Abstract

Existing literature indicates that the moral complexities of teachers’ daily routine have not been searched enough. Robust knowledge on the way teachers apply ethics in their classrooms and schools is also limited. The purpose of this paper is to challenge teachers’ honesty and ethical judgment, as it explores teachers’ lying as a response to critical incidents in schools. Mixed methodology has been used to analyze data from 524 Primary and Secondary teachers. The results indicate that only half of the participants choose to use little conventional lies [“white” lies] in critical situations. They choose to do so for “good reasons”, to protect their students or to cover for colleagues. The study contributes to existing research on ethical knowledge and sensitivity and the moral dimensions of teaching and stresses the practical need for continuous training on ethical sensitivity and the attainment of ethical knowledge when coping with critical incidents and arising dilemmas.