A case study method was used with eight female elementary school teachers to investigate the relationships among their understandings of moral and educational issues and how they conduct their classrooms. Data were collected through individual interviews, videotapes, classroom observations, and teachers' written position papers. It was found that there were differences among teachers on: (1) their understandings of rules; (2) their perceptions of their role as teacher; (3) their expectations concerning the interactions of students in the classroom; and (4) the perspective they took while discussing educational issues. Four teachers stressed the importance of rules, valued an authoritarian role for the teacher, emphasized conformity on the part of students, and talked mainly from their own perspective as teachers. The other teachers stressed the importance of students' rights, valued a democratic role for the teacher, emphasized individual differences among students, and more often took the perspective of the students. (FG)