The things we carry: the hermeneutics of moral education and teaching high school English

In an ever-changing world, we look to schools to educate young people to become responsive, sensitive, and in possession of a critical consciousness. While the study of literature can assist in developing these qualities, the work of teaching literature to adolescents is challenging to define or master. This hermeneutic narrative inquiry explores issues arising in the work of three secondary school teachers, including the author, who seek to use literature to mediate their students’ moral development. Drawing on Vygotskian theories of mediation and concept development and Jardine’s educational hermeneutics, alongside a variety of literary works, it illuminates the tensions and dilemmas involved in choosing texts, guiding discussions, and engaging students in imaginative narrative writing.