Browsing by Author "Salonen, Tuomas"

The different dimensions of moral education reflect the ideals of the pedagogical thinking and the dominant ideology of a certain age. Religious studies and secular ethics have a special role in the moral education of schools. Especially secular ethics has been considered to be very closely related to the overall goals of the curriculum. Anthropological research has demonstrated that moral choices are made in reference to culturally determined moral frameworks. The purpose of this study is to investigate what kind of moral model the secular ethics textbooks transmit to pupils. The hypothesis is that, despite its commitment to an individualist and constructivist pedagogy, which in moral education translates into a promise of an individual moral philosophy for each student, the school can't avoid transmitting a certain moral model to its pupils. The research data came from the four textbooks of the Miina and Ville series, published by The Ministry of Education. The method of the study was content analysis. The textbooks of secular ethics present a very precise model about what they consider to be an ideal human being. According to the textbooks, the ideal human being is socially and interactionally competent, has a realistic self-image and aspires to be aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and works to develop himself in relation to his strengths and weaknesses through a process of constant self-reflection. He has internalized the scientific worldview and can form his own moral views, but at the same time he has also internalized different moral principles derived from humanistic ethics and human rights, and from Finnish cultural habits and rules. The textbooks present pupils with a clearly defined model of a good student, a cooperative team player and an active citizen of a democratic society. They are expected to follow the rules and expectations of authorities and institutions. They are being persuaded into this by representing it as their own advantage, but at the end they are not given a choice, because a well-functioning society requires conformity and, according to the textbooks, a democratic society has the right to demand obedience.