“The power of open dialogue”: Using normative case studies to facilitate ethical dilemmas discussions among school teachers

Abstract

North American classroom teachers routinely face ethical challenges yet are seldom given opportunities to discuss this aspect of their practice with colleagues in professional development (PD). This paper analyzes data collected from 58 educators in a large American school district who participated in a PD that used a normative case study (NCS) to support discussions of ethical dilemmas in education. We find that while trusting relationships can mitigate uncomfortable discussions with colleagues, even one-time facilitated NCS PDs provide promising supports for perspective-sharing and internal reflection on ethical dilemmas in teaching.