Teaching ethics in schools could shape how millions of students think and behave for years to come, a major new study has found.
The study, the largest of its kind, looked at four decades of research covering almost 13,000 students worldwide.
Led by Dr Geetanjali Basarkod from ACU's Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, the study found that when schools make a genuine effort to teach ethics, students become better at reasoning through right and wrong, and are more motivated to act accordingly.
Those who received ethics interventions showed markedly better moral outcomes than students who did not, though the method mattered: classes built around discussion proved effective, while approaches relying solely on lectures or readings showed no clear evidence of impact. Crucially, the findings held true from primary school through to university.
Teaching kids how to think, not what to think
“What our review shows is that dedicated ethics classes in schools and universities help students better recognise ethical issues, reason more clearly about right and wrong, and prioritise doing the right thing,” Dr Basarkod told The Educator.
"The effect was clearest when students actively discussed these issues, rather than only hearing or reading about ethics."
Dr Basarkod said the programs in the review varied in content, with some at the school level focusing on values such as fairness or respect, and many at the university level teaching the ethics of a specific field, like nursing or business.
"But what they shared was getting students to actively discuss and reason through ethical questions together, rather than only passively absorbing information," Dr Basarkod noted.
"In practice, this might look like students working through a dilemma together in a discussion guided by the educator, giving reasons for their views, considering the perspectives of other students, and thinking through the issue from different sides."
Dr Basarkod said the skills built go well beyond the classroom.
“With such lessons, you are helping students build skills like listening, perspective-taking, giving reasons, and collaborating,” she said. “And doing so in a safe space, in a room full of other students who don't necessarily [and often won’t] agree with them.”
Dr Basarkod said one would therefore expect kids who are more thoughtful, and more articulate about the ‘why’ behind their choices.
“If students have the opportunity to practice these skills regularly, they may show up outside the classroom too, such as in how they handle a playground fallout,” she said. “While our study didn't measure behaviour directly, other work shows that people who reason well about right and wrong tend to be more honest, more willing to help others, and better able to resist peer pressure.”
In evaluations of related discussion-based programs internationally, teachers have observed students becoming more respectful of others' views and more confident expressing their own, Dr Basarkod noted.
“Over time, those are the kinds of things that can shift the feel of a whole school.”
The case for ethics as a core subject
Dr Basarkod is now calling on education departments around the country to embed ethics in schools as a core subject. Alternatively, states could consider a volunteer-led model, such as the one in NSW – the only jurisdiction that offers a standalone ethics program.
“In NSW, public schools can offer a secular ethics option to students who opt out of special religious education,” she said. “These ethics classes are delivered by trained volunteers who guide structured, age-appropriate discussions of issues kids might face.”
Dr Basarkod said her research showed that discussion-based ethics education is what works.
“Primary Ethics, the not-for-profit that trains volunteers in delivering these ethics lessons, is built around this active ingredient,” she said.
“In other states that offer religious instruction during school hours [QLD and WA] students who opt out are rarely offered anything structured in that time, which can sometimes look like colouring in or playing games.”
Dr Basarkod said NSW turned that slot into an opportunity for genuine learning, by allowing – not requiring – students to learn ethics during this time.
“The volunteer model has several advantages that are worth considering,” she said. “It is low cost, uses a timeslot that already exists, and draws on trained community volunteers rather than adding to the workload of already-stretched teachers.”
What’s more, said Dr Basarkod said, it replaces unstructured time with something that her research suggests genuinely benefits students.
“A more ambitious option would be to treat ethics as a core subject in its own right, especially given that ethical understanding is one of general capabilities underscored in the Australian Curriculum,” she said. “We could follow France's example, where moral and civic education is taught to all students across primary and secondary school.”
Doing so would mean that all kids have access to ethics education, Dr Basarkod said.
“So, while a volunteer-led program like the one in NSW is a great place to start, I'd encourage other states to see it as a first step toward making ethics part of every child's schooling.”
‘These are the skills we need more of’
Looking further afield, Dr Basarkod was asked what a generation raised on proper, meaningful ethics education might look like in two decades' time, particularly as young people navigate a polarised world and mounting challenges like climate change.
“Here, I am looking further ahead than our review can see: while our study examined how ethics education shapes students' moral reasoning, it did not follow them into adulthood,” she said.
“The core thing our review showed these ethics lessons can build is the ability to reason through hard moral questions.”
Dr Basarkod said they help students recognise when they encounter an ethical issue, weigh up the different options, give reasons for their choices, and be motivated to prioritise their moral values over other competing pressures.
“These are the skills we need more of to tackle complex issues like climate change and global poverty, where the problem is rarely a shortage of facts,” she said. “It takes a willingness to sit with a hard question, take seriously a view you don't hold, and change your mind when you meet a good reason or new evidence.”
Dr Basarkod said the generation she would hope for is not one that necessarily agrees on the answers, but rather one that argues about them better.
“This generation would be more able to spot bad arguments, reflect on their decisions in light of reasons and evidence, and understand the consequences of their actions for themselves and others,” she said.
“We know that higher moral reasoning is associated with more prosocial and less delinquent behaviour, greater honesty, and a stronger willingness to help others.”
Dr Basarkod said the findings raise a bigger question about the long-term payoff of teaching ethics in schools.
“Whether providing students with the access to ethics education now results in better citizens two decades later is an open question, but it's one worth finding out the answer to.”