The Moral and the Political in Teaching

• In Event: The Future of Research on Moral Education: Desires and Possibilities for How Moral Education Can Contribute to a Culture of Social Justice

Abstract

People can have different ideas about what are good moral values and what is good citizenship. These differences are an expression of other world views; other ideas about what is a good life and what are best ways to regulate society and involve people. These different ideas relate to different pedagogical aims, teaching methodologies, and student learning activities.
In several research projects (with both quantitative and qualitative instruments) we investigated what teachers find important educational goals and what type of citizenship they aim at. To construct instruments we used different theoretical perspectives (in particular Lickona, Kohlberg, CDP, Noddings, Freire). We found differences between an adapted type, an individualised type, and a critical-democratic type of citizenship. It shows that educators can make choices and can contribute in different ways to the identity development of persons. It demonstrates the link between moral values and the political. The analyses (and in particular classroom observations) also show that there is a large gap between ideas and practices. The idea is often quite social and critical-democratic, the practice however adapted and individualised (in particular by assessment and selection). The influence of the hidden curriculum is strong.
In second group of studies we explore the concept of global citizenship. We distinguish, based on the literature, between an open, a moral and a social-political kind of global citizenship. The moral (Nussbaum) ask for a focus on openness, appreciation of differences, and human possibilities. The social-political (Freire, Mouffe) includes the social and political power relations in which these moral values operate. Also in the case of global citizenship different orientations and practices are possible. Interviews and observations showed that many teachers avoid the political, because they think they should be neutral. In fact they exclude in this way the socio-political orientation. In one recent study we compare the global citizenship orientation of Dutch student-teachers (in the domain of moral and citizenship education) with Indonesian students, the Indonesian students are more than the Dutch students oriented to a social-political orientation of equality, social justice and empowerment.
Coming back to Dutch teachers, and probably most Western teachers. Should they also take a more political stance? In several research projects we find that they prefer to be neutral or stick to more general moral values. We think teachers should show different perspectives. The critical-democratic and social political should be one of it. Teachers should use more a multi-perspective approach of teaching. Regarding learning processes this implies reflective learning, dialogical learning and democratic learning.
This year we studied the policy and practice of teaching democracy and tolerance in all 28 Member States of the European Union. There is not only a gap between policy and practice, there is also a gap within policy: between aims and concrete measures. Teachers feel not supported in working on these values.
In the next future we should inquire on the level of theory, policy and classrooms how the moral and the political can be integrated. Different research and teaching methods should be used.

Author

• Wiel M. Veugelers, University of Humanistic Studies Utrecht