This study reports belief survey data from 92 preservice teachers responding to questions about the moral work of teaching. Those data reveal that participants commonly express the belief that modeling is a primary means by which moral education occurs. The survey responses are analyzed to show a number of themes regarding the nature of preservice teachers’ beliefs about how modeling works. Recommen- dations for teacher education practice to prepare preservice teachers for the moral work of teaching, by addressing their beliefs about such work, are discussed, along with ongoing research needs to support effective and responsible teacher education practices.
Ask a group of preservice teachers how practitioners can affect the moral functioning and development of their students, or how moral education works just try it. We suggest that one of the most common responses you will hear is that teachers serve as moral models or examples. To claim preservice teachers commonly believe that moral education occurs via modeling should come as no surprise to teacher educators who have any experience with discussions of teachere student interactions. However, this common belief tends to go unreported in formal research studies, and has not been closely analyzed in terms of its empirical status, nor its implications for teacher education research and practice. This study provides that documentation and analysis, as part of a larger program of research into beliefs about, and the preparation of teachers for, the moral work of teaching (henceforth MWT).