According to Kohlberg, a moral teacher is an independent moral agent capable of addressing moral dilemmas based on general principles of justice. In addition to moral reasoning, teachers require competencies in moral sensitivity, moral motivation, and the implementation of morality. In the current period of global transition, moral sensitivity in…

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' ethical sensitivity in Finland (N = 255) and Estonia (N = 412). The survey included the quantitative "Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire" and a qualitative open-ended question about successful teaching. In order to capture its essential characteristics, ethical sensitivity was…

This study examined Finnish elementary school teachers' (N = 212) attitudes toward the gifted and their education. On a general level, teachers' attitudes toward gifted education were slightly positive. Teachers saw that gifted students have social value and that they need special services. The results of teachers' attitudes toward specific gifted…

This article presents two independent studies of Finnish teachers' conceptions of giftedness and considers whether it is a malleable or fixed quality. The first qualitative study examined elementary school teachers' (N = 212) conceptions via inductive-oriented content analysis, whereas the second study measured teachers' (elementary n = 184,…

This qualitative case study examines teachers' implicit meaning systems built around their core beliefs on the malleability of human qualities. Previous research has demonstrated the influence of students' implicit theories on motivation and achievement and has presented successful interventions for students. However, research on teachers'…

This paper examines Finnish (n = 464) and Iranian (n = 556) teachers' views on their competence to teach purpose. "Purpose" is defined as a stable intention to accomplish something that is both meaningful to the self and of consequence beyond the self over time. The study revealed that all Iranian teachers evaluated their competence for…

In this study, we investigated the culture-invariant and culture-dependent nature of teachers' ethical sensitivity in two countries. Our case study involves teachers from Finland (n = 864) representing Western culture, and from Iran (n = 556) representing Eastern culture. Culturally bound elements of ethical sensitivity were studied with the…

The purpose of the study was to identify the components of holistic school pedagogy as identified by a sample of Finnish secondary school teachers and students from two schools. Holistic pedagogy concerns the development of the whole student and acknowledges the cognitive, social, moral, emotional and spiritual dimensions of education. The data…

In this paper, we investigate the content and structure of teachers' pedagogical values. We have used the process of value clarification with 24 teachers to encourage them to recognize and articulate their own values and beliefs related to their professional morality and to their school community. This paper examines both the normative and…

Assessed one Finnish secondary school teacher's moral reflection, examining the ethic of purpose, ethic of rules and principles, and ethic of probability, together with their philosophical perspectives. Data included a narrative of a moral dilemma the teacher experienced regarding smoking at school. Results uncovered the background beliefs guiding…

Discusses the importance of professional morality in teachers' everyday work. Explores moral dilemmas identified by teachers and their resolution strategies through quantitative and qualitative data-gathering methods. Investigates teachers' reasoning in solving moral dilemmas using field-invariant and field-dependent arguments. Shows that solution…

Investigated the epistemological standards underlying Finnish teachers' practical knowing, using data from interviews with elementary and secondary school teachers to determine common features underlying their thinking. Results indicated that teachers shared common features in their pedagogical thinking and teaching practice. Their professional…

This paper discusses teachers' moral mistakes, using data from 59 teacher interviews, 26 teacher written responses, and 98 ninth grade student written responses. Teachers and students described incidents in their schools that made them reflect on the moral nature of the situation. The most common moral dilemmas in schools related to teacher…

This study examined what moral issues meant to practicing teachers. Finnish secondary teachers described moral dilemmas they had experienced during their teaching careers and principles they used to solve them (particularly situations in which they had difficulty deciding how to act). The narrative of one female teacher concerned about smoking at…

This study explored the main characteristics of professional morality according to Finnish secondary school teachers. Participants were 33 teachers from an urban Finnish secondary school with a heterogeneous student population. Teachers were asked to identify the most common moral dilemmas they had experienced in the teaching profession and to…