The moral base for teacher professionalism

Hugh Sockett aims to fill a gap in the body of literature concerning moral foundations in education. Dr Sockett posits that moral language must be used as the primary language of educators and that a major transformation across all educational institutions is needed to sustain the collegial autonomy crucial to educational improvement. His thesis is that moral quality in teacher professionalism is based in four principle areas: community, knowledge, accountability and ideals. Through an accessible writing style and an apt use of case studies, he links the professional role of the teacher, the men and women who occupy it, the moral demands it makes, and the practical arts of teaching, to the institution of education and its contemporary problems. Sockett's focus is on the teacher as a living and central figure in the classroom, and he addresses the traits of idealism and altruism as agents of professionalism. This book should be of particular interest to pre- and in-service teacher educators, as well as to curriculum specialists and philosphers of education. It can also serve as a supplemental text in ethics courses.