The Moral Lives of Teacher Educators Bill Johnston Indiana University

Overview The Moral Dimension of Education: Teaching as Moral Action The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education: Moral Decision-Making and Moral Dilemmas in the Work of Language Teacher Educators A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education: Moral Dilemmas, Situated Practice, and Self- Study

The Moral Dimension of Teaching What does “moral” mean? Morality is that set of a person’s beliefs which are evaluative in nature, that is, which concern matters of what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. (Johnston, 2003, p. 6)

The Moral Dimension of Teaching Why is teaching moral action? All teaching involves relation, and any relation between human beings is moral All teaching aims to change people; the assumption is always that such change will be for the better No amount of research can tell us exactly how to teach; therefore, our decisions have to be based to a large extent on “professional faith”

The Moral Dimension of Teaching Conceptualizing the moral dimension of education/1 The uniqueness of human encounters (A “morality of contexts”) Relation as ontological The caring relation: The one-caring and the cared-for Caring for the many (Johnston & Buzzelli, 2007; Held, 1993; Noddings, 1984)

The Moral Dimension of Teaching Conceptualizing the moral dimension of education/2 Categories of moral influence: Overt Indirect  Classroom rules and regulations  Curricular substructure  Expressive morality (Jackson, Boostrom, & Hansen, 1993)

The Moral Dimension of Teaching Conceptualizing the moral dimension of education/3 Moral dilemmas as the central feature of the moral landscape of classrooms Culture as a complicating source of values in language education The moral complexities of teaching adults (Johnston, 2003)

The Moral Dimension of Teaching Influences on moral decision-making Personal relations (with students, colleagues, families etc) Personal values Religious and spiritual values Group values (professional, cultural, etc.) Institutional loyalties etc.

The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education Perspectives and principles Teacher education as moral action The particular moral landscape of language teacher education The uniqueness of human encounters Moral dilemmas and moral decision-making

The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education Three examples: Johnson, 2003 Johnston & Buzzelli, 2008 Brown & LeVelle, 2007

The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education Example One: Johnson, 2003 “this inquiry has forced me to question my own values and assumptions, not to look for answers so much as to rethink what I thought I already knew” (p. 790)

The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education Example Two: Johnston & Buzzelli, 2007 Shue: While I question the teaching of this teacher [the practicum instructor], I wonder what rights we have as students when we feel that we have been treated wrongly. I consulted the professor of this course about this issue and the first question he asked me was “What benefits could I get in resolving this problem?” Of course there are no benefits for me, but is it not the point of morality being selfless so that we benefit others? I am not satisfied with the professor’s advice that students have the “right” to keep their silence. I believe that it is also the right of the students to give feedback to the teacher about our understanding in taking part in the teacher’s assessment of students’ needs. In short I feel that there is a contradictory [sic] between the professor’s beliefs and his advice to students.

The Moral Landscape of Language Teacher Education Example Three: Brown & LeVelle, 2007 We entered the classroom envisioning students as willing, eager participants who would work at co-constructing the class with us. These students would be flexible, contributing their own ideas, searching out ways to BECOME a teacher instead of a formula for being one. [...] We expected that this search for becoming would be inspiring and challenging. Instead, we were challenged. As one student wrote: I must admit that the class often feels repetitive and busy, yet contentless. When I'm feeling particularly cynical and frustrated, it seems as if I'm being force-fed nothing more significant than some trendy faux-radicalism for white academics... (p. 210)

A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education Self-Study of Teacher Education: A brief history A focus on “small stories” (Watson, 2007) and critical incidents (Tripp, 1994)

A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education Five arguments for self-study in teacher education (Dinkelman, 2003): The congruence of reflection with the activity of teaching The potential of self-study for knowledge production The opportunity to model reflective practice The value for students of participating in self-study Possibilities for programmatic change

A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education Self-study produces inquiry that is: focused on situated practice narrative-based reflective theorized (more than just “this is what I did”)

A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education Self-study and the moral dimensions of language teacher education: a move towards descriptions and analyses of situated practice a move away from problem-solution writing towards:  A literature of exploration  A literature of problematizing  A literature of dilemma

A New Approach to Research in Language Teacher Education What self-study might look like: In mainstream education:  Hamilton 1998  Loughran & Russell 2002 In language teacher education:  Johnson & Golombek 2002  Morgan (e.g. 1997, 2004)

Conclusions The double duty of teacher educators or The Golden Rule of Teacher Education: Do unto your students as you would have them do unto their students

Thank you! Bill Johnston Department of Second Language Studies Indiana University