Students, Teachers, and Conflict's Moral Fabric: Ethical Inquiry in Practice

Abstract

Teacher/student conflict is a daily reality in educational settings, but there is little consensus regarding how students and teachers should engage ethically after moral wrongdoing. This dissertation sensitizes readers to the problem space of teacher/student conflict, and the possibilities of ethical analysis, in a normative context that asks “what ought one do?”. Through a series of case studies, this dissertation identifies how interpersonal conflict between students and teachers holds significant (and often overlooked) moral dimensions. Three cases leverage insights from various scholars (including moral theorists like Hannah Arendt and Alice MacLachlan, and queer theorists like Eve Kosovsky Sedgwick and Sarah Schulman) to observe facets of each case. The case analyses illuminate the moral texture of student/teacher relationships and various postures, commitments, and avenues actors can pursue post-conflict. Instead of presenting a unified, linear path toward universal reconciliation, this dissertation proposes component elements—including but not limited to acknowledgement of wrongdoing, shared moral understandings, durational commitment, and context-responsive ways forward—as fruitful ethical pathways for teachers and students to cultivate better learning ecosystems.