Value analysis: a method for teaching nursing ethics and promoting the moral development of students

In an investigation of junior-level baccalaureate nursing students, the value analysis teaching strategy was used to teach content related to nursing ethics. It was hypothesized that such a strategy, which emphasized the need for careful evaluation and weighing of facts preparatory to drawing conclusions, would impact on the student's level of cognitive moral development. Cognitive moral development was defined in accord with Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Control and experimental populations were derived from two groups of students sequentially enrolled in the same course. Pre- and post-testing using scores on Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT) showed significant differences in gain between control and experimental subjects. There was a strong association between DIT score gains and self-report of peer discussion of ethical issues. The major implication of this study is that instructional intervention produces measurable change in some students' level of moral judgment.