The paper reviews literature on three orientations to teachers' reflective thinking (cognitive, critical, and narrative). The cognitive approach includes studies of teachers' information processing and decision making, emphasizing how teachers make decisions. The critical approach has its roots in problem framing and ethical and moral reasoning.…

Certain critical moral questions must be asked and answered before meaningful educational reform can take place in public schooling. This collection of 10 essays discusses the nature and commitments of teaching as a profession and the moral mission of education and its implications for the teaching profession. "Part One: On the Nature and…

Given the moral nature of public schools and the numerous moral dilemmas faced by school administrators, training in ethics should be included in administrator preparation curricula. After discussing the public school as a moral institution, this document explains normative ethics and outlines the differences between moral and nonmoral judgments.…

The methodology for validating assessment techniques in a performance-based liberal arts curriculum was studied at Alverno College. Two generic instruments for assessing the competencies of "communications" and "valuing" were employed. A generic instrument is defined as one that assesses a competence level across content areas…

Top officials at Enron abused their power and privileges, manipulated information, engaged in inconsistent treatment of internal and external constituencies, put their own interests above those of their employees and the public, and failed to exercise proper oversight or shoulder responsibility for ethical failings. Followers were all too quick to…

This study examines effects of traditional American values, held by students, their parents, and their friends on the success of students in school and their use of out-of-school time. Students' values in this study refer to the work ethic, importance attached to education, and strength of religiosity. Indicators of parents' values are concerns…

The dismissal of public school teachers in Oregon is governed by the Fair Dismissal Law. The statutory requirements of the law involve (1) a notice from the superintendent of intent to dismiss, (2) school board approval of dismissal, (3) the teacher's right to appeal to the Fair Dismissal Appeals Board (FDAB), and (4) the school board's and…

To evaluate the ethical role of researchers in developmental communication, this paper first reviews current thinking on development theories, suggesting that world recession, as well as skyrocketing national debts and internal conflicts in Third World nations underscore (1) the relationship between Third World development and global stability,…

This paper looks at some factors which may affect teachers as they attempt to informally invite moral development. Such invitational education, it is noted, stresses the importance of teacher behaviors which intentionally bid students to see themselves as valuable, able, and responsible persons who can behave accordingly. Using pilot study data…

Values and the process of valuing were studied among college students. A framework for conceptualizing college student values developed over a period of 2 years by a 10-member faculty and staff committee at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) involved the movement of students from recognition of values, through critical thinking, to…

The concept of excellence is explored in relation to various dimensions. Since the time of ancient Greece, there has been difficulty in defining "the Good," or the nature of human excellence. It is suggested that "the Good" of which excellence is an important part is a fundamental concept of the human personality, and that…

Fourteen activity units are presented to help elementary and junior high students learn about laws, rules, and respect for others. A pretest introduces the materials by asking students why society has rules and laws, which ones apply to children, and what reactions students have to the word "cop." The subsequent units involve the students in group…

An ethnographic sketch of a small, Midwestern, middle-class American community emphasizes the shared value system, the derived code of conduct and an analysis of the three levels of social interaction and their respective functions. Data were gathered over a two-year period of field work, including ten months of intensive observation of the town,…

The 640 member schools of the Association of American Colleges were surveyed in 1978 to determine interest in curriculum on business ethics. It was also attempted to determine how many schools provided their students with a general education program that included basic courses in the nature and operation of American business. The purpose was to…

Written from the perspective that specific myths profoundly influence educational outlooks and practices, this book points out that such views may outlive their usefulness. The publication explores the nature and origin of myths, particular myths embodied in American education, the creation and obsolescence of myths in a dynamic culture, and the…