Teaching ethics through literature

• Main Author: Sigurðardóttir, Þóra Björg
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands 2018
• Subjects: Laxdæla Saga; The Saga of the People of Laxárdalur; teaching literature to teenagers; moral education; moral vocabulary; moral virtues; teaching democracy; bókmenntakennsla á unglingastigi; siðferðilegt uppeldi; siðferðilegur orðaforði; siðferðilegar dygðir; lýðræði; Laxárdalur; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/index.php/netla/article/view/3094

The study reported on in this paper is part of a larger research project on moral education through literature. It focuses on how reading a great work of literature offers ample opportunities to discuss and reflect on the complexity of moral life and human association and how such reflection can simultaneously improve students’ understanding of concepts and ideas necessary for ethical reasoning, spark interest in literature and assist them in better understanding literary texts.The focus of this paper is on the insights and work experiences of five teachers of Icelandic literature in grade 9 and 10 in upper elementary school who teach a shortened version of Laxdæla Saga, with special emphasis on ethical concepts and ethical contemplations related to the Saga. The research aims to answer two main questions:From the teachers’ point of view, how well does teaching ethics go together with the teaching of a literary work, such as Laxdæla Saga?How do teachers view the purpose of teaching a work of literature such as Laxdæla Saga?These questions are answered by using qualitative research performed in three elementary schools in Iceland. The data collection involved 10 semi-structured interviews with five teachers and observational studies which took place in their classes.The research data was analysed and categorised, with meticulous coding to begin with and later theme-based coding. All the teachers who participated in the research were women who taught Icelandic studies in 9th and 10th grade. They were between 30 and 60 years of age, all educated in Icelandic studies but with different levels of teaching experience, from two to three years to over thirty years.In the semi-structured interviews, the teachers shared their experience of using supplementary materials and an approach to the saga that emphasised the use of ethical concepts and vocabulary. In general, the teachers move through four steps to connect the students to the saga which all have to do with the students enjoying the work. From what they say about ...