Developing ethical reflection on behaviour in the classroom

Janet Orchard, University of Bristol Ruth Heilbronn, IOE, University of

London

Philosophy and ITE?• Capacity for critical reflection- contributes to development

professional judgement which distinguishes the best teachers from others (e.g. Winch et. al 2013, Heilbronn, 2008).

• Reflected upon experience • Standards - Part Two requires teachers, for example, to be able to

‘respect the rights of others ...not undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty’.

• Weighty ideals, complex and deeply contested • Lack of time and formal opportunity for sustained reflection on

them, or other ethical aspects (Maxwell et al., 2014). • Teachers and teacher-educators appreciate space for discussion

and debate what these actually mean in the classroom (Shortt et al 2014),

Critical reflection? Judgement?See S7

‘…maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority and act decisively when necessary’ (DfE, 2011, 7). requires technical competence and capacity for ethical deliberation.Context specific - judge in the moment what to do in respect of multiple student needs and demands.

Literature – ethical deliberation

• The need - (e.g. Carr 2000, Hansen 1995 and 2001, Carr 2006, Papastephanou, M. 2006; Campbell 2003 and 2008).

• In other professions (Davis 1999, Russell 2006).

• From our earlier work with teacher educators (Shortt et al. 2014) we identified as useful the ‘community of enquiry’ (Lipman 2003, Dewey 1902)

Developing ethical reasoning

• Teaching fundamentally normative- classroom a moral domain

• Model for developing ethical reasoning• For teachers to draw on – coping with

unavoidable dilemmas and tensions in working life (Campbell 2003, pp.138-9)

• In a community of enquiry P4T (P4C)

Project aimed to:

• Create space and time for critical reflection – 24 hour residential.

• Support STs managing ethically complex situations – particularly coping with challenging behaviour (Their capacity to sustain motivation and confidence in sense of ‘moral purpose’)

• Offer teacher educators professional development in a form of dialogic teaching

Places for STs and 1 TE from HEI – equal participants

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The Programme

6 sessions over 24 hours with meals and breaksBuilds – has a dynamic (community of enquiry - trust)Key role of facilitatorStarting from own shared experience of ethical dilemmas in classrooms/workplaceExploring and sharing with others - clarifying meanings; making connections Gradually building on previous sessionsComing to Identify key values that underpin the experiences – and the ‘big concepts’.

‘Philosophy for Teachers’ (P4T)

Identify and ‘stretch’ concepts e.g. fairness, respect, trust, equity,

Model democratic values - equal respect to all participants; about their rights and therefore their responsibilities

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Significantly over the forum …Specific moments of experienced difficulties and challenges were reflected on in their ethical dimension

Valuable, given an often reductive and technicist ITT discourse and opportunities for reflection

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Evaluating…• Last session, active, pairs,

groups.• Time, space and quality of

experience valued by participants

• Discussions revealed depth of thinking about complex classroom matters

• Student teachers and tutors enthusiastic about dialogical pedagogical practice and wanting to develop this further

• Projects – finding ‘leaky spaces’

And …specific takeaway….• Role of the facilitator in dialogical enquiry.

• Questions for facilitating dialogue

• Links to websites for stimulating dialogue

• A chapter with follow-up activities on values education and ethical deliberation

• Links to articles and further reading

http://blogs.heacademy.ac.uk/social-sciences/2013/07/22/developing-the-ethical-dimensions-of-teacher-education/

(N.B. some links in follow up to previously funded HEA PESGB seminar on Developing the Ethical Dimensions of Teacher Education, at the IoE July 2013).

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