Examining the Four Components of Morality within the Senior Secondary English Curricula at a Gifted and Talented School

Abstract

Moral development in gifted education is an issue of imperative importance due to the potential of gifted students to change the world. In consideration of this issue and the lack of research on the topic, this study examined the extent to which moral development was present within the senior secondary English curricula at an academically selective gifted and talented school. Due to multiple criticisms of the Stages of Moral Development theory, which is commonly used in educational research on morality, this study was guided by an alternative framework - Rest's Four Component Model of Morality. The findings of the study indicated that moral development was reflected only to a limited extent within the English curricula offered at the academically selective gifted and talented school.