Published Paper Details:

Moral values are central to shaping adolescents into ethical and responsible citizens. However, in today's rapidly changing world, exposure to social media, peer influence, and shifting family dynamics has led to increasing moral dilemmas among young learners. This study, based on Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development, examined the moral reasoning of adolescent students with respect to grade and gender. Using a descriptive survey method, data were collected from 73 students of Grades VIII and IX through a validated rating scale aligned to Kohlberg's three levels of morality. Results revealed that students demonstrated the highest mean scores in post-conventional reasoning, followed by pre-conventional and conventional reasoning. Grade IX students showed significantly higher post-conventional reasoning than Grade VIII, reflecting developmental progression, while reliance on pre-conventional and conventional reasoning declined. Gender-wise, girls scored significantly higher at the pre-conventional level, but no significant differences were observed at the conventional and post-conventional levels. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening moral education during adolescence to nurture principled, value-driven decision-making in students.