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Abstract
This study examines online, threaded case discussions with regard to the ways teacher candidates displayed a morally reflective stance toward teaching and how unique features of online discourse shaped this stance. Thirty-one small-group case discussions and seven whole-class synthesis discussions were analyzed along two dimensions: (1) candidate's ability to perceive the moral ambiguity and complexity of particular situations and (2) candidate's ability to engage in deliberations regarding moral action. Key features of the online discourse were identified. All features of a morally reflective stance were displayed in the online discussions; however, there were gradations of depth/breadth and a tendency to engage in deliberations over action, rather than the perception of moral dimensions. The authors identified several features of the online format that influenced moral reflection, which include increased access to the conversational floor, time to deliberate and be deliberative, the impact of the initial posting, and open-ended resolution.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Alan Tinkler, Karen Hammerness, Nick Cutforth, and Dan Liston for their sound advice regarding earlier versions of this manuscript.