Communication Skills and Moral Development between Elementary and Middle School Students in Japan

Abstract

The method of conducting moral lessons has changed in Japan since 2018. Specifically, the focus of moral lessons has shifted from emotional understanding to thinking and deliberation. Consequently, it is essential to consider the development of morality and the ability to think and deliberate in moral lessons. However, scant studies have been conducted in Japan on the teaching of elementary and middle school students' abilities to think and deliberate. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the development of communication skills and morality in elementary and middle school students. The results revealed that communication skills declined with age, but morality enhanced as the students became older. No gender differences were discerned in the moral development of males and females from the sixth grade of elementary school to the ninth grade of middle school. Based on these results, this study offers implications regarding the methods for conducting moral lessons centered on thinking and deliberating.