Teaching Moral Literacy through Critical Pedagogical Bricolage: A Co-constructed Auto-Ethnography of an Educational Leadership Program

In this collaborative auto-ethnographical inquiry, two developing scholar-practitioner educational leaders explore the notion of moral literacy through a lens of critical pedagogical bricolage. This study aims to reveal certain experiences of two doctoral candidates engaged in an educational doctorate, contemplating their identities as emergent leaders from diverse backgrounds. By approaching this inquiry from a qualitative and strictly post-positivist understanding of research, we aim to present critical components of our program and the literature presented in that program that led to our understanding of moral literacy's role in theoretical and pragmatic provinces of educational leadership. Our analysis is presented in three themes: transformation of the candidate through the teaching of moral literacy, consideration of the interplay between local identity and moral literacy, and the potential of bricolage (or critical pedagogical bricolage) as a catalyst for teaching moral literacy. Keywords: Auto-Ethnography, Bricolage, Critical Pedagogy, Educational Leadership, Moral Literacy, Scholar-Practitionership Educational leaders have to make several decisions each day directly or indirectly related to the student learning. To do so the moral literacy of an educational leader becomes something of consequence. Leaders must recognize ethical dilemmas from the countless routine concerns that they face throughout their often-fragmented schedules. Through deliberation or engaging their moral imagination they must draw critical conclusions based on experiential and observational data collected and analyzed from the bound but likely multicultural surroundings. Starratt (2005) suggests that school leaders should "ensure that the structures and procedures that support and channel the learning process reflect a concern for justice and fairness for all students, while providing room for creativity and imagination" (p. 127). Starratt (2005) employed key terms--structure, process, support, channel, justice, and fairness--that implicate high ethical demands on the leader's moral being. What knowledge, dispositions, and competencies ensure commitment to these key requirements for practice? Are current leaders aware of and prepared for the demands of these factors? Probably most importantly, how do leaders develop these skills and competencies? What sorts of activities are most conducive to the strengthening of moral literacy in preparation and in practice? The implied range of concepts and concerns requires an eclectic approach to leadership--a bricolage. Discussion on preparation and practice invites a consideration of a philosophical, critical, and pragmatic engagement of students and their faculty. Traditional pedagogical practices arguably lack the complexity to address the implicit and nuanced needs of the 21st century. To forward learning in an era of uncertainty we suggest a leadership preparation and practice rooted in moral literacy as a pedagogical bricolage (Praitis, 2006). Pedagogical bricolage represents a nonlinear multifaceted educational practice founded on critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 1988; Kincheloe, 2011; Kincheloe, McLaren, & Steinberg, 2011; Sleeter & McLaren, 1995). Tuana (2007) argued that moral literacy is a complex and multifaceted process. Tuana put forth three principal components of moral literacy: ethical sensitivity, ethical reasoning skills, and moral imagination. Providing a pedagogical framework for moral literacy teaching and learning in teacher/leader development programs, Leonard (2007) discussed three additional requisites for teacher and leader candidates: attitude formation, attitude adjustment, and attitude alignment. Leonard (2007) asked teacher and leader educator programs to engage candidates in authentic learning to make connections between theory, research, and practice through cultural dialogue and critical (self)reflection. Tuana (2007) affirmed that moral literacy engages through the pedagogical technique of using of narratives and stories (p. …