Ethics Presentation

Meta-Ethics

Normative Ethics

Ethics is not a straight forward matter and depending on what ethical system guides you as a teacher will depend on how you respond to situation. ( Tait, 2013)

Applied Ethics

• Is how we apply Ethical frameworks within our given circumstances
• Observed in the Code of Conduct that teacher’s are supposed to adhere to.

By understanding Normative and Meta-Ethics,

teachers can begin to see what motivate them to make certain decisions and choices (Tait, 2004).

Dead Poets Society

Applied Ethics

Matilda

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct is so that we

can

• demonstrate ethical leadership in how we perform our role
• show our positive commitment to the people of Queensland, their elected representatives and our colleagues (DETA, 2011,p1).

Even though Teachers face many different ethical dilemmas in modern schooling, they have a certain level of influence on children and children on a daily basis observe how their teachers respond to situations, what they believe in and how they live their lives.

L vs Minister for Education

How to access the Code of Conduct

Scenario

As in the case L vs Minister for Education (Tait, 2004) – the result can be interpreted to according to different ethical systems. L’s discrimination according to consequential ethics was for the greater good yet according to Kantian Ethics it is morally wrong to discriminate against L.

There are many ethical dilemmas that teachers continues to face in modern schooling such as Mandatory reporting, Duty of care, Risk management, exclusion of troublesome students ect. (Tait, 2013).

1. Go to www.google.com.au

2. In search engine type in "code of conduct education qld"

3. Search

4. Click the first link- "Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service - Education..."

5. And all the important links are there!!

Comparing Both Videos

Please break yourself into groups according to your cohort;

• Early Childhood
• Primary
• High School

First Video

• showed a teacher who was committed to his students
• educating them not based on his ethical system but allowing to them to decide on what their individual ethical system is and not conforming to society.

Comparing both videos

EDB003

Teaching & Learning Studies 3: Practicing Education

These clips demonstrate that when it comes to children deciding and judging what is wrong or right in particularly situations, the positive and negative influences in there lives affect their overall decisions.

Second Video

• demonstrated a teacher who has a negative influence on her students
• Embeds fear and blurrs the boundary between what is wrong and right.

L vs Minister for Education

Scenario

Role Play Scenario

Troy and Wendy are a low income family who both work. Their 8 year old son Tom falls sick and with no relatives living close by and they can't afford a day off work, their only option is to send Tom to school. However, Tom's teacher Mrs Smith is questioned by the other parents at the school, who believe that if a child is sick they should stay at home so that their child doesn't fall sick as well.

Normative Ethics...

Definition of Morals

Is the study of systems of moral behaviours and provides codes of conduct, actions guides by which any moral choices can be assessed and directed by.

Reading

• A lesson, especially, one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience.

• A person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do

The three systems that moral behaviour can be assessed by are:

• Virtue Ethics
• Consequentialist Ethics
• Kantian Ethics

Discussion from video...

Disability and the Ethical Responsibilities of the Teacher:

issues arising from the case of L v Minister for Education (Tait, 2004)

• What sort of good qualities do you have, that has made you a good person, and a greater teacher?
• Who have you learnt them from?

Consequentialist Ethics

Meta- Ethics

An action is judged wrong or right based on their consequences (Tait,2013)

Cognitivism

Non – Cognitivism

Meta-Ethics is...

The study of the meaning and nature of ethical terms, judgments and arguments.

Intersubjectivism

Subjectivism

Expressivism

Emotivism

Objectivism

Prescriptivism

Success

Error

Kantian Ethics

Based on the thinking’s of philosopher – Immanuel Kant (1724 -1804)

There are three elements to Kantian Ethics

1.The act is greater than the consequence.

2.The Categorical Imperative

3.The practical Imperative

What does Ethics mean to you?

• Ethics may have to do with what your feelings tell you is
• right or wrong.
• Ethics may have to do with your religious beliefs.
• Doing what the law requires.
• Ethics may consists of the standards of behaviour our

society accepts.

OR

• You don't know what the word even means

What is Ethics?

What Ethics refer to...

• ‘a set of principles, most often derived from moral values, by which people organise their lives’ (Tait,2004, p4)
• a body of theoretical study (Tait, 2004, p4)
• a term used often synonymously with ‘morals’ (Burnett & Tait, 2013)

ETHICS

References

• Burnett, B. & Tait, G. (2013, August 5). Ethics. EDB003 Teaching & Learning Studies 3:Practicing Education. Lecture conducted from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane.
• Davis, S. P. (2009, December 12). Three Minute Philosophy - Immanuel Kant - YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved August 11, 2013, from
• DETA. (2011, January 1). Introducing the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service. Department of Education, Training and Employment. Retrieved August 7, 2013, from education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/pdfs/codeofconduct-flyer.pdf
• DeVito, D. (2009, August 6). Miss Trunchbull Swinging Amanda's Pigtail's - YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from
• Hall, M. C. (Director). (2008). Dexter[Motion picture]. United Stated of America: CBS DVD :.
• Heritage Dictionary. (2010, January 1). Metaethics - Definition of metaethics . Dictionary definitions you can understand - YourDictionary. Retrieved August 13, 2013, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/metaethics
• Kulkarni, P. (2011, March 11). Conformity - Dead Poets Society movie scene - YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from
• Man Productions. (2012, July 29). Virtue Ethics Summarised. Youtube. Retrieved August 13, 2013, from
• Skates, R. (2012, May 1). Teens on Adult Morals, Values, Selfishness, Leadership and Accountability | WE THE ADULTS (Promo) - YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved August 13, 2013, from
• Tait, G. (2004). Disability and the Ethical Responsibilities of theTeacher: issues arising from the case of L v Ministerfor Education. School of Cultural and Language Studies, Faculty of Education,,1, 1-19. Retrieved July 27, 2013, from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/courses/1/EDB003_13se2/content/_4873350_1/Tait%202004.pdf
• Tait, G. (2013). Making sense of mass education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.