Teachers' Perceptions of Moral Dilemmas at School

This article discusses the importance of professional morality in teachers' everyday work at school. Different aspects of morality are explored in the framework of the ethos model identified by Fritz Oser. The empirical findings of the moral dilemmas identified by teachers and their solving strategies are explored using both qualitative and quantitative data-gathering methods. Special interest is shown in the principles in teachers' arguments justifying their actions. Teachers' reasoning in solving moral dilemmas is investigated with the help of field-invariant and field-dependent arguments. The best interest of a child is found to be the field-invariant argument behind teachers' thinking in all the categories of moral dilemmas. In general, teachers prefer single-handed decision-making in solving professional dilemmas. The solving strategies are shown be very case specific. In the cases of harassment, teaching criticism and gender issues the teachers are shown to adopt discursive strategies more than in the other situations presented.