Assessing Students’ Moral Reasoning of a Values-Based Education

Students’ moral reasoning was assessed at a religiously affiliated liberal arts university. Cohort data were collected from undergraduate students who had entered the university as freshmen: 364 students in 2007 and 264 students in 2009. The results indicated that there was a significant increase in students’ post-conventional moral reasoning scores between freshmen and seniors and a significant decrease in students’ pre-conventional moral reasoning scores between freshmen and seniors. A positive weak correlation was observed between the number of theology and philosophy classes and students’ post-conventional moral reasoning scores and between the number of community service hours and students’ post-conventional moral reasoning scores. A negative weak correlation was observed between the number of theology and philosophy classes and students’ pre-conventional moral reasoning scores and between the number of community service hours and students’ pre-conventional moral reasoning scores. No significant difference was observed between seniors who completed the minimum requirement of theology and philosophy classes as well as community service hours and seniors who completed more in terms of moral reasoning. Overall, the findings indicated that enrollment at a religiously affiliated institution fostered students’ moral reasoning development.