Teachers Professional Ethics

Outline
•Concepts of profession, professional, professional ethics

•Principles of professional ethics

•Importance of professional ethics

•Problems professional face when observing professional ethics

 Teachers Professional Ethics

• Professional Ethics refers to personal and corporate rules or moral

standards that govern behavior professionals within the context of a
particular profession.

• It explores the obligations of individuals within the perspective of their

professional lives e.g. Planning lessons, marking students work etc

• One principal concern is with the kinds of obligations and responsibilities

that professionals (journalists, teachers, physicians, engineers, ministers,
public administrators, accountants and managers etc have to their various
stakeholders: clients, employers, employees, professional colleagues, other
professionals and the society.

• Professional ethics is also interested in the moral conduct and guidelines

regulating the profession and its members.
 Cont..

• This area of ethical study examines moral issues, problems, conflicts of

interest, and social responsibility of the individual professionals as well as
the profession itself in the light of moral principles, including duty and
obligation.

• It is important to note that an ethical issue or dilemma is simply a situation

or problem that needs an individual or organization to choose between
alternatives that must be appraised as right or wrong, moral or immoral, and
ethical or unethical.

• professional ethics do not only provide standards that regulate the

relationships between professional and client, but they also define norms
regulating the professional’s responsibility to colleagues and the public in
general. It also raises central questions that contain ethical issues,
problems and dilemmas that arise in the world of profession.
 Cont..

• Just like in the case of a brand or organization, the school staff is also
obligated to maintain a set of standards that are instrumental in promoting a
safe and inclusive learning environment.

• Given below are a few professional ethics that these teachers need to follow
at educational institutions, split into 5 based on the kind of interaction they
have with each other.
 With Students

1. Teachers must respect the dignity and rights of the students in expressing
their opinion

2. Teachers should deal with students justly and impartially irrespective of their
religion, caste, gender, political affiliation, social stature, and physical
characteristics.

3. They must be able to identify and recognizes the differences in aptitude and
capabilities among the students in their class and try their level best to meet
their individual needs.

4. They are supposed to encourage students as a means of improving their

attainments, developing their personality, while at the same time, also
contributing to community welfare
 Cont..
5. They must treat the students with dignity and should not behave in a
vengeful manner under any circumstance.

6. They are obligated to make themselves available to students beyond their

class hours and be ready to help and guide them with no extra
remuneration

7. Teachers should help students to develop a deep understanding of our

national heritage and national goals
 With teachers

1. All teachers are expected to treat other faculty members in the same
manner as they wish to be treated themselves

2. They should help each other to grow professionally and be willing to help
each other if the need arises.

3. They must not make allegations against coworkers to higher authorities

without substantial proof or evidence.

4. All teachers must make sure that there is no discrimination in the workplace
in any way shape or form because of one’s caste, creed, religion, ethnicity,
nationality, race, or gender in their professional endeavor.
 With the administration
1. They must be able to cooperate in forming policies of their respective
institutions by accepting several offices and discharging responsibilities if
their position demands so.
2. They must show interest in the betterment of the institutions by keeping in
view the dignity of the profession
3. They must strictly adhere to the terms of the contract they signed when
they joined the educational institution.
4. They are expected to provide due notice (as prescribed in their document
of contract) before a change of position takes place
5. They must not avail leave except when it is completely unavoidable and as
long as it is utterly unprecedented.
6. Teachers must conduct themselves and deliver their professional
responsibilities as per the existing rules and adhere to methods and
procedures that are consistent with their profession when it comes to
initiating steps through their own schools/colleges and/or professional
organizations.
 cont

• With Non-Teaching Staff

• The teaching staff must treat the non- teaching staff with the same respect
and dignity that they give to their colleagues.
• They must participate in and help in the general functioning of joint-council
sessions that involve both teaching and non-teaching staff.
• With Guardians/Parents
• Teachers are obligated to inform guardians of students if they are
misbehaving or if they want them to help them improve in their academics.
• The teacher is answerable to a guardian if the student is not performing
well.
• They must help the guardians in case of any queries they might have about

their wards’ further education.

 PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

• To be a professional, you need to have professional skills as well as ethics. Professional

ethics are likely to vary from one profession to another. For instance, teachers’ ethics
will be different from an engineer’s
• Certain ethical principles are fundamental to all professions. The most prominent
among them are:
1. Honesty
2. Trustworthiness
3. Loyalty
4. Being law-abiding
5. No sinister motives
6. Socially responsible
7. Respect
8. Fairness to all
9. Accountability
 Importance of professional ethics

1. Establishing Trust and Credibility: Teachers are responsible for

educating and guiding students, and they must be trustworthy and credible
in their actions and decisions. Adhering to professional ethics and values
helps teachers establish trust with students, parents, colleagues, and the
community.

2. Ensuring Fairness and Equality: Teachers must avoid discrimination and

bias in their teaching practices. Professional ethics and values help
teachers treat all students fairly and equally, regardless of their race,
gender, religion, or socioeconomic status.

3. Creating a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment: Teachers must

create a safe and supportive learning environment that fosters learning and
growth. Professional ethics and values help teachers establish boundaries,
respect privacy, and maintain a positive and respectful classroom
atmosphere.
 Cont..

1. Promoting Personal and Professional Growth: Teachers must continue

to learn and grow throughout their careers. Professional ethics and values
encourage teachers to seek professional development opportunities and
stay up-to-date with new teaching methodologies and technologies.

2. Upholding Legal and Ethical Standards: Teachers must abide by legal

and ethical standards, such as maintaining student confidentiality,
respecting copyright laws, and avoiding conflicts of interest. Professional
ethics and values provide a framework for teachers to make sound
decisions and act with integrity.

3. Facilitates the teacher to provide quality education and inculcate good

values among the learners
 Cont..

7 Helps to reduce conflicts among the professionals.

8 Helps professional to know how carry out his or her duties at the place of
work.

9 Helps professional to maintain good public image by not involving in those

acts that undermine one’s dignity

10 Helps professional to avoid unethical behaviours for example corruption,

involvement in sexual relationships with the clients.

11 Guides the relationship between the workers and community.

12 Helps professionals to command confidence and respect among the clients.

13 Creates mutual trust among members of the same profession.

 Problems professional face when observing professional ethics

1. Low and untimely payment to the professional

2. High cost of living verses little payment

3. Greed for money and wealth

4. The general moral degeneration in the society where professional are

enticed into unprofessional behaviour by members of the society

5. Income inequality among members of the same profession

6. Job security due to rampant retirement

7. Unemployment that makes many professional to take up jobs outside their

own profession leading to poor performance.

8. Unhealthy competition among professionals that may lead some

professionals to use unprofessional ways to undermine one another in
attempt to out compete one another.
Activity
• Discuss ways in which teachers have abused
professional ethics in Uganda.
 TEACHERS’ CODE OF CONDUCT

• A code of conduct is a set of written gridlines produced by public authorities

or professional organisations to which all members of a profession must
adhere

• A code of conduct generally prescribes standards of conduct, states

principles expressing responsibilities, and defines the rules expressing
duties of professionals to whom they apply.

• Most members of a profession subscribe to certain “values” and moral

standards written into a formal document which describes the organization’s
code of conduct.

• Codes of conduct often require interpretation by teachers as they apply to

the specific circumstances surrounding each dilemma.
 Aims of code of conduct and ethics

1. To provide guidelines for the minimum standard of appropriate behaviour

in a professional context.

2. To protect the rights of the students.

3. To ensure the impartiality, objectivity, transparency, integrity, efficiency and

effectiveness of teachers when performing their duties.

4. To provide general guidance to teachers in their relation ships and

dealings with their students and general public.

5. It becomes crucial and important for the teachers to understand their work
ethics and values before entering in teaching profession.

6. Codes of conduct sit alongside the general law of the land and the
personal values of members of the profession.
 Principles of the code of conduct and ethics

1. Accountability.
2. Decency
3. Discipline
4. Efficiency
5. Impartiality
6. Integrity
7. Loyalty
8. Professionalism
9. Selflessness
10. transparency
 Professional codes of conduct provide benefits to

• PUBLIC: If the codes of conduct are adhered to, the general public is
assured of a standardized service and will trust an individual’s professional
skills. they build confidence in the profession’s trustworthiness
• CLIENTS: An ethical professional would lend confidence to clients about
quality, transparency and assured service.
• PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY: Adherence to the codes of conduct by
professionals benefits even other members of the same profession. They’re
able to develop and implement processes and frameworks that further
reduce the likelihood of unprofessional activities or unlawful steps. Ethics
also prevent a person from exploring the loopholes in the rules and misuse
the system.
• PROFESSION: By following the codes of conduct and working ethically, a
professional will be able to enhance the value and scope of the profession
and pave the way for its popularity among the masses