Moral Education and Social Justice: Connections Between Social Domain Theory and Freirean Pedagogy

Resumen

OLIVA, Diana Villac; DELL'AGLI, Betânia Alves Veiga  y  CAETANO, Luciana Maria. Moral Education and Social Justice: Connections Between Social Domain Theory and Freirean Pedagogy. Rev. Diálogo Educ. [online]. 2025, vol.25, n.86, pp.1357-1373.  Epub 24-Oct-2025. ISSN 1981-416X.  https://doi.org/10.7213/1981-416x.25.086.ao01.

This theoretical article discusses the importance of moral education as a tool for confronting social injustices, articulating the social domain theory (SDT) and Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy. First, the foundations of SDT are presented, emphasizing the organization of social knowledge into distinct domains - moral, conventional, and personal - and advocating for the active development of moral reasoning through social interactions and critical thinking. Subsequently, the convergence between SDT and Freirean pedagogy is examined, highlighting the centrality of praxis, problem-posing dialogue, and the awakening of critical consciousness in the formation of ethical subjects committed to social transformation. Transformative social and emotional learning (SEL) is also discussed as a complementary strategy to moral education for social justice, stressing the importance of creating inclusive, cooperative, and justice-oriented school environments. Based on the dialogue between these perspectives, practical suggestions are offered for schools and teachers seeking to foster the critical moral development of students. It is concluded that the integration of SDT and Freirean pedagogy strengthens emancipatory educational practices, capable of enhancing students’ moral agency and social responsibility, thus contributing to the construction of more just, democratic, and dialogical societies.

Palabras clave : Moral education; Social domain theory; Paulo Freire; Social justice; Ethical development.

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