Criteria for assessing the level of spiritual and moral development: Pedagogical interpretation of personality development levels among students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/1992-6464-2026-220-48-59Keywords:
axiological education, pedagogical assessment, spiritual and moral development, cognitive criterion, motivational-value criterion, behavioral level, Orthodox pedagogyAbstract
Introduction. Pedagogical assessment of spiritual and moral development is relevant for both secular and religious education. Despite the existence of theoretical models, there is a shortage of valid tools to measure the level of spiritual and moral development in students. This study aims to provide a scientific substantiation and pedagogical interpretation of a set of criteria and levels of spiritual and moral development of Sunday school students. It also seeks to demonstrate the potential of their application in pedagogical practice.
Materials and Methods. The study involved 350 students (M = 12.1, SD = 2.3), distributed into three age groups: 8–10 years old (n = 124, Me = 9.5), 11–13 years old (n = 130, Me = 12.3), and 14–17 years old (n = 96, Me = 15.6). The study was conducted in two stages: baseline assessment and final assessment. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used: standardized methods (L. S. Kolmogorova, M. Luscher, V. Yu. Kotlyakov, N. Luskanova, etc.), questionnaires developed by the author, pedagogical observation, semi-structured interviews, and analysis of creative works. Based on personal-activity and axiological approaches, four criteria were developed: cognitive, emotional-volitional, motivational-value, and behavioral. Each criterion was presented through a three-level scale, including initial, basic, and advanced levels.
Results. The assessment made after the implementation of the author’s original programs of additional education in a Sunday school showed improvement across all identified levels. The proportion of students with an advanced cognitive level increased from 14.6 % to 35.8 %, and those with an advanced motivational-value level grew from 16.9 % to 37.4 %; the internal consistency of the instruments (Cronbach’s α) was within 0.78–0.83. There was a significant increase in the number of students with an advanced level of spiritual and moral reflection, empathy, motivation, and virtuous activity. The reliability of the levels was confirmed by inter-method verification and the stability of the results after six months.
Conclusions. The proposed set of criteria and levels of spiritual and moral development can be used by teachers as an assessment tool and as a basis for designing individual educational trajectories in the context of additional education. The presented approach was tested in a Sunday school and can be adapted and implemented in other educational settings, taking into account institutional context. The obtained data confirm the theoretical validity and practical applicability of the proposed approach.
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