From Moral Indoctrination to Moral Experience: An Experiential Model for Promoting Middle School Children’s Moral Education in China’s Museums

Middle school children’s moral education in China has been criticised for a conventional approach which is characterised as inculcating or indoctrinating learners with certain desirable and prespecified values. This thesis explores potential approaches for developing and enhancing middle school children’s moral education in China’s museums through the lens of experiential learning theories: inspiring children through story-based experiences (through process drama), engaging children in exemplar-based experiences (through thematic exhibitions), and involving children in project-based experiences (through study travel). It analyses the strengths and limitations of these approaches and constructs an experiential model (‘H-O-PES’) for promoting middle school children’s moral education in China’s museums. It argues that this model offers potentially productive approaches, adapting the traditional approach of moral indoctrination, providing more opportunities for children’s practical experiences, and ultimately having a positive effect on children’s moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action. Moreover, these approaches are significant in that they encourage middle school children to be more concerned with their moral reflection, which is essential for children’s moral development. Although challenges and difficulties exist in all of the approaches under consideration in this thesis, they nonetheless offer an alternative and comprehensive approach to children’s moral education, in contrast with traditional moral indoctrination. As such, they have the potential to become exemplary methods for promoting children’s moral education in a wider context.