A selection of context-specific examples of moral instruction and practice in schools and teachers' interpretations of these examples

The purpose of this study was to explore what context-specific examples of Jackson, Boostrom, and Hanson's moral categories are seen in selected elementary and prekindergarten classrooms and how teachers, who work there, interpret these examples when asked to reflect on them.;An analysis of the findings indicated that teachers reflected on their moral instruction and practice in a variety of ways. These findings indicated that teachers reflected on their instruction in terms of meeting outside expectations of the district and community. Teachers also reflected on the moral influence of their instruction and practice in ways which explored their personal values and beliefs about their moral role with students. The findings indicated that teachers were able to interpret and analyze on moral influences which resulted from moral instruction. Teachers were less able to interpret those moral practices which embodied a moral outlook but were not directly taught. Teachers' reflections of moral practices, which explored teachers' style and manner when interacting with children, was easier to discuss in terms of the teachers' intentions. Teachers were less able to reflect on the ways their intentions to exert a moral influence on students matched their practice.;The findings also indicated that Jackson et al.'s taxonomy of moral influence was a useful tool in helping bring the moral influence of teachers' instruction and practice to the surface for scrutiny.;This study used Jackson, Boostrom, and Hansen's moral taxonomy in an a priori method to formulate the research questions of the study. The categorization scheme was also used to collect data in the form of observations and interviews. Using Jackson et al.'s taxonomy, the researcher collected and coded data of context specific examples of 12 teachers' moral instruction and practice. The data, coded according to Jackson et al.'s taxonomy, were used to conduct formal and informal interviews with all of the 12 teachers.