Determining the normative ethics positions against problems faced by pre-school teachers in the context of different power bases

Qualitative research method was used in this research, which was conducted to examine the normative ethical positions of preschool teachers against the problems experienced in the education process in the context of different power bases. The participants of the research consist of 21 preschool teachers selected by convenient sampling method. In the research, five scenario situations that contain ethical dilemmas related to the power situations that teachers have were used. The data were obtained through face-to-face and video interviews. The interviews lasted an average of 30 minutes. After the interviews, 61 pages of data were obtained. Data were analyzed by grouping them according to each normative ethical position. The result of the research shows that although there is a normative ethical position that the participants are close to, there is not a single normative ethical position that they prefer in all power situations. It has been determined that although preschool teachers act with ethical concern in power situations that are open to ethical violations by nature, such as coercive power, they do not act with ethical concern in situations that seem more 'innocent' such as reward power. It is observed that teachers attribute the responsibility to the teaching profession rather than feeling individual responsibility in case of coercive power. It has been determined that the participants who are close to the teleological ethical position act according to the utilitarian understanding, and they criticize the other ethical positions for not putting children in the center. It was determined that the participants, who interpreted the events from the perspective of deontological ethics, mostly had a Kantian understanding of ethics, and they criticized other ethical positions because they found them unprofessional. It is seen that the participants who are close to the axiological ethical position shape their preferences by considering the well-being of the children and while doing this, they center their own characters. It has been determined that the participants in the axiological ethics position criticize the teleological and deontological ethical positions because they keep the teaching profession ahead of their personalities. Keywords: Ethics, teaching ethics, normative ethics, professional ethics, problematic behaviors.