Development of Moral Reasoning at a Higher Education Institution in Nigeria

The growing number of Nigerian higher education institutions should improve development of moral reasoning in Nigeria, assuming these institutions have a similar impact as institutions have had in the United States. To test this hypothesis, this study completed a cross-sectional survey of a Christian higher education institution in Nigeria using the Defining Issues Test (DIT2), a proven tool for measuring moral reasoning. The survey confirms that moral reasoning improves during undergraduate studies when students have contact with their professors outside of class. Although DIT2 scores were lower than United States norms, results indicate that the DIT2 N2 index can be used to measure relative moral reasoning levels in Nigeria. Additional research is needed to determine whether the lower Nigerian DIT2 scores are due to lower moral reasoning or other factors such as cultural differences.