1. The teacher’s integrity
Professor Kirsi Tirri
University of Helsinki
Finland

2. Ethical dilemmas in teaching
Teachers are not always aware of the moral impact of their actions (Jackson et al 1993)
Teachers are ill-prepared for dealing with ethical dilemmas they have identified in their work (Lyons 1990, Tirri 1999)
Ethical dilemmas are very content- and context specific (Tirri 1999)

3. Teachers’ professional morality
The teacher’s role has changed
views of teaching and learning
international co-operation
multiculturalism
increased autonomy
interaction skills

4. The values behind the teacher’s professional ethics
Human worth
Honesty
Justice
Freedom

5. Ethics in the school community
Vision
Power and hierarchy
Individuality and collaboration
Commitment

6. Virtue ethics Aristotle Emphasis on the personality
Ethical sensitivity
Moral exemplars
Commitment to personal growth

7. Principles of justice
Equality
Equity
Need

8. The data source Early education teachers Secondary school teachers
26 written responses
Secondary school teachers
59 interviews
44 questionnaires
Ninth-grade students
98 written responses
40 interviews
40 questionnaires

9. Early education data
Kindergarten and elementary school teachers (N=26)
Essays on real-life moral dilemmas in their work
The data was analyzed by qualitative content analysis (Strauss & Corbin 1990)
The themes and the relationships involved in the conflicts
Successful and unsuccessful decisions to these conflicts

10. Conflicts between a teacher and parents (N=10)
Do the actions of the parents serve the best interest of a child?
The most suitable educational arrangement for the child
Evident problems at home
Teachers took the perspective of a child
Evaluation of the situation and suggestions for the parents
Parents’ responsibility was to make the choice for the child

11. Conflicts between a teacher and a colleague (N=8)
A colleague had behaved in a cruel way towards a child
hurtful use of language
purposeful actions to humiliate the child
Questions of power and hierarchy
Conflicts involving colleagues are the most difficult ones to solve (Campbell 1996, Colnerud 1997, Tirri 1999)
Norms of collegial loyalty keep teachers from defending the pupils

12. Conflicts between a teacher and the whole community (N=8)
Educational philosophy of the community
The ethos of the community
A lack of discourse about the means and the ends of education
Open discussion is needed to establish guidelines for organizational morality

13. Ethic of care
Moral stance of care in teachers’ professional ethics (Gilligan 1982, Noddings 1984)
Fundamental needs of children (Clark 1995)
to be loved, to be led, to be vulnerable, to make sense, to please others, to have hope, to know truth, to be known, to be safe, to make one’s mark

14. The values and virtues of teachers
Bravery
teachers’ courage to confront parents or colleagues in the troubled circumstances
Truthfulness
teachers’ own ideals and ethics
seek the truth in the difficult conflicts
straightforwardness in identifying the vices
Justice
equality and fairness in the application of rules and norms

15. Schools Havukoski (urban secondary school)
circa 400 students (15% foreigners)
33 teachers
teachers active and willing to develop their school
Maikkula (rural secondary school)
same size school as Havukoski
students more homogeneous than in Havukoski
co-operative and active teachers

16. Matters related to teachers’ work
Grading
Punishing
Confidentiality
Sensitive issues
Colleague
Teaching criticism
Impolite language
Neglecting students
Biased attitude

17. The morality of students’ behavior
Harassment
Negative attitude towards learning
Cheating
Impolite speech and behavior

18. The rights of minority groups
Religious beliefs
Ethnic identity
Trustworthiness of minority students
Students’ racial attitudes

19. Common rules in school
Forbidden things
smoking
playing cards

20. Problem-solving strategies
Avoiding
Delegating
Single-handed decision
Discourse I (incomplete discourse)
Discourse II (complete discourse)

21. Teachers: Harassment

22. Students: Harassment

23. Teachers: Fighting

24. Students: Fighting

25. Roundtable discussion in schools