ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors present and describe a typology of how ethics and morals appear in educational practice. The ‘ethical tendency typology’ distinguishes three different kinds of situations: personal moral reactions, norms for correct behaviour and ethical reflections. A moral reaction is a spontaneous, unpremeditated and non-intentional reaction to a personal experience of what one ought to do or not do in a specific situation. Norms for correct behaviour are social conventions regarding the correct way of acting in certain kinds of social activities. Ethical reflections, finally, are rational and systematic reflections about the reasons for moral actions. Each of the three situations is described and illuminated with empirical examples in terms of the diverse learning conditions they bring about. In the final section, the authors discuss the typology as a didactic tool for teachers to use when facilitating students’ learning and guiding their moral growth in relation to environmental and sustainability issues. Relating the typology to the pluralistic approach to ESE, the authors suggest principles for dealing with the ethical tendency in a democratically responsible way and how to promote students’ critical thinking and democratic action competence.
