Enhancing teacher moral judgment in difficult political times: Swimming upstream

Teachers at eight elementary schools in a large metropolitan school district participated in a multi-year program of professional ethical dilemma discussions that took place at monthly school meetings over a two-year or three-year period and focused on real-life situations faced by elementary school teachers. Discussions were structured using the Four Component Model of Moral Judgment. The DIT-2 served as a measure of moral judgment. Results proved to be counterintuitive; teacher moral judgment did not improve over time. We discuss the implications of promoting moral and democratic sensibilities at a time when American classrooms are tightly controlled and teachers held accountable for student performance on high stakes tests.

► Monthly professional ethical dilemma discussions in schools under NCLB pressures.
► Discussions informed by the Four-Component Model of moral judgment and a professional code of ethics.
► Such school nterventions may have minimal effect if the educational climate in schools works against the goals of the intervention.