindergartenlibrary or the library center in the class-room, but teachers always had to remindchildren to be honest and bring back thebook he/she borrowed from the school.

Third, while doing the observationsresearchers conducted informal interviewswith observed teachers. They found thatalmost all teachers believed that children

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should learn moral values at home—thisis part of their parents ' obligations. As indi-cated by Salwa: "Moral values are not tobe taught to children. Parents should raisetheir children based on moral system thatthey believe in."

Teacher preparation programs andkindergarten teachers' supervisors guidedteachers to use story and puppet shows asthe best teaching methods to impose goodbehavior and moral values. Like Mona,Sarah and Farrah believed that the bestway to teach children moral values was touse story and puppet shows. According toSarah: "In kindergarten, we have beentaught in college and guided by our super-visors about teaching children all kind ofgood behavior and values through the useof stories and puppet shows, where as otherconcepts and skills we use in differentteaching methods."

Based on their experience in kinder-garten teaching, teachers believed that"children come to kindergarten knowingright from wrong in addition kindergartencurriculum is based on teaching childrenmorals and ways to implement them."Salwa added: "Children are taught at homesince infancy about moral values such ashonesty and faithfulness."

Miriam was convinced that merciful-ness is learned in the way teachers treatchildren: "When teachers treat childrenwith merciful attitudes and behavior, theylearn that this is the best way of treatingothers." Farrah agreed and added: "chil-dren are very good observers, therefore,we as teachers should be models for ourstudents especially when dealing with oth-ers and treating animals." Teaching moralvalues occurred mostly during story time.

when teachers most frequently used storieswith moral themes. The library center inthe Kuwaiti kindergarten classroom hasmoral and good behavior-related storiesonly (Jawhar, 2005). The Kuwaiti kinder-garten curriculum consists of twelvethemes that do not focus exclusively onmoral education or characters. However,many of the objectives in the teachers'handbook have moral teaching and learn-ing objectives in formal and non-formalclassroom activities such as circle time,learning centers, trips and other kinds ofactivities. In term of moral problems,teachers agreed that circle time encour-ages discussion among children; theyexchange ideas and share thoughts on sev-eral moral problems. These discussionshelp children to build their ability to engagein moral judgment. This theory is sup-ported by Vygotsky (1978)'s Zone ofProximal Development in his socio-cul-tural theory.

Statistical results are summarized andpresented in the following paragraphs.Each focuses on one of the eight dimen-sions described earlier in this paper.

TruthfulnessA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times. Each time, a differentstatement from the "truth value category"was tested to assess whether children tellthe truth 'always', 'sometimes' or 'never'.The results of the test for various state-ments in the "truth value category" weresignificant, and the percentages of truthwere high. For the statement, 'I do not lieto avoid punishment', x2 (2, N = 600) =39.13, p < .001. For the statement, 'I con-fess fault', x2 (2, N = 600) = 101.29, p <

Kindergarten Curricuium... / 393

.001. For the statement, 'I become angryin case one of my peers lies to me', x2 (2,N = 600) = 179.04, p < .001. For the state-ment, 'I tell about misconducts of childrenif the teacher asks me', x2 (2, N = 600) =361.81, p < .001. For the statement, 'I tellthe truth whatever it takes', )(2 (2, N = 600)= 171.48, p < .001. For the statement, 'Iinform the teacher if I witness any childtaking other's property', x2 (2, N = 600)= 349.96,p<.001.

The observed numbers of students whounderstood the concept of "Truth" or fol-lowed the path of truth in each of the sixstatements were much higher than expect-ed. For this sample data file with nomissing values, the expected number ofstudents in each of these statements shouldbe 200, whereas the observed numbers ofstudents in the "yes" category were 261,315,352,419,342,and416—much high-er than 200. The relative weights (Meanvalues) of (6 Dimension of truth) were 2.1,2.31, 2.34, 2.57, 2.43, and 2.54. Thesedimensions emphasized the role of Teach-ing and Learning Moral Values in thekindergarten curriculum, and the role ofthe kindergarten teacher. The overall reli-ability of this first sub-group for "Truth"questions (six questions), using Cronbach'sAlpha, was found to be .490, which showsa high level of internal consistency amongthe responses of the students in this sub-domain.

HonestyA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times, and each time adifferent statement from the "honesty valuecategory" was tested to assess whetherchildren showed honesty 'always', 'some-

times' or 'never'. The results of the testfor various statements in the "honestyvalue category" were significant, and thepercentages of honesty were high. For thestatement, 'If I find a crayon or a toy, Igive it to the teacher', x2 (2, N = 600) =451.81, p < .001. For the statement, 'If Ifind money I give it to the teacher', x2 (2,N = 600) = 509.89, p < .001. For the state-ment, 'If I find someone else's candy I donot eat it without letting him/her know', x2(2, N = 600) = 121.03, p < .001. For thestatement, 'If I find a toy I do not take itfor myself, x2 (2, N = 600) = 151.41, p< .001. For the statement, 'If I check outa book from the library I do not take it formyself, x2 (2, N = 600) = 267.97, p <.001. For the statement, 'I do not take somecrayons (even at sometimes) to use athome', x2 (2, N = 600)= 176.29, p<.001.

The observed numbers of students whofollowed the path of "Honesty" or adopt-ed honesty in their day-to-day activitiesand behaved like honest children in eachof the six statements were much higherthan expected. For this sample data filewith no missing values, the expected num-ber of students in each of these statementsshould be 200, whereas the observed num-bers of students in the "yes" category were444, 460, 326, 340, 388 and 353-muchhigher than 200. The relative weights(Mean values) of six dimensions of hon-esty were 2.65,2.68,2.29,2.32,2.44, and2.37. These dimensions emphasize the roleof the teacher with the child (teacher-child)and the child him/herself alone (childonly). In this category, the family also playsan important role. The overall reliability ofthis second sub-group on "Honesty" ques-tions (six questions), using Cronbach's

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Alpha, was found to be .760, which showsa high level of internal consistency amongthe responses of the students in this sub-domain.

GratitudeA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times, and each time adifferent statement from the "gratitudevalue category" was tested to assesswhether children are gratitude 'always','sometimes' or 'never', The results of thetest for various statements in the "grati-tude value categoi^" were significant, andthe percentages of gratitude were high. Forthe statement, 'I like to thank whoeverhelps me', x2 (2, N = 600) = 468,13, p <.001. For the statement, 'I like to visit mysick friends at the hospital', x2 (2, N =600) = 420.49, p < .001. For the statement,'I like to help my friends with their work-s', x2 (2, N = 600) = 580.59, p < ,001. Forthe statement, 'I feel happy when I dosomething nice to my friends', x2 (2, N =600) = 591,37, p<,001.

The observed numbers of students whoshowed "Gratitude" nature in their day-to-day activities in each of the four statementswere much higher than expected. For thissample data file with no missing values, theexpected number of students in each ofthese statements should be 200, whereasthe observed numbers of students in the"yes" category were 447, 433, 473, and479—much higher than 200. The relativeweights (Mean values) of four dimensionsof gratitude were 2,67,2.64,2,76, and 2.74.These dimensions depend on the encour-agement of teachers and family membersand also on the relationship between stu-dents and friends. It also depends deeply

on family habits. The overall reliability ofthis third sub-group on the "Gratitude"questions (four questions), using Cron-bach's Alpha, was found to be ,765, whichshows a high level of internal consistencyamong the responses of the students in thissub-domain.

LoyaltyA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times, and each time adifferent statement from the "loyalty valuecategory" was tested to assess whetherchildren are loyal 'always' or 'sometimes'or 'never'. The results of the test for var-ious statements in the "loyalty valuecategory" were significant, and the per-centages of loyalty were high. For thestatement, 'If the teacher gives me sweetto distribute I do not try to get the lion'sshare', x2 (2, N = 600) = 52,33, p < ,001.For the statement, 'I do not distinguishbetween my friends and other children',X2 (2, N = 600) = 75,64, p < .001, For thestatement, 'If any one takes my toy I tryto get it back gently by myself, x2 (2, N= 600) = 39.9 l ,p< ,001 .

The observed numbers of students whoexpressed a tendency toward loyalty intheir day-to-day activities in each of thethree statements were much higher thanexpected. For this sample data file with nomissing values, the expected number ofstudents in each of these statements shouldbe 200, whereas the observed numbers ofstudents in the "yes" category were 263,293 and 271—much higher than 200. Therelative weights (Mean values) of threedimensions of loyalty were 2,24,2.28, and2,20, These dimensions depend on theencouragement of teachers and the kinder-


garten curriculum. The day-to-day piecesof advice to the child and attitudes of fam-ily members as observed by the child athome also play an important role in build-ing a child's loyalty. The overall reliabilityof this fourth sub-group on the "Loyalty"questions (three questions), using Cron-bach's Alpha, was found to be .238, whichshows a reasonably middle level of inter-nal consistency among the responses ofthe students in this sub-domain.

ReasonabilityA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times. Each time, a differentstatement from the "reasonability valuecategory" was tested to assess whetherchildren are reasonable 'always', 'some-times' or 'never' in their day-to-dayactivities. The results of the test for vari-ous statements in the "reasonability valuecategory" were significant, and the per-centages of reasonability were high. For thestatement, 'If any one abuses me I forgiveher/him',x2(2,N = 600) = 68.83,p<.001.For the statement, 'If any one rips my book,I do not respond the same way', x2 (2, N= 600) = 135.79, p < .001. For the state-ment, 'If one of my teachers mistreats me,I do not response badly', x2 (2, N = 600)= 239.59, p < .001. For the statement, 'Iftwo peers are fighting, I try to separatethem', x2 (2, N = 600) = 21.88, p < .001.For the statement, 'If any one hit me, I donot do the same', x2 (2, N = 600) =47.23,p<.001.

The observed numbers of students whoexpress reasonable attitudes toward theirday-to-day activities in each of the fivestatements were much higher than expect-ed. For this sample data file with no

missing values, the expected number ofstudents in each of these statements foreach of the cells should be 200, whereasthe observed numbers of students in the"yes" category were 294, 327, 378, 226and 233—much higher than 200. The rel-ative weights (Mean values) of fivedimensions of honesty were 2.21, 2.25,2.42, 2.00 and L98. These dimensionsdepend on the teacher's role in teachingthe kindergarten curriculum. The overallreliability of this fifth sub-group of "Rea-sonability" questions (five questions),using Cronbach's Alpha, was found to be.387, which shows a middle level of inter-nal consistency among the responses ofthe students in this sub-domain.

FairnessA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times. Each time, a differentstatement from the "fairness value cate-gory" was tested to assess whether childrenwere fair in their behavior 'always' or'sometimes' or 'never'. The results of thetest for various statements in the "fairnessvalue category" were significant, and thepercentages were high. For the statement,'If I have much money, I do not spend itair, x2 (2, N = 600) = 39.19, p<.001. Forthe statement, 'If I am invited to dinner, Ido not try to eat all my favorite food', x2(2, N = 600) = 108.64, p < .001. For thestatement, 'I ask for what I need only ', x2(2,N = 600) = 275.59,p<.001.

The observed numbers of students whoare required to be "Fair" in their day-to-day activities was much higher thanexpected for two of the three statements.For this sample data file with no missingvalues, the expected number of students

396 /Education Vol. 129 No. 3

in each of these statements should be 200,whereas the observed numbers of studentsin the "yes" category were 257, 148 and387—higher than 200 in at least two state-ments (variables) out of three. The relativeweights (Mean values) of (3 Dimensionsof Fairness) were 2.08, 1.71 and 2.53.These dimensions depend on the positivebehavior of a child as gained from his/herfamily, and the teachers who teach them,and modify or correct their incorrect behav-iors. The overall reliability of this sixthsub-group on the "Fairness" questions(three questions), using Cronbach's Alpha,was found to be .268, which shows a rea-sonable middle level of internalconsistency among the responses of thestudents in this sub-domain.

MercifulnessA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times. Each time, a differentstatement from the "mercifulness valuecategory" was tested to assess whetherchildren are merciful 'always', 'some-times' or 'never' in their day-to-dayactivities as and when required from them.The results of the test for various state-ments in the "mercifulness value category"were significant, and the percentages formercifulness were high. For the statement,'If I flnd a crying child, I try to calm himdown',x2(2,N = 600) = 447.51,p<.001.For the statement, 'If I find a child harm-ing animal, I try to stop him/her', x2 (2, N= 600) = 423.63, p < .001. For the state-ment, 'If I find the sink open, I'll try toclose it', x2 (2, N = 600) = 607.17, p <.001. For the statement, 'If I find someonecarrying many things, I try to helphim/her', x2 (2, N = 600) = 586.03, p <

.001. For the statement, 'If I have lot ofthings (money- clothes - food) I give topoor people', x2 (2, N = 600) = 549.49, p

The observed numbers of students whowere merciful in their day-to-day activitiesas evidenced in answers to each of the fivestatements were much higher than expect-ed. For our this sample data file with nomissing values, the expected number ofstudents in each of these statements shouldbe 200, whereas the observed numbers ofstudents in the "yes" category were 441,434,483,477 and 467—much higher than200. The relative weights (Mean values) of(5 Dimension of Mercifulness) were 2.66,2.65, 2.75, 2.75 and 2.73. These dimen-sions depended on the positive behaviorof a child in response to family and friendsin the home, club, street, etc., and the teach-ers who teach them. The overall reliabilityof this seventh sub-group on "Merciful-ness" questions (five questions), usingCronbach's Alpha, was found to be .799,which shows a very high level of internalconsistency among the students' respons-es in this sub-domain.

PatienceA one-sample Chi-square test was con-

ducted several times. Each time, a differentstatement from the "patience value cate-gory" was tested to assess whether childrenwere patient 'always', 'some times' or'never'. The results of the test for variousstatements in the "patience value catego-ry" were signiflcant, and the percentagesfor patience were high. For the statement,'If my mother gets delayed in preparingthe food, I wait', x2 (2, N = 600) = 351.00,p < .001. For the statement, 'I like to reach

Kindergarten Curricuium... / 397

the end of the game despite the time it con-sumes', x2 (2, N = 600) = 88.69, p < .001.For the statement, 'If the teacher asked meabout something and I fail to answer, I tryonce again', x2 (2, N = 600) = 384.19, p< .001. For the statement, 'If I feel unableto do something, I do not leave it like thisand keep on trying', x2 (2, N = 600) =52.39, p<.001.

The observed numbers of students whoexhibit patience in their day-to-day activ-ities in at least three of four statementswere much higher than expected. For thissample data file with no missing values, theexpected number of students responding toeach of these statements should be 200,while the observed number of students inthe "yes" category was 410,308,423 and150—much higher than 200 at least inthree of the four statements. The relativeweights (Mean values) of (four dimensionsof patience) were 2.60,2.29,2.61 and 1.78.These dimensions depended on teachers'instruction and parents' day-to-day advice.It was also very important for the child tohave Patience in that particular situation.The overall reliability of this third sub-group dealing with "Patience" questions(four questions), using Cronbach's Alpha,was .228, which shows a middle level ofinternal consistency among the students'responses in this sub-domain. The vari-ables for each sub-domain were added andthe grand mean and standard deviation foreach sub-domain were computed.

Other FindingsResults of the mean and standard devi-

ations of the eight sub-domains revealedthat the mean value for the sub-domain"Mercifulness" was the highest (2.707),

followed by Gratitude, Honesty, Truth,Patience, Loyalty, and Reasonability. Themean value for the sub-domain "Fairness"was the lowest (2.107). The Pearson cor-relation coefficients were calculated amongall eight sub-domains.

Results of Pearson Correlation Coeffi-cients indicated that all eight sub-domainswere significantly correlated with eachother. Most of the correlations among thedifferent sub-domain were significant atthe 0.01 level. This shows a high consis-tency between any two properties(sub-domain) of the children.

RecommendationsSeveral recommendations are offered

here to the Kuwait Ministry of Education(KMOE), administrators, and teachers, andfor future research. First, KMOE shouldrequire all early childhood programs pro-vided by colleges of education anduniversities to implement useful strategiesand update their standards to ensure a high-quality education. Second, KMOE shouldoffer courses related to moral values andprovide programs to educate parents in theKuwaiti schools and society.

Third, school members (e.g., adminis-trators and teachers) in early childhoodeducation programs in the KMOE shouldbe able to provide appropriate knowledgeand skills on morals, including the eightdimensions described in this study. Fourth,the data in this study suggest that teacherswould profit greatly from professionaldevelopment courses. Lastly, futureresearch should continue to investigatethese moral values and may select otherfactors in the kindergarten curriculum toimprove early childhood programs and

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children's lives in Kuwait. As Bruner(1996) confirmed, the purpose of school-ing is to establish ethnicity and a moralfoundation for all children.

ConclusionThe results showed that each of the

statements in each of the dimensions wasstatistically significant at the 0.001 level.Overall, on average about 50-7 % of stu-dents showed a high sense of morality ineach of these eight dimensions. Merciful-ness, gratitude, honesty, truth, patience,loyalty, reasonability, and fairness wereassessed by the children on a scale fromhighest moral importance to lowest moralimportance. Almost all of the eight dimen-sions were significantly correlated at the.01 levels with each other.

The researchers found that some teach-ers are more effective than others inteaching and guiding children in moral val-ues. Comments made by teachers, as wellas data obtained in the classroom obser-vations, suggest that children come tokindergarten today with more diverselearning needs than was true in the past.The observation data suggest that teachersfrequently do not appear to have a broadrepertoire of strategies at their disposal foraddressing moral values.

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Teaching and learning moral values through kindergarten curriculum