Between Kohlberg and Gilligan: Levels of Moral Judgment among Elementary School Principals

This research investigated levels of moral judgment among public elementary school principals as measured by the Defining Issues Test Version 2 for occupationally relevant and other moral dilemmas. The participants scored lower (38.7) than the predicted average P score (postconventional thinking) for individuals who have attained graduate level education (53.3) or general adults (40). Of the independent variables studied, only political views had a significant impact on moral judgment. Women, younger participants, and those with higher academic degrees scored higher. Although these findings are limited to the interpretations of participants, they demonstrate how neo-Kohlbergian research is responding to criticisms of Kohlberg.