ERIC Number: EJ1148402
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-3831
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Available Date: N/A
Moral Functioning: Navigating the Messy Landscape of Values in Finnish Preschools
Puroila, Anna-Maija; Haho, Annu
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, v61 n5 p540-554 2017
This article employs a narrative approach to explore educators' moral functioning in Finnish preschools. Our study is theoretically inspired by notions drawn from feminist and sociocultural studies, according to which education is understood as an entirely moral phenomenon. Within a holistic framework, moral functioning is understood as a concept that intertwines educators' moral thinking, their actions, the situation, and the cultural context. The study aims to answer the question: What kind of moral functioning emerges from educators' narratives in a Finnish preschool context? Research material was produced from four group interviews and interpreted through narrative analysis. Our findings reveal that four different moral layers evolved, overlapped, and intertwined in educators' narratives: what works in a preschool context; what provides good for people; what the rules say; and what is possible to achieve in an educator's position. We present these findings in detail and discuss their theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications.
Descriptors: Moral Values, Preschool Education, Preschool Teachers, Feminism, Sociocultural Patterns, Holistic Approach, Teaching Methods, Interviews, Teacher Attitudes, Personal Narratives, Foreign Countries, Action Research
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
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