Moral Education for Pluralism in Alberta K-12 Policies

Leinweber, Kurtis

Moral Education for Pluralism in Alberta K-12 Policies

dc.contributor.advisor	Winchester, Ian
dc.contributor.author	Leinweber, Kurtis
dc.contributor.committeemember	Gereluk, Dianne
dc.contributor.committeemember	Spencer, Brenda
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bharwani, Aleem
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bosetti, Lynn
dc.date	2025-06
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-06T21:01:34Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-06T21:01:34Z
dc.date.issued	2024-12-19
dc.description.abstract	This study investigated kindergarten through grade 12 moral education policy in Alberta for the period 2013-2024 with a twofold purpose. The first was to understand what comprised moral education in Alberta through the identification of explicit and implicit moral elements contained within recent and current policies. The second was to examine how moral education in Alberta, as reflected in its policy texts, reflected the pluralistic nature of Alberta society using a perspective grounded in the value pluralism of Isaiah Berlin. Through an interpretive process of conventional qualitative document content analysis, Alberta policy documents, including statutes, regulations, policies, curriculum guides, curriculum, and legislative Hansard, were examined for elements related to moral education. Three primary themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) the individual is viewed as a moral agent who focuses on their own success, others’ well-being and success, and making ethical decisions; (b) the good society is viewed as democratic and civil, embracing pluralism and diversity with some shared values; and (c) the school is a nexus of common and uncommon values in which systems, processes, and structures support common values and guide responses to the convergence of uncommon values present in society. Further, analyzing the identified themes and subthemes using a lens of Isaiah Berlin’s value pluralism showed that Alberta policies failed to substantively address the incommensurability and incompatibility of values. This study identified the need for a robust pluralist moral education that includes: pluralism as a core principal, toleration as an educational aim, engagement with agonistic conflicts, fostering of moral independence, critical dialogue and negotiation, and a focus on striving for a minimal threshold of negative liberty to enable the pursuit of universal values essential for human experience to better prepare them to coexist amongst deep and intractable differences about beliefs, commitments, and ways of life.
dc.identifier.citation	Leinweber, K. (2024). Moral education for pluralism in Alberta K-12 policies (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/120286
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Pluralism
dc.subject	Moral Education
dc.subject	Education Policy
dc.subject	Isaiah Berlin
dc.subject.classification	Education--Philosophy of
dc.subject.classification	Education--Curriculum and Instruction
dc.title	Moral Education for Pluralism in Alberta K-12 Policies
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Research
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.