Skip to main content

Ethical Sensitivity in Teaching and Teacher Education

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Teacher Education

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to clarify the concept of ethical sensitivity in teaching and show its importance in teachers’ professional ethics and teacher education. The professional status of teachers differs from country to country. In Finland, for example, teachers are considered ethical professionals who can be trusted and who share similar basic values about their work. These values are established in the ethical codes for teachers, which were first published in Finland in 1998. The values are dignity, truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, and freedom. In 2017 the Teachers’ Union in Finland continued to strengthen the professional status of its members and established the Comenius’ Oath for teachers. The purpose of this oath was to support teachers and provide a concrete reminder of the ethical foundation of their profession. The freedom given to teachers challenges them constantly to develop their ethical skills with regard to their students, colleagues,...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bebeau, M., Rest, J., & Narvaez, D. (1999). Beyond the promise: A perspective on research in moral education. Educational Researcher, 28(4), 18–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gholami, K., Kuusisto, E., & Tirri, K. (2015). Is ethical sensitivity in teaching culturally bound? Comparing Finnish and Iranian teachers’ ethical sensitivity. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 45(6), 886–907. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2014.984588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanhimäki, E., & Tirri, K. (2009). Education for ethically sensitive teaching in critical incidents at school. Journal of Education for Teaching, 35(2), 107–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narvaez, D., & Endicott, L. (2009). Ethical sensitivity, nurturing character in the classroom, Ethex series book 1. Notre Dame: Alliance for Catholic Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rissanen, I., Kuusisto, E., & Tirri, K. (2015). Finnish teachers’ attitudes to Muslim students and Muslim student integration. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 54(2), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schutte, I., Wolfensberger, M., & Tirri, K. (2014). The relationship between ethical sensitivity, high ability and gender in higher education students. Gifted and Talented International, 29(1–2), 39–48, https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2014.11678428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tirri, K. (1999). Teachers’ perceptions of moral dilemmas at school. Journal of Moral Education, 28(1), 31–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tirri, K., & Husu, J. (2002). Care and responsibility in “the best interest of the child”: Relational voices of ethical dilemmas in teaching. Teachers and Teaching, 8(1), 65–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tirri, K., & Nokelainen, P. (2011). Measuring multiple intelligences and moral sensitivities in education. Rotter-dam: Sense Publishers.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirsi Tirri .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Tirri, . (2019). Ethical Sensitivity in Teaching and Teacher Education. In: Peters, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Teacher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_183-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_183-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-1179-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-1179-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

Publish with us

Policies and ethics