Qualitative inquiry on principals' moral development and their building of morality and character in schools

This study focuses on the moral development of principals and their central role in school culture building based on connections between moral dimension and principal leadership in this study. The three purposes of this study are as follows: (1) Understanding principals' moral development; (2) understanding principals' strategies for building morality and character in schools; and (3) providing a reflection and suggestions regarding principals' moral development and the building of morality and character in schools. We held a semistructured interview with 19 elementary and high school principals in Taiwan and visited each of their campuses. Using hermeneutics as a methodological approach in qualitative research, we reached four aspects of findings: perspectives on morality and character education, moral dilemma and influential factors, moral belief and core ethical values, and strategies for building morality and character in schools from principals' self-reflections. This study offers implications and suggestions on morality and character education, and principal leadership through a discussion and critical thinking regarding the gaps between findings and literature reviews.