Ideas about Interpersonal Conflicts and Moral Development in Brazilian Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This paper presents part of a study of moral development conducted in a public early education school in Brasília, Brazil. A sociocultural constructivist perspective was employed to analyze the ideas of nine educators about the role of interpersonal conflict in moral development. Educators provided information about the pedagogical strategies they use to intervene in conflicts. Results show the dominance of a negative view of the conflict and the need for changes in this perspective due to the role that interpersonal conflicts play in building moral values and social skills that enable a harmonious and democratic coexistence.