Knowledge Versus Action Conflict: A Dilemma Impinging upon Platos Theory of Morality that Justifies Intensive Moral Education for Teachers in Kenya

This paper examines knowledge versus action conflict as a moral dilemma in education which impinges on Platos theory of morality that justifies intensive moral education for teachers in Kenya. Teachers are expected to adhere to a Code of Conduct and Ethics but philosophical analysis of the teachers behaviour reveals that they engage in acts of conduct that violate moral principles and hence there is no correlation between possession of knowledge of virtue and resultant action which is contrary to what Plato espouses. In Platos contention, once an individual is knowledgeable, virtue is axiomatic. The result shows that education must be intertwined with body and mind, focusing on imagination, nexus and praxis so as to make teacher trainees, and henceforth, act in conformity to their knowledge as propounded by Plato. When there is no direct correlation between possession of knowledge of virtue and actualization of moral actions, teacher education may be described as superficial in the sense that it does not stimulate the mind to reason and internalise moral values. The study, therefore, proposes inclusion of intensive moral education course in teacher education programmes in Kenya. Further research is needed on the relationship between body and mind in inculcating moral values.