Enhancing Moral Development in Early Childhood: Evidence from Effective Learning Practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21107/njcr.v3i2.219Keywords:
Moral values, Early childhood education, Effective learning approachAbstract
Background of the study: Moral values encompass teachings about good and bad behavior, attitudes, duties, ethics, and manners that shape a child's future role in society. Early Childhood Education (ECE) occurs during the golden age, a critical period when children are highly receptive to learning and habit formation. Through repeated exposure to good behavior, children can be shaped into individuals of noble character. Therefore, teachers play a key role in guiding learners to internalize strong moral values, which contribute not only to their moral integrity but also to their intellectual development.
Aims and scope of paper: This study explores how moral and religious values are instilled in children through Islamic-based early childhood education at RA Al-Amien. It focuses on the learning strategies employed by educators, the integration of Islamic teachings into the curriculum, and observable behavioral outcomes in children that reflect moral development.
Methods: This qualitative study utilized passive participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Informants included the principal, teachers, and students at RA Al-Amien. Data were analyzed following the Miles and Huberman model, involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing.
Results: RA Al-Amien consistently integrates Islamic teachings across six domains of child development. Children are guided to memorize prayers and Hadiths, demonstrate respectful behavior toward adults, and show kindness to peers. This structured moral training supports the development of akhlaqul karimah (noble character).
Contribution: Islamic-based early childhood education at RA Al-Amien effectively promotes moral and religious development. Through daily practice and teacher guidance, children show measurable progress in internalizing moral development, reinforcing the value of moral education in early formative years.
References
Bulla, L., De Giorgis, S., Mongiovì, M., & Gangemi, A. (2025). Large language models meet moral values: A comprehensive assessment of moral abilities. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 17, 100609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100609
Chin, A. H. B., Nguma, J.-D. B., & Ahmad, M. F. (2024). The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s new and more inclusive definition of infertility may conflict with traditional and conservative religious-cultural values. Fertility and Sterility, 121(5), 892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.12.019
Corr, P. J., & Perkins, A. M. (2006). The role of theory in the psychophysiology of personality: From Ivan Pavlov to Jeffrey Gray. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 62(3), 367–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.01.005
Demangeon, A., Claudel-Valentin, S., Aubry, A., & Tazouti, Y. (2023). A meta-analysis of the effects of Montessori education on five fields of development and learning in preschool and school-age children. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 73, 102182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102182
Ding, X. P., Tay, C., Chua, Y. J., & Cheng, J. K. T. (2023). Can classic moral stories with anthropomorphized animal characters promote children’s honesty? Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 85, 101498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101498
Filimonau, V., Matute, J., Kubal-Czerwinska, M., & Mika, M. (2023). Religious values and social distance as activators of norms to reduce food waste when dining out. Science of the Total Environment, 868, 161645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161645
Lam, T. W. L., Fang, W., Ma, A. T. H., Zhang, K., Cheung, L. T. O., Lo, A. Y., & Fok, L. (2025). Explaining the intention to practice “Leave No Trace” in Hong Kong’s country parks: The roles of environmental self-identity, personal moral norms and awareness of consequences. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 51, 100916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2025.100916
Learning from a behaviorist perspective. (2023). In A. Machado & J. Staddon, International Encyclopedia of Education(Fourth Edition) (pp. 12–21). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818630-5.14002-3
Li, P. H., & Koenig, M. A. (2025). Appealing to consequences, or authority? The influence of explanations on children’s moral judgments across two cultures. Cognition, 254, 105994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105994
Mbakile-Mahlanza, L., Van Der Ploeg, E. S., Busija, L., Camp, C., Walker, H., & O’Connor, D. W. (2020). A cluster-randomized crossover trial of Montessori activities delivered by family carers to nursing home residents with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. International Psychogeriatrics, 32(3), 347–358. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610219001819
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (Fourth edition). SAGE.
Morssink-Santing, V. E., Van Der Zee, S., Klaver, L. T., De Brouwer, J., & Sins, P. H. M. (2024). The long-term effect of alternative education on self-regulated learning: A comparison between Montessori, Dalton, and traditional education. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 83, 101380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2024.101380
Murtonen, M., Gruber, H., & Lehtinen, E. (2017). The return of behaviourist epistemology: A review of learning outcomes studies. Educational Research Review, 22, 114–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.08.001
Nadlifah, Abdul Latif, M., Toyba Humaida, R., Rismiyati Setyaningrum, H., & Sarah, S. (2024). Early Childhood Tolerance in Minority Areas: A Foundation for Addressing Intolerance Problems in Indonesia. Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini Undiksha, 11(3), 485–493. https://doi.org/10.23887/paud.v11i3.66202
Nunes, J. R., Rita, P., Costa Pinto, D., Gonzalez-Jimenez, H., Akdim, K., & Wagner, R. L. (2025). Moral appraisals of generative AI: How mindset framing shapes moral judgments, emotional appraisals and privacy behavior. International Journal of Information Management, 84, 102940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2025.102940
Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich (1849–1936). (2015). In D. A. Powell, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 607–610). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.61104-2
Sablic, M., Mirosavljevic, A., & Bogatic, K. (2025). Multigrade education and the montessori model: A pathway towards inclusion and equity. International Journal of Educational Research, 131, 102600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2025.102600
Salem, M. H., Selem, K. M., Ahmed, H. S. H., & Mohamed, H. A. (2025). Moral intelligence among Muslim employees in hospitality settings: Scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(6), 2296–2316. https://doi.org/10.1108/jhti-09-2024-0941
Sandor, S. (2025). From emotional blunting to moral choices: The role of alexithymia in trait psychopathy and utilitarian decision-making. Personality and Individual Differences, 240, 113147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113147
Singh Yadav, S., & Kumar Kar, S. (2025). Influence of religious value and minimalism on repurchase intention of sustainable fashion: A combined PLS-SEM and NCA approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 486, 144585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144585
Suryani, L., Fatimah, S., Jarudin, J., & Aarif, M. (2025). Instilling Religious Moderation in Early Childhood at Raudhatul Athfal Ponorogo: The Role of National Insight-Based Learning. Al-Athfal: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak, 11(1), 17–34. https://doi.org/10.14421/al-athfal.2025.111-02
Turos, M. (2024). Comparative analysis of the views of Montessori and Waldorf teacher trainers. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100855
Wahlers, D. E., Hart, W., & Lambert, J. T. (2024). Judging the guilt of the un-guilty: The roles of “false positive” guilt and empathy in moral character perception. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 113, 104613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2024.104613
Wang, H., Zhong, Y., Jia, S., Meng, Y., Bian, X., Zhang, X., & Liu, Y. (2025). Cognitive shifts in pain perception under moral enhancement conditions: Evidence from an EEG study. Brain and Cognition, 185, 106273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2025.106273
Yasin, M., Porcu, L., & Liébana-Cabanillas, F. (2020). Looking into the Islamic banking sector in Palestine: Do religious values influence active social media engagement behavior? Journal of Islamic Marketing, 12(9), 1801–1819. https://doi.org/10.1108/jima-10-2019-0201
Yuliana, Y., & Busyro Karim, M. (2024). The Role of Single Fathers in the Moral Development of Children Aged 5-6 Years. Nak-Kanak Journal of Child Research, 1(1), 10–18. https://doi.org/10.21107/njcr.v1i1.47
Zakharin, M., & Bates, T. C. (2025). Higher cognitive ability linked to weaker moral foundations in UK adults. Intelligence, 111, 101930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2025.101930
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jagneet Kaur, Elizabeth Ifeoma Anierobi, Gorica Popovska Nalevska , Mohammed Xolile Ntshangase, Tomas Shivolo, Doris Chasokela, Erepamowei Diri, Muhammad Abdul Latif, Kudakwashe Manokore
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The authors publishing in this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
