Moral education in practice: The unique manifestation of teachers' personal and professional beliefs

Research on character education and moral education has taken the form of evaluating ideological theories and specific programs; yet little research has recognized the full context of students' moral development as it happens in practice. Given that teachers are such a dominant force in students' classroom contexts, research on the way in which teachers' personal beliefs influence the moral education that takes place in their classrooms is essential to a full understanding of this topic. Teachers make morally infused decisions on a daily basis and these decisions affect the moral tone and tenor of their classroom environments; however, this significant component of moral education has been neglected by the research regarding character education and moral education as they are understood in practice. This dissertation concentrates on this gap in the literature by proposing a another way to frame the study of moral education; this category could be termed "moral education in practice." A more nuanced appreciation of the subject is revealed through the study of this type of moral development as it occurs authentically.;This study is an exploration of the way in which two teachers manage, teach, and think about their classes within the moral realm. The focus of this research is not the effect of a particular program upon students or the way in which students morally develop through interacting with their teachers; instead, this study addresses the way in which two teachers considered the moral element of their practices, engaged in discussions with one another regarding these subjects, and, ultimately the way that issues of moral education became visible within their classrooms.;In order to concentrate on moral education as it pertained to the practices of teachers, two teachers were engaged in the research process with the researcher as a guide. Qualitative data were collected during the 2009--2010 school year at a suburban public elementary school where both teachers had been teaching for several years. The data collection process consisted of semi-structured interviews with two participating teachers, small group meetings held on a bi-monthly basis, weekly individual classroom observations, additional interviews with the school's principal and two supplementary teachers, and teachers' personal journals. Through the systematic investigation of the moral element of teachers' practices as they progressed in their routine year-long contexts, this study sought a greater understanding of teachers' conceptualizations of the moral aspect of their teaching.