Professional moral development in student teaching: Constructing an ethos.

Abstract

Two case studies of the professional moral development of early childhood majors during the first eight weeks of their student teaching were reported. The case studies involved classroom and context observations, interviews (informal and semi-structured), videotapes of teaching, and the student teachers' reflective journals. In the first case, Amanda was primarily concerned with the construction of a teaching role during her first few weeks in the setting. Construction of a respected teacher role made it possible for her to expand her range of choice in teaching decisions, increasing her moral responsibility. During the entire study, Amanda demonstrated a preference for preserving relationships, sometimes holding truthfulness in abeyance to do so. She consistently explained her actions pragmatically and preserved relationships whether or not she felt empathy. Amanda was surprised by the situated nature of the problems she encountered, describing them as "messy and personal and everything all at once." In the second case, Julie's understanding of her responsibility to "put the child first" was challenged by the need to respect the values of families, the difficulty of setting appropriate expectations for children, and the necessity of curricular standards. However, the basic values of her moral understanding were strengthened by her ability to build trust in her relationships with children and sustain an open discourse during a collaborative project. Both student teachers had to grapple with unexpected uncertainty in their practice. Theoretical and practical implications were drawn from the cases. Questions were raised about the situated nature of professional moral development and how it varies across individuals and contexts.