Moral Alertness of University Students

Abstract

The current research aims to identify moral alertness among university students, what are the most common values, according to the opinion of university students?, the statistical differences in moral alertness of university students regarding gender, specialization (scientific, humanities), and the academic stage (first, second, third, fourth). The research sample consisted of 600 male and female university students of the morning studying who were chosen randomly for the academic year (2023-2024). To achieve the research objectives, a scale of moral alertness According to the theory (Rest, 1986), developed by the researcher, consisted of eight stories that represent eight moral values and 38 items distributed into eight values. The researcher presented these items to the committee of experts and arbitrators to demonstrate face validity, and after this procedure deleted (3) items to become the number of items on the scale of moral alertness (8 stories) and (35) items in their final form with five alternatives (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree). The results revealed that university students have moral alertness. There are no statistically significant differences in moral alertness among university students according to the variables of gender, specialization (scientific, humanities), and academic stage (first, second, third, fourth). The researcher came up with a set of recommendations and suggestions: The possibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research benefiting from the results of current research to work on enhancing moral alertness among university students. Guidance units in university colleges should expand the establishment of scientific activities and seminars that establish the concept of moral alertness among university students and train them to use appropriate methods and strategies to confront the emotional situations they face and how to manage them. Including topics that contribute to raising the level of moral values and moral alertness in the academic curricula since they are the basic nucleus of building society. Conducting a comparative study between moral vigilance and emotional management among other samples (high school students, graduate students, and teachers) and comparing it to the results of the current study. Conducting studies dealing with moral alertness concerning other psychological variables, such as emotional pressures and psychological toughness. Conducting studies dealing with emotional management and its relationship to other psychological variables, such as convergent, divergent, and metacognitive thinking styles. Developing a guidance program to develop moral alertness among university students. Developing a psychological counseling program to increase the ability to manage emotions in stressful emotional situations