Teacher pedagogical competence and sensibility

In Western European countries, an erosion of teachers' pedagogical sensibilities is occurring. Teachers are no longer accustomed to talking about pedagogical aspects of their work: how to deal with students on relational, personal, and moral grounds. They have difficulties discussing pedagogical issues with parents due to the emotionally charged nature of the topic and due to the lack of a clear pedagogical vision. Our data reveal how many teachers are fearful of moral issues that can arise in their classes, and how they avoid situations wherein they must settle disputes, deal with inappropriate behavior, decide moral dilemmas, and judge what merits study. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.