The Technical, Moral, and Normative Bases of Teacher Professional Judgment: Israeli Homeroom Teachers’ Practical Reasoning (Poster 48)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 1:45 p.m.
  In Poster Session: The Technical, Moral, and Normative Bases of Teacher Professional Judgment: Israeli Homeroom Teachers’ Practical Reasoning

Abstract

Based on a thematic analysis of interviews, observations, and naturalistic documents from the work contexts of 61 teachers in 12 elementary and high schools, this study examined the technical and moral justifications in which Israeli homeroom teachers ground their practical reasoning. The findings surface three perspectives teachers assume to base their rationalizations- the student, teacher, and organization. In each, the analysis details the kinds of technical and moral justifications teachers ascribe to their judgments and how they articulate them, revealing a new emergent ‘normative justification.’ The findings underscore the tendency to separate value- and evidence-based considerations in teachers' decisions. They also highlight the need for support to enhance teachers' professional judgment by expanding their reasoning articulations.

Author

• Ayelet Becher, The Open University of Israel