Abstract: Questionaires were distributed to 297 pupils of 9—16 years, to investigate their moral motivation under hypothetical and real situations. The results indicates: 1) Primary school children of 3rd and 4th grades are aware of the social implications of their behavior, but their behavior is rarely motivated self-consciously. Middle school pupils can comprehend in a more systematic and generalized way of the moral significance of their behavior, the self-conscious character of their moral motivation is of a higher level. 2) Motivational struggle between moral and immoral behavior is a reflection of children's moral consciousness in actual life situations. 3) Moral motivations of primary school children are mainly determined by contradictions of environmental and inner factors, whereas motivations of middle school pupils are mainly determined by contradictions of environmental factors reflected in their consciousness.

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