The Relevance of Moral Development and Moral Education in Children (Kholbergh and Hamka Study)
Abstract
Abstract: Kohlberg's theory of moral development and Hamka's moral concept have been studied separately, so there is still limited study of the integration of the two in Islamic education. This study aims to analyze the relevance between Kohlberg's theory of moral development and Hamka's moral concept in order to formulate a holistic framework of moral education in the context of contemporary Islamic education. The research uses a qualitative method with a comparative-conceptual approach to library research. Primary sources include the works of Kohlberg and Hamka, while secondary sources are obtained from the Scopus, Google Scholar, and Garuda databases for the 2020–2026 period. Data is analyzed through thematic content analysis including concept extraction, thematic coding, comparative analysis, and conceptual synthesis. The results show that Kohlberg explains moral development as a cognitive process through three levels of reasoning, namely pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, with justice as a core principle. Meanwhile, Hamka conceptualizes morality as a manifestation of faith formed through the purification of the soul (tazkiyat al-nafs), the role of qalb, habituation (ta'wid), and example (uswah hasanah). These two perspectives are complementary: Kohlberg explains how moral reasoning develops, while Hamka explains how moral values are internalized into character through spiritual formation. The integration of the two results in a holistic Islamic moral education framework, covering cognitive, spiritual, affective, and behavioral dimensions, and involving educators, learners, curricula, methods, and institutions from an early age at home and school
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