Contemporary Moral Problems in School-Family Partnerships in Special Education (Poster 26)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Two
  In Poster Session: Theories and Practices in Moral Development and Education

Abstract

In this paper, I drew on Dewey’s theories of morality in analyzing moral problems in special education professional partnerships with diverse families. Using his classification of problem as a theoretical framework, I proposed three moral problems, each of which concerns the moral validity of professionals’ actions involved in being good-willed, symbolic compliance with the written law, and rationalizing customary morality in decision-making, with teleological, deontological, and virtue theories respectively. I hypothesized that these problems could arise in situations where professionals make judgments that require evaluating competing moral reasons and the subsequent outcomes of their action. Then, I speculated on potential motives, mechanisms, or functions of moral problems in school-family partnerships and discussed how to promote reflective morality in the partnerships.

Author

• Sumin Lim, University of Texas - El Paso
  Presenting Author