At school-age, Kohlberg's stage is typically which level?

• A. Preconventional
• B. Postconventional
• C. Universal ethical principles
• D. Conventional

Answer: (D)

Conventional level. At school-age, children’ moral reasoning typically centers on conforming to rules and meeting others’ expectations. They start to value doing what is “good” in the eyes of parents, teachers, and peers and to follow rules to maintain social order. This marks a shift from the self-focused, punishment- or reward-driven reasoning of the preconventional level to the more rule-guided thinking of the conventional level, where duties, norms, and the maintenance of relationships become central. They haven’t yet moved into evaluating abstract moral principles that apply across all situations, which characterizes the postconventional level.