An investigation of the ethical decision‐making of preschool teachers: a cultural study of a sample in Turkey

Abstract

In this study, the ethical decision-making of preschool teachers (N = 26) in Samsun, on the northern coast of Turkey, was examined. For this analysis, six real-life dilemmas were prepared, chosen from the problems that most often arise in kindergartens in Turkey. These dilemmas addressed the commitment of the teacher to the child, to self, to the family, to the profession and to colleagues. Teachers were asked to give their decisions based on the conflicts in the dilemmas. The decisions, made by teachers who did not have a background in formal ethics education, were analysed using a content analysis method, and the frequency values were calculated for each of the decisions. Although there is not a total model or a scale to calculate the ability to make ethical decisions, the decisions in this study are discussed in the context of the ethical orientation model, which is the most used model today.