MORAL DEVELOPMENT LEVELS OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS
Abstract
Moral development research has shown a strong relationship between subjects' educational level and the amount of principled (post-conventional) moral reasoning they select in response to a series of hypothetical moral dilemmas. This study investigated the following questions: (I) Is there a difference in the recognition and selection of principal moral reasoning between students attending public and private university nursing education programs? (II) Is there a difference in the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning between students at different academic levels of nursing education? (a) Is there a difference in the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning between students at different levels of baccalaureate nursing education? (b) Is there a difference in the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning between undergraduate and graduate level nursing students? (c) Is there a relationship between the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning and educational level in undergraduate and graduate level nursing students? (III) Is there a relationship between the recognition and selection of principal moral reasoning and age in undergraduate and graduate nursing students? (IV) Is there a relationship between the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning and grade point average in undergraduate and graduate nursing students? (V) Is there a relationship between the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning and socioeconomic status in undergraduate and graduate level nursing students? The Defining Issues Test and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 216 graduate and undergraduate level nursing students from a public, state supported university and a private, religiously affiliated university. No differences in the recognition and selection of principled moral reasoning were found between subjects attending the two schools, nor between various academic levels of subjects. No differences were found between undergraduate and graduate level subjects, but significant correlations were found between the selection and recognition of principled moral reasoning and variables of grade point average, total number of college credits and income. Age correlated well with the index of moral reasoning but contributed essentially the same variance as total number of college credits.
Recommended Citation
ROELL, SHELAGH MARIE, "MORAL DEVELOPMENT LEVELS OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS" (1982). Dissertations (1962 - 2010) Access via Proquest Digital Dissertations. AAI8217286.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations/AAI8217286