ETHICS AND TEACHING PROFESSION

Teachers work cover many things and ethics is one of them. Burger 1999 discussed in his
speech that education has three goals: 1. Get Value, 2. Get Knowledge and 3. Acquire Skills
and it is the duty of a teacher to work on the values and morals of our children. Students
can learn about values by the day to day living examples of teachers-both in campus and
private lives. John (2004) classified two relevant aspects of teaching: 1. Ethics in
teaching and 2. Deal with academic commitment. A teacher should know about ethics and
the ethics in teaching:
1.Code of ethics and ethical norms
2.Understanding teacher - student relationship
3.Tension in teacher-student relationship
4.Pedagogical issues
One valuable source of information about ethical teaching is an issue of New
Directions for Teaching and Learning. The editor produced a special edition of the
journal, titled Ethical Dimensions of College and University Teaching: Understanding and
Honoring the Special Relationship Between Teachers and Students, in which several
authors provided theoretical and practical guidelines for honing ethical college teaching
skills. Some of the authors' recommendations are listed below.
Four Norms to Govern Teaching
Honesty
Promise-Keeping: Promise-keeping requires the instructor to fulfill the "promises" made
at the beginning of the semester. Syllabi, assignments, grading principles, and class
and office hour schedules involve promises made to students.
Respect for Persons: Teachers ought to encourage mutual respect among students.
Additionally, instructors ought to show respect and common courtesy for students both
during interpersonal interactions and in responding promptly to students' need for
guidance and feedback.
Fairness: Recognizing the inherent subjectivity involved in grading, instructors ought to
ensure that their grading practices are as objective as possible by creating and adhering to
unambiguous criteria.
Principles of Ethical College and University Teaching
1.Content Competence-A university teacher maintains a high level of subject matter
knowledge and ensures that course content is current, accurate, representative, and
appropriate to the position of the course within the student's program of study.
2.Pedagogical Competence -A pedagogically competent teacher communicates the objectives
of the course to students, is aware of alternative instructional methods or strategies,
and selects methods of instruction that are effective in helping students to achieve the course
objectives.
3.Dealing with Sensitive Topics
Topics those students are likely to find sensitive or discomforting are dealt with in an
open, honest, and positive way.
4.Student Development
The overriding responsibility of the teacher is to contribute to the intellect development of
the student, at least in the context of the teacher's own area of expertise, and to
avoid actions such as exploitation and discrimination that detract from student
development.
5.Dual Relationships with Students
To avoid conflict of interest, a teacher does not enter into dual-role relationships with
students that are likely to detract from student development or lead to actual or perceived
favoritism on the part of the teacher.
6.Confidentiality
Student grades, attendance records, and private communications are treated as
confidential materials and are released only with student consent, for legitimate academic
purposes, or if there are reasonable grounds for believing that releasing such
information will be beneficial to the student or will prevent harm to others.
7.Respect for Colleagues
A university teacher respects the dignity of her or his colleagues and works ooperatively
with colleagues in the interest of fostering student development.
8.Valid Assessment of Students
Given the importance of assessment of student performance in university teaching and
in students' lives and careers, instructors are responsible for taking adequate steps to
ensure that assessment of students is valid, open, fair, and congruent with course
objectives.
9.Respect for Institution
In the interest of student development, a university teacher is aware of and respects the
educational goals, policies, and standards of the institution in which he or she
teaches.Visit the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics' Web site to learn
more about ethics in college teaching.
IMPORTANCE OF THE ETHICS IN TEACHING
The code of ethics for teachers is designed to protect the rights of the students, all
the students. It is important that teachers understand that when they get a teaching
position they are agreeing to follow the code of ethics.
Teachers are expected to be fair to all their students and not to take advantage of
their position in any way. For example, teacher can't accept expensive gifts from
students because it might appear to bias. Teacher can't push their personal beliefs on
students because they are a "captive audience". Teacher need to have a professional
relationship with all students and not let it get too casual and familiar.
Apparently, there is quite a bit of abuse that is happening in the school. Teacher need to
protect his/her students' safety and not believe that this is someone else's job. The
main thing is not to abuse the power that the position, over the students, might give the
teacher. Caetano and Silva (2009) explained in their research that ethical dimensions are
important in our education system and are in several legislative documents, both with regard
to the student and teacher and as well as important for professional performance. The
ethical issues are associated with social, spiritual, moral and civic values. And it is
the teacher who can give a right direction to the student to raise their morality.
Ethical issues arise when there are differences of judgment or expectations about what
a proper course of action. An individual makes the ethical decision as a member of different
groups. When an individual faced with a dilemma, a professional must be able to
take rational and well motivated decisions and in this case the code of ethics help the
individual by providing tools and methods suitable in such situations.
John Clark (2004) in his paper discussed that for teachers ethics is more than code of ethics
which is the set of principles and rules which serve in disciplinary processes. Teachers as a
professionals are responsible in one of the most ethically demanding jobs, to provide
education in young people. It is teachers’ duty to reflect on their activities to make sure the
best ethical example to those who are educating morally.
A teacher has to play various roles both inside and outside of classroom. Teacher can
develop the morality among the student by setting the examples of their ethical behavior.
Ethics and morals are often associated with religion, but schools can also provide
important lessons in ethical thinking and action.
“There’s a big fear out there that somehow teaching ethics in school will seep into
students a particular religious viewpoint,” says Dr. Bruce Weinstein, aka The Ethics Guy.
“But ethics must be taught and are being taught in school. It’s impossible not to teach
ethics in a school.”
Weinstein, who writes a weekly column for BusinessWeek.com and recently released
the popular book Is It Still Cheating if I Don’t Get Caught?, says if schools have a
code of conduct, they are teaching ethics.
Teachers are essential to preaching these values and ethics towards students. According to
Weinstein, there are five basic principles of ethics that are common to all faiths:
Do no harm
Make things better
Respect others
Be fair
Be loving.
These values are defined differently in different parts of the world, but they are cross
-cultural and expected among all groups of people. And Weinstein says they should extend
beyond the walls of the sanctuary and should be taught and expected in homes and
classrooms as well.
SUGGESTED CODE OF ETHICS FOR TEACHERS
As a Professional Educator:
Strive to make foremost responsibility the education and welfare of all students in
care, and respect the uniqueness and dignity of each student. Strive to build relationships with
students’ families, as appropriate, that contribute to students’ welfare and education.
Strive to promote mutual respect and trust in relationships with colleagues,
assist newcomers to the profession, and behave in a way which enhances the status of
the profession.
Do best to fulfill the responsibilities to employer, community and society.
Responsibility toward Students
Provide learning equally to each student
Recognize students’ potentiality
Encourage students’ in learning, health and safety
To be fair to each student, justify each student equally
Resolve problem regarding discipline, law and policy.

Ethics in Teaching Profession

Responsibilities toward Parents/Guardians and Families and Community
Establish relationships with parents based on courtesy, mutual trust and open
communication.
Respect the privacy of a family.
Share the information with parents regarding the interest of the student.
Respect the family backgrounds of each student.
Play an active role in community relations.
Be truthful to the society.
Provide the standard of professional service.
Develop the values in students of a democratic society.
Commitment to the Professional Colleagues
Build an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect and openness with the respective
colleagues.
Act accordingly to the educational and wider community which enhances the status of
the profession.
Do not reveal confidential information about colleagues unless required by law and policy.
Assist, support and encourage newcomers to the profession.
Do not provide false statement about colleagues.
Do not interfere with colleagues’ personal freedom which can violate individual
professional integrity.
Responsibilities to Employers
Be truthful when making statements about qualifications and competencies.
Obey the contractual commitments.
Positively promote the improvement of institutional policies.
Promote cooperation among all agencies and professionals working in the best interests
of students and families.
Perform those laws and policies that do not conflict with code of organizational ethics.
Operate all the committee accounts honestly to his/her charge.
Maintain sound mental health, stamina social prudence necessary to perform his/her task.

CONCLUSION
Teacher has a responsibility to the society and in our society teachers are respected
all over. Students usually want to be like their favorite teacher in their personal life. So if the
teacher can set example by their ethical behavior, than it will be easy to preaching ethical
issues among the students. And if the young generation be aware about ethical issues than
the total society and country will be benefited. Therefore as an important part of
society teacher should be ethical and they should follow the code of ethics of a teacher and
should reflect their ethical behavior to their students.

na Paula Caetano. Maria de Lurdes Silva, sísifo / educational sciences journal • no. 8 • jan/apr 09 issn
1646 6500

Davis, M., (1991), Thinking like an engineer: The place of a Code of Ethics in the practice of a
profession", Philosophy and Public Affairs, 20.2 150-167.

Dr L. B. Burger, Speech delivered at Beginner teachers conference : Windhoek College of Education,

5 November 1999

Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Mälardalen University

Västerås, Sweden

Harris, C. E., Jr., Pritchard M. S. and Rabins M. J., 1995, .Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases,
Wadsworth Publishing

John Clark, New Zealand Journal Of Teachers’ Work, Volume 1, Issue 2, 80-84, 2

Moral agency and ethical knowledge: introduction to ethics in teaching pp. 9-22

WEB SITES
https://www.boundless.com/marketing/social-responsibility-ethics-in-marketing/ethics-overview/
definition-ethics/ Definition of Ethics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics Definition of ethics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_ethics Professional ethics

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/code-of-ethics.asp Code of Ethics

http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/facstaff/tethics.html Teaching ethics

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/cheating-ethics/ Code of ethics for teachers

http://www.vbsd.us/policies/pdfs/3.1%20%20Ethical%20Standards%20for%20Teachers.pdf Code of
ethics for teacher