Ethical Professional Practice Research Articles

ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF ARCHITECTURAL TEACHING METHODS ON ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICES

This study investigated the role of architectural education in Nigeria in preparing professionals for sustainable architectural practice, with a particular focus on advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). It assessed the relationship between the teaching methods employed in delivery of the architecture curriculum of universities and sustainable architectural practice among professionals. Using positivism as the philosophical stance, a quantitative approach was taken. Regression analysis was employed to analyse teaching methods and its impact on architects' professional practice. Findings revealed that educators who place emphasis on meeting deadlines, employed teaching methods that are flexible enough to adapt to changing needs, and adopting the practice of professional ethics in their teaching delivery have the highest positive influence on future architectural practice of their students. On the flip side, educators who accepted submission from students that were carelessly put together, and capitalize on relationships with their students (such as favouritism) tend to negatively affect the future architectural practice of their students. This research also revealed the crucial impact of architectural education approaches on advancing sustainable architectural practices in Nigeria, aligning with the objectives of SDG 4. It underscores the importance of teaching methods and recommends constant updates of teaching methods at the faculty level so as to have products who have a highly sustainable practice. Keywords: Architectural education, Architectural practice, Sustainability, Teaching methods

Exploring ethical decision-making in Chinese early childhood teachers

ABSTRACT With the advancement of Chinese teacher ethics, the significance of professional ethics among kindergarten teachers has gained prominence. Early childhood professional practice encompasses intricate ethical dilemmas that teachers must promptly identify and address. Consequently, the ability to make ethical decisions has become a crucial skill in teachers’ professional ethical practice. This study investigates the ethical dilemmas and decision-making of Chinese kindergarten teachers (N = 19) through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation in a specific kindergarten setting. The findings reveal that Chinese kindergarten teachers face ethical dilemmas that revolve around four main themes: matters related to teacher’s work, matters related to parental expectations and requirements, matters related staff’s behaviour, conflicts between common rules. Chinese kindergarten teachers’ ethical decision-making can be categorised into four main types: inadvertently ignoring or giving less consideration, avoiding, delegating, and dialogue. Given China’s current focus on strengthening teacher ethics at the policy level, the results of this research hold significant reference value for enhancing the quality of teacher-child interaction and teachers’ ethical standards.

EFFECTS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR FITNESS TRAINERS

This article is only the first step in exploring the professional ethics of fitness trainers in Latvia. Marking the discourse, looking at the theoretical frameworks and concepts, and identifying the situation are its basic elements. The next stage will be the analysis of information about the experience in other countries and primarily the Baltic countries, their comparison, discussion, conclusions, and suggestions for a more successful practice of professional ethics. Professional ethics for fitness trainers constitute a part of their professional competence, which shapes, determines and evaluates their professional activities from the perspective of ethical attitudes. The profession of a fitness trainer reflects health as a fundamental value, which sets the meaning of their professional activity as one that promotes and maintains health. This article examines the basic elements of professional ethics of fitness trainers. Their presentation in a single and logically structured form is an innovation in the literature on fitness trainers. Providing this type of information to future fitness trainers in Latvia is not only a necessary but also an urgent task. The article discusses in detail the concept of health lifestyle, the basic behavioral health lifestyles that are characteristic of the Latvian population. Fitness trainers need this background information to better fulfil their function as educators. The aim of the study is to examine the current situation with regard to codes of professional ethics and literature on professional ethics for fitness trainers and based on the literature analysis, to identify the main elements of professional ethics: levels of moral regulation, basic principles of ethics, codes, the issue of responsibility, tolerance and autonomy, trainer-client relationships, as well as the trainer’s relationship with other professionals. The article also examines the types of normative ethics (deontological, utilitarian, virtue ethics) required for ethical decision-making.

Applications of codes of teacher ethics in the context of anthropogenic climate change

ABSTRACT Current school students, citizens of the future, will inherit urgent, complex, ethically challenging real world problems affecting social and environmental sustainability, such as anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, they must be prepared at school to understand the diverse issues underpinning anthropogenic climate change so they can make informed decisions at voting age. School teachers charged with this task, require professional ethical sensitivity contiguous to politically laden, complex topics such as climate change. This article documents the ethical dilemmas perceived by 98 final year prospective teachers in teaching about climate change, after the completion of a course on ethical professional practice. Results show three quarters of the prospective teachers in this study perceived ethical dilemmas in the context of teaching about anthropogenic climate change. They rationalised their views based on a range of professional ethical considerations.

Physiotherapists' ethical behavior in professional practice: a qualitative study.

In health professions, ethics is considered a fundamental competence. The increase in clinical autonomy in the field of physiotherapy is associated with an increase in ethical situations in their clinical practice. To explore the ethics of the clinical relationship between physiotherapists and patients, the ethics training received by physiotherapists, and if in the clinical context, physiotherapists identify the necessary attitudes and apply the ethical recommendations of the profession for the ethical situations they experience. A qualitative exploratory and descriptive study was performed with physiotherapists. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis, as proposed by Krippendorf. The study protocol was approved by the University of Valencia Ethics Committee of Human Research. This study included 15 physiotherapists (66.66% women, average age = 42.2 years), which was sufficient to reach data saturation. We identified four categories: (i) Ethics of the clinical relationship (ethical values, principles, and norms; type of clinical relationship), (ii) Ethics training received (during the physiotherapy studies; current training of students; low importance of ethics in the curriculum), (iii) Necessary attitudes for professional ethical practice (main attitudes were identified: personal attitudes and professional attitudes); (iv) Experiences from professional practice (general; public sector vs. private sector). The ethics of the clinical relationship between physiotherapists and patients is determined by the attitudes of the practitioner, which are the result of his or her values and previous experiences; and are very centered on ethics of indication (founded mainly on the principles of Beneficence and Non-Maleficence). It is necessary to improve the ethical training received by physiotherapists, which is poorly focused on professional attitudes.

Ethics, culture and organizational climate as integral factors in SMEs

Ecuadorian SMEs are a factor that contribute greatly to the generation of wealth as well as employment, influencing the country's economy, which translates into an impact on economic growth, which shows the need for them to respond to the challenges posed in the national and international contexts with innovative proposals that allow them to develop competitive advantages. It should be noted that most of these companies are small companies and belong to the wholesale and retail trade sector; therefore, they are only directed to the domestic market (national), so the business model is focused on the ethics, culture and organizational climate that prevail in these companies. Therefore, a descriptive research and non-experimental design was carried out with the application of a questionnaire that allows to know relevant data on ethics, culture and climate within these organizations. The findings indicate that the efforts made by the management of SMEs identify a set of standards and moral obligations that contribute to strengthen the profession by promoting an ethical professional practice.

10 Simple Rules for Integrating Ethics Training into Any Quantitative Course

This article presents two principal "rules" that instructors should use professional ethical practice standards, not issues, to guide instruction/learning objectives, and use instructional and/or curriculum development guidelines to ensure that changes to courses are systematic and yield actionable student outputs. It presents resources to serve learners because they offer tools and techniques that equip future practitioners to practice ethically - whenever they practice. The article describes how learning outcomes of integrated ethics within a mathematics, statistics, or data science course featuring the ASA Ethical Guidelines and the ACM Code of Ethics, will result in individuals trained in how to practice ethically, rather than individuals who completed a required ethics course or mastered “ethics content”.

Estamos preparando os futuros médicos para atendimentos de situações de violência com enfoque em gênero e em sexualidades não heterossexuais? Relato de uma “experiência” educacional diagnóstica

Abstract Medical schools must incorporate the teaching of professionalism into the curriculum to ensure that the next generations of physicians are prepared for a compassionate, humane, and ethical professional practice, suitable to the interests of society in a world with ever-increasing and ever-changing demands. This study’s greatest contribution is to highlight the interns’ poor performance in the legal and support aspects of the situations addressed. The data speak in favor of an institutionalized training policy as the first step toward getting the healthcare sector to prioritize competence in healthcare for victims of violence related to gender and non-heterosexual sexuality.

Liberating Voices for Equity – Exploring Cultural Minority Students’ Experiences in an Integrated Classroom

This study foregrounds cultural minority learners’ voices in the exploration of accomplishment of socio-cultural redress in basic education. The resonating global call within the socio-cultural movement is for the inclusion of marginalised voices and epistemes in curricula reformation and transformation overtures. Heeding the latter, this study within the context of decolonisation, ethical professional practice and equity sought to establish experiences of cultural minority learners’ experiences in an integrated South African school. Conceptually framed within Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) as strategy for pedagogical equity and pursued through a naturalistic methodology scaffolded by observation and interviewing the study elevates cultural minority learners’ voices about the pedagogic setting. The study found that minority students regarded the architecture of teaching and learning context as structured by their teachers as: marginalising; alienating, disenchanting; emasculating; constraining, not attendant to their intrinsic motivation needs nor their socio-political identities. Findings revealed that though the legislated architecture for equity through cultural inclusivity exists vestigial classroom practices not attuned to these aspirations for equity still persist. Such findings highlighted the need for an escalation of deliberate interventions to overturn these historically nuanced inhibitions to create equitable pedagogic settings.

Social Workers Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas in the Course of Their Professional Work: The Greek Experience

Abstract Globally, ethical dilemmas are a relatively neglected topic in social work research, despite their obvious importance to ethical professional practice. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by exploring ethical dilemmas and related issues faced by social workers in Greece. For our purposes, we created an online survey questionnaire via Survey Monkey software and distributed it nationwide to all social workers, asking those who had more than two years of work experience at any kind of service providing agency to complete it. A total of 835 questionnaires were returned and used for data analysis (response rate 11.13 per cent). The study highlights the diversity of ethical dilemmas encountered by social workers in their professional practice, as well as revealing the different strategies, tools and mechanisms used in dealing with them. Further, it shows the urgent need for developing appropriate ethics support activities and training programmes for social workers, as a crucial part of their ongoing professional education and development. Such ethics initiatives are required to remain ethically competent throughout their working life.

Transactional Analysis Literature on Schiffian Reparenting (1975-2022): Future Explorations

While researching the history of Schiffian reparenting, the author came across far more references in the TA literature than could be sufficiently examined in the context of his 2022 article. Here, these additional and subsequent resources are offered to future researchers interested in a range of related topics on the history of transactional analysis, for example, regressive therapies, reparenting, discounting, treatment of schizophrenia, energy metaphors, the Parent ego state, and ethics in professional practice.

Discovering dignity through experience: How nursing students discover the expression of dignity.

Introduction:Dignity is a core value in nursing. Nursing education shall prepare students for ethical professional practice and facilitate insight into the phenomenon of dignity and its significance. There is limited knowledge about how nursing students discover dignity in their education.Research aim:The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of how nursing students discover and acquire dignity.Research design:The study has a hermeneutic approach where qualitative interviews of nursing students were employed. The process of interpretation was inspired by text of Fleming, Gaidys and Robbs.Participants and research context:Nineteen nursing students agreed to be included in the study, representing six different campuses at three different educational institutions. All were in the final year of their study. The interviews took place at the educational institutions.Ethical considerations:The educational institutions facilitated recruitment of the students who signed voluntarily for participation and continuous informed consent. The study was approved by The Norwegian Center of Reporting Data (NSD). The research recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed.Findings:The nursing students discovered the expression and significance of dignity through experiences, gained through introspection and in interaction with others during the education.Discussion:The findings are discussed using Gadamer’s concept of experience and how experiences can create new insight. In particular, the students’ experiences with the inner ethical and external aesthetic dimension of dignity are discussed.Conclusion:The study shows that students discovered the inner ethical dignity through experiencing vulnerability, pride and shame. They discovered the external aesthetic dignity through incidents, where they experienced both to be confirmed and not to be confirmed, and through observation of good or bad role models. Crucial negative and positive experiences are important for discovering the expression and significance of dignity.

Incorporating Evidence-Based Practice Into Informed Consent Practice

This conceptual article argues that evidence-based practice (EBP) is best understood as a component of the informed consent process preceding treatment. The legally mandated informed consent/consent to treat process requires that professionals disclose to clients the nature of services along with potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. Informed consent is a long-standing part of professional practice ethics with over a century of legal precedents. The more recent EBP process also requires discussion with the client of the best research-supported treatments, which are explored in combination with the client’s values and preferences and the professional’s expertise, to develop a treatment plan. Yet, EBP has not been clearly linked to informed consent for treatment. EBP can be usefully understood as part of the more comprehensive informed consent ethics process. New practice and ethics competencies are examined.

The Good Life of Teaching: An Ethics of Professional Practice (Chris Higgins)

The Good Life of Teaching: An Ethics of Professional Practice (Chris Higgins)

What Medical Imaging Professionals Talk About When They Talk About Compassion

BackgroundCompassion is a poorly understood concept in medical Imaging research, but an increase in its focus was recommended in the Francis Report (2013). Little research has been conducted in this area to date. MethodsThe project was conducted from within a constructivist paradigm with appropriate ethical approval. As part of a wider doctoral study, data were harvested from a Twitter journal club discussion between medical imaging professionals of the author's published literature review and one focus group of post-graduate radiographers. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically. ResultsCompassion in DI is conceptualised according to three themes constructed from the data: 1) Perceptible elements of the procedure; 2) Underlying qualities, skills and abilities of radiographers; 3) Moral and ethical foundations. When medical imaging professionals talk about compassion they talk about its importance in professional practice, the challenges faced in giving compassionate care and the strategies they employ to cope with the emotional as well as physical demands they face. Contradictory organisational values and an over-emphasis on individuals’ responsibility for providing compassionate care were also highlighted. Ethical professional practice need not necessarily include in every interaction expressions of compassion, or feelings in a medical imaging professional of caring about their patient. ConclusionThe concept of compassion has depth, with surface appearances underpinned by moral values and behaviour-motivating drivers. These findings offer a clearer understanding of compassion that could inform radiographic practice and education.

Fostering ethical integrity in nursing: An ongoing examination of diverse perceptions

In this qualitative replication study (Phase II), nursing faculty perceptions related to student academic integrity were explored at a public university in the Midwest. A comparison with the Phase I study findings conducted at a similar private university determined nursing faculty at both are concerned about the corrosion of ethical values among nursing students. Furthermore, faculty proactively seek to promote academic honesty and ethical professional practice. Provided is a list of strategies from faculty for use in nursing educational settings.

Diversidad afectivo-sexual, corporal y de género más allá del binarismo en la formación en ciencias de la salud

Health systems and professional training are based on gender binarism. At different stages of the life cycle, there are situations that cause inequities, lack of opportunities and risks to the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people. This work aims to explore the need to include affective-sexual, bodily and gender diversity (ASBGD) in the curricula of health sciences degrees. A narrative bibliographic review was performed to identify recommendations based on international frameworks and experiences with new approaches to incorporate ASBGD, as well as a critical analysis of the current situation regarding the deficiencies in the inclusion of ASBGD in health sciences degrees. At present there is a progressive inclusion of ASBGD in health sciences in many countries, which is considered fundamental for ethical professional practices, and excellence in care. We offer a summary of advances, emerging debates and teaching strategies for the inclusion of ASBGD from previous international experiences. These experiences highlight the need for inclusion of ASBGD, the lack of knowledge about specific needs of LGBTI people and the benefits of breaking with the binary imposition. They recommend increasing knowledge about terminology, rights and inequalities, and the active participation of LGBTI people and communities.

Forensic Neuropsychological Aspects of Competency Evaluations: Financial and Legal Competency in Older Adults

Clinical assessment of mental competence and capacity in older adults, particularly the capacity to manage one’s financial and legal matters, is an issue of increasing significance within the context of an aging baby boomer population. Together with escalating demands on caregivers, hospitals, and facilities caring for people experiencing cognitive decline, dementia, brain injury and chronic illnesses, and with the increased longevity, changing demographics and societal pressures have triggered debates regarding decisions surrounding wealth transfer via wills and estate planning. Furthermore, these changes parallel the growth of court challenges to legal and medical competence findings, with an enhanced emphasis on ethical and responsible professional practices. With evolving social and economic perspectives on retirement, older adults, from “blue collar” to professional status, now remain longer in employment markets. Thus, we anticipate a higher prevalence of cognitive and associated functional disability both in the workforce and in the general population. In this context, concern emerges regarding vulnerability of persons with cognitive decline to exploitation. With escalating demands for competency assessments, a lack of clear evidence-based guidelines for these evaluations has the potential for significant harm to older adults, their families, and the public. Thus, we define competency and review its relationship with financial and legal capacity and decision-making, neurocognitive functions, and specific functional domains relevant to older adults (e.g., financial management). We then propose a step-by-step model for constructing financial competency assessments for older adults.

Sustainability Ethics of Safety in the Building Maintenance Industry: Technical Manager’s Perspectives

Building maintenance (BM) projects usually involve various technical individuals such as building managers, architects, and building contractors. These individuals are usually concerned with certain issues pertaining to their views and experiences on a range of ethical topics surrounding BM industry activities. The issue of professional ethics plays an important role in quality-related problems in a BM project. Ethics is a vital component in producing a profitable long-term profit in the BM industry. This paper highlights the process practice of professional ethics and sustainability in the BM industry and how ethics influences the activities of BM projects. This qualitative case study recruited four (4) technical managers within the BM organisations. Data for this research were collected through semi-structured interviews with technical managers of the BM organisations. Results indicated that different types of unethical conducts impact BM tasks significantly. This study found that it is important to include professional ethics as a pre-requisite to attaining sustained and acceptable quality in BM. The study also suggests several approaches and methods enhance professionalism among BM professionals, which could help improve the quality in BM projects. The findings provide safety sustainability ethics process to BM organisation on how to address the ethical root issues when confronting the Malaysian BM industry.

Ethics in Professional Practice: An Education Resource for Health Science Students

Ethical practice is a core health science graduate attribute yet ethical reasoning is rarely explicitly taught during professional placements. Our aim was to design an educational resource for health science students to 1) engage students in the topic of ethics and 2) facilitate their skills to identify, manage and communicate ethical issues during professional placements. The Ethics in Professional Practice (EPP) resource was developed using collaborative design-based research by an interprofessional, Work Integrated Learning team. We drew upon Barab and Squire’s (2004) approach, with cycles of design, analysis, redesign and feedback informing resource development. The EPP resource comprises five video case studies that reflect ethical issues from diverse professional practice environments and include perspectives from students, clinical educators, clients and caregivers. The student is cast as a central character who must decide what actions may be taken to resolve ethical conflict. Complementary ethics education resources include reflective questions, guides to ethical reasoning and goal-setting resources. The resource was implemented with a cohort of 15 graduate-entry exercise physiology students and 59 undergraduate speech pathology students from the University of Sydney. Student feedback was utilised to inform resource redesign. Findings indicated that students valued the authentic ethics scenarios but experienced challenges when navigating online learning activities. Redesign focussed on enhancing interactive design features and improving accessibility of learning activities. This project achieved our goals to address ethical sensitivity, reasoning, communication and goals for future ethical practice.