Undergraduate Ethics Research Articles

Undergraduate Ethics Education in Paramedicine in Australia.

In Australia, paramedics are obliged to practice ethically. Graduates of baccalaureate degrees in paramedicine should therefore possess a common grounding in ethics to meet the professional capabilities expected of registered paramedics. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding ethics education for paramedicine students, including what is taught, how it is taught, and how it is assessed. This paper explores ethics education for paramedicine students in Australia, how it aligns with current professional expectations, and how it may be enhanced. Point-in-time data regarding ethics education was collected from websites of fifteen Australian universities offering undergraduate baccalaureate degrees in paramedicine. Data collection was supported by consultation with academics from several institutions. Content analysis was utilised to categorise and analyse data to explore similarities and differences in curricula. Similarities included approaches to learning and teaching and the use of case-based learning, with variability found across teaching staff profiles and content areas. Findings suggest it is time for collaboration to develop a model ethics curriculum for paramedicine students in Australia.

What I Think about When I Think about Teaching Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration in Pedagogy

What I Think about When I Think about Teaching Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration in Pedagogy

Integrating faith into an accounting ethics class: A project illuminated by Bonhoeffer

Teaching accounting ethics at a faith-based university requires a balance between professional guidance and the special mission of these universities. This paper reimagines the objectives on an undergraduate accounting ethics course and uses them along with insights from integration literature to develop a project of faith integration. The project incorporates the life and selected writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The outline for the project, professor reflections, and student responses are included. In past years, this project has created a dynamic classroom, encouraged faith integration, and been well received by students. This paper contributes to the praxis of faith integration literature through an articulation of creative instruction.

Teaching Modern Jewish Ethics Through Role-Play

AbstractThis article considers the use of role-playing pedagogy in an undergraduate Jewish Ethics course, focusing on a course activity in which students represented diverse modern Jewish thinkers and debated how Jews should understand particular moral virtues. As an example, this article describes a class in which students represented seven modern Jews with diverse perspectives on altruistic love, kindness, and compassion and engaged in character with questions regarding gender, violence, and who is included in the commandment to love one's fellow, among other issues. This article explores how such role-playing engaged students and challenged them to think critically about the views of others, the construction of virtue, the diversity of modern Jewish ethical traditions, and their own approaches to ethics.

The state of ethics education at medical schools in Turkey: taking stock and looking forward

BackgroundEthics teaching is globally considered an essential part of medical education fostering professionalism. It does not only provide knowledge for good clinical conduct, but also trains medical students as virtuous practitioners. Although Turkey has had a considerable experience in ethics education of healthcare professionals, the general state of ethics curricula at medical schools in Turkey is unknown.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to collect comprehensive data about the ethics education programs at medical schools in Turkey. To this aim, we designed a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire survey which focuses on the content, teaching years, teaching, assessment and evaluation methodologies, workforce and infrastructure. We delivered the questionnaire to all medical schools in Turkey. Seventy-nine medical schools participated in this study (response rate: 78%).ResultsAlthough most institutions had an undergraduate ethics curriculum (91.1%), the findings suggest deficiency of teaching personnel (34.2% had no instructors). Furthermore, the distribution and composition of the workforce was imbalanced. The content varies largely among institutions. Medical schools with an ethics department were more likely to diversify teaching topics. However, ethics education was largely based on the four-principle approach. The content was usually conveyed to students theoretically. Around 90% of schools had classroom lectures. It is the only method used at one-third of them. Clinical ethics education was mostly lacking. Multiple-choice tests were widely used to assess and evaluate student attainments (86.1%).ConclusionsStaff qualified to teach ethics and ethics education integrated into the six-year medical curriculum given by a multidisciplinary team are urgent necessities. Considering teaching, assessment and evaluation methodologies used, most medical schools seem to fall short of fostering students to develop ethical attitudes. Endeavors aiming for modern topics should be encouraged. As the organization ethics education change continuously, we think that a platform for monitoring ethics education at medical schools in Turkey should be established. Such a body would help ethics instructors to network and find solutions to current problems and build shared wisdom.

Perspectives of Pharmacy Graduates Toward an Undergraduate Ethics Course and Its Potential Impact on Their Professional Practice.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to gauge the opinions and attitudes of pharmacy graduates toward an undergraduate ethics course they received and to explore if the ethics course was relevant to their practice.Sample and MethodsThis online questionnaire-based study involved pharmacy college graduates (alumni) who, at the time of the study, were practicing in different practice settings and who had all graduated from the same college of pharmacy in Qatar. An online questionnaire comprising 27 items related to attitudes, perceptions, and impact of the undergraduate ethics course on professional practice was distributed through email to all eligible alumni. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed for data analyses, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant.ResultsOf 119 invited graduates, 62 (52.1%) responded to the survey. About 73% of the respondents were satisfied with the ethics course received and 77.5% agreed that the course helped them in applying ethical principles in practice. Over 57% of the respondents discussed ethical issues in practice and 84.2% of these reported that the discussions were influenced by having had the ethics course. Barriers to applying ethical principles and discussing ethical issues in practice included lack of time (41%) and lack of reliable resources (23.1%). Participants’ years of experience did not influence their attitudes toward the ethics course and its impact on professional practice (p>0.05 for both). However, practicing in a hospital setting or completing postgraduate education had a significant influence on the perception of the impact of the course on professional practice (p=0.036 and p=0.035, respectively).ConclusionA large proportion of pharmacy graduates value the ethics course received during their undergraduate program in pharmacy. The course appeared to have a positive influence on graduates’ professional practice. Future studies should investigate specific areas that need to be reinforced in the curriculum and reliable reference resources should be developed and/or identified.

Moral distress among community pharmacists: causes and achievable remedies.

This study aims to explore the incidence of moral distress experienced by UK community pharmacists through the deployment of a previously developed and validated survey instrument to a national sample. An e-mail inviting pharmacists to complete an on-line questionnaire developed to measure moral distress was successfully delivered via the mailing list of a nationwide support organisation for the pharmacy profession. Completed questionnaires were subjected to statistical analysis to determine to what extent common practice scenarios generated moral distress in community pharmacists. Time constraints represent the greatest source of moral distress for United Kingdom (UK) community pharmacists, scoring highest for both frequency and intensity of distress. The supply of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) in opposition to religious beliefs scored lowest. Possible underlying causes of moral distress are discussed in the light of our results, and potential mechanisms for reducing the incidence of moral distress for this professional group are considered. The reduction in the frequency and occurrence of moral distress is best achieved by the creation of morally habitable workplaces, where possible triggers can be identified and avoided. Structured undergraduate ethics education and accessible postgraduate training and resources could provide a meaningful opportunity to support pharmacists in exercising their moral competency or moral agency. Moral distress provides a reliable indicator of constraints in the form of policies, legislation and regulations, and the structural and relational aspects of the working environment in which pharmacists practise. This provides invaluable information in the search for strategies to reduce the recurrence of this phenomenon.

Thinking about Thought Experiments in Ethics

In this paper, we propose some ways in which teaching thought experiments in an ethics classroom may result in marginalizing or excluding students underrepresented in philosophy. Although thought experiments are designed to strip away details and pump intuitions, we argue that they may reinforce assumptions and stereotypes. As examples, we discuss several well-known thought experiments that may typically be included in undergraduate ethics courses, such as Bernard Williams’s Gauguin and Derek Parfit’s The Young Girl’s Child. We analyze the potential value and dangers or teaching these thought experiments. We conclude with some practical suggestions for how to teach thought experiments in ways that encourage students to expand their moral imaginations and think critically about their own assumptions and the assumptions built into thought experiments.

Critical Review of Eight Highly-Rated Books on Moral Theology: Finding a Common Ground For an Ethics Education Program

Critical Review of Eight Highly-Rated Books on Moral Theology: Finding a Common Ground For an Ethics Education Program

Fitting It All In? A Census of Undergraduate Ethics and Leadership Courses in Accredited U.S. Journalism and Mass Communication Programs

As journalism and mass communication programs struggle to help prepare their students for the unknown digital future, many are answering the industry call to inject curricula with the instruction of digital skills. However, this likely comes at the cost of teaching long-standing conceptual courses, including media ethics, or introducing new ones, including media leadership. Although university administrators are likely to say their curricula adequately address these issues, the reality is that they may not. This study analyzed undergraduate degree requirements for all accredited U.S.-based journalism and mass communication degree programs ( N = 119) to evaluate the course offerings in ethics and leadership.

Exploring the potential contributions of mindfulness and compassion-based practices for enhancing the teaching of undergraduate ethics courses in philosophy

There are numerous ethical theories from which faculty may choose to teach in undergraduate philosophical ethics courses. Whether learning such theories results in ethical behavior change remains an open question. If one of the goals of teaching ethics is to support ethical behavior, then alternative approaches are merited. Within the past decades, there has been a growing emphasis on mindfulness and compassion-based practices in particular, as applied to psychotherapy in the field of psychology. Such findings have bearing on ways in which compassion-based practices might be fruitful in the philosophical ethics classroom. This article will identify issues with the dominant approach to teaching philosophical ethics, focusing on the need for a bridge between theory and action. It will also explore the potential benefits of utilizing mindfulness in the classroom, with a focus on compassion-based practices such as loving-kindness, to contribute to meeting this need to enhance the teaching of undergraduate philosophical ethics.

Why Ideology Matters for Learning: A Case of Ideological Convergence in an Engineering Ethics Classroom Discussion on Drone Warfare

The relationship between ideology and learning remains insufficiently theorized and sparsely investigated in the learning sciences. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s theorization of ideology, Judith Butler’s notion of the (un)grievability of lives, and Sara Ahmed’s construct of stickiness, we illustrate how insights from critical social theory are indispensable to understanding processes of learning and how perspectives from the learning sciences can enrich critical social theory. Through the analysis of a classroom discussion on the use of militarized drones in an undergraduate engineering ethics course, we show how ideological convergence among participants constructed locally significant categories of “civilian,” “terrorist,” and (un)grievability, which narrowed the possible trajectories for students’ disciplinary learning in engineering and engineering ethics. Our analysis also shows that fleeting moments of ideological expansion offered opportunities for new learning; however, most of these instances of possibility were not sustained through the classroom discussion. We explicate how ideological convergences and expansions, as interactional achievements, profoundly matter for disciplinary learning and students’ identities. In conclusion, we explore the implications of our findings for broader contexts of learning and for the field of the learning sciences.

Can virtue be learned? An exploration of student learning experiences in ethics courses and their implications for influencing moral character

AbstractWhat does it mean to teach virtue, or to learn it? We consider this question through an institutional review board (IRB) supported research study attending to student learning experiences in undergraduate ethics courses at a Catholic university with an explicit commitment to social justice. This essay draws on and interprets qualitative data concerning the outcomes of select pedagogical approaches that involve exposing students to the experiences of others: the use of narratives; participation in structured experiential learning activities; and community engagement through deep listening and facilitated dialogue. We focus our interpretation around the implications of these pedagogies in relation to student understanding of and attitudes regarding three character traits identified as “other‐regarding” virtues in theological and philosophical scholarship – altruism, compassion, and solidarity. This paper considers the implications of these pedagogies and the practical effects of different sorts of teaching strategies on students' self‐understanding as moral agents.

Bullying: University Students Bring a Moral Perspective to Middle School Students

The prevalence of bullying and cyber-bullying in younger age groups has led to the inclusion of bullying in school-level curricula to address the seriousness of this issue and the prevention of these types of behavior. Higher education in its philosophy curricula can play a significant role in this regard as well. Proposed in this paper is an undergraduate ethics course Bullying and Moral Responsibility in which bullying is addressed from a moral perspective. This course has an academic-service learning component whereby this moral perspective is introduced to middle school students by university students. Peer learning of this sort might be of assistance in anti-bullying efforts.

Civic learning and teaching as a resource for sexual justice: An undergraduate religious studies course module

AbstractCivic learning and teaching, a form of critical and democratically engaged pedagogy, is utilized in an upper‐level undergraduate sexual ethics course to leverage public problem solving around the sexual violence on a mid‐size Catholic collegiate campus. Through the course, students, faculty, staff, and community members work together to deepen understanding of the causes and consequences of sexual violence within society and the local community in order to evaluate and design programming for bystander intervention, education, and sexual violence prevention advocacy. After a discussion of the application of civic teaching and learning to sexual violence, the course module describes the learning outcomes and assignments used to assess them. See as well Donna Freitas's response to this essay, “The Risk and Reward of Teaching about Sexual Assault for the Theologian on a Catholic Campus,” published in this issue of the journal.

Bridging the education–action gap: a near-peer case-based undergraduate ethics teaching programme

Undergraduate ethics teaching has made significant progress in the past decade, with evidence showing that students and trainee doctors feel more confident in identifying and analysing ethical issues. There is...

Leading from the whole: values-based integrated leadership at EILEEN FISHER, Inc.

Synopsis The case is set in the Fall of 2008 as Susan Schor, Chief Culture Officer, at EILEEN FISHER Inc. is meeting with the other two members of the Facilitating Leader Team, Jim Gundell, Vice President of Retail and e-Commerce and Jonci Coukier, Vice President of Design and Merchandising Processes, as well as founder, Eileen Fisher. Faced with significant projected financial loss in 2009, Susan reflected on the evolution of the company as influenced by her perspective with her organizational behavior expertise and collaborative leadership that embraced a values-based culture. Stories, voices and structures are examined in this retrospective view as Dr Schor sets the stage for how this example of best practice leadership will tackle the challenge at hand. Research methodology The research for this case was conducted over an 18-month period with over 40 interviews, extensive observation of the various teams at EILEEN FISHER Inc., and review of corporate communications, publications and other secondary sources. This case focuses on stories and voices that explain the unique leadership of EILEEN FISHER. The use of extensive quotes allows for an authentic “hearing” of the experiences and values as well as allowing the students to better understand the nature of qualitative data. Some of the discussion questions are posed as experiential exercises as this method allows the students to better relate to understand and apply values concepts. Relevant courses and levels Graduate and undergraduate organizational behavior, leadership, retail management and ethics.

Perceptions of Pediatric Nurses on Ethical Decision Making Processes

The purpose of this study was to determine how pediatric nurses decide on ethical issues in sample cases and how they evaluate those issues in terms of ethical principles, as well as to determine the problem-solving approaches that they recommend in this regard. Qualitative methods were used in this study and the data was collected from 100 pediatric nurses using a demographic data form and an open-ended questionnaire. The demographic data form included questions about the characteristics of nurses and their participation in decisions made about ethical issues. Whereas the open-ended questionnaire consisted of questions regarding sample cases, which were developed by the investigators using current literature. Forty-four percent of the pediatric nurses reported an attempt to solve ethical issues that they encountered through their professional experiences using personal values. On the other hand, 53 % of the pediatric nurses stated that their decisions were sometimes taken into consideration in the treatment plan of their own patients, while 49 % reported that they could not participate in decision-making regarding patients’ discharge. Seventy-six percent of the pediatric nurses did not define the ethical issues in the three sample cases. However, in other cases, most of the nurses evaluated ethical issues correctly and recommended correct approaches. No statistically significant difference was found between their educational backgrounds, professional experiences, the ethical issues that they evaluated, and the approaches recommended for problem solving. It is recommended that nurses receive more undergraduate and in-service ethics training in order to develop appropriate approaches toward the ethical issues they will encounter during their professional lives.

Subjectivity About Sexual Ethics Among Korean Undergraduate Students Using Q Methodology

Most undergraduate students are in the phase of gaining mental and physical autonomy from their parents as they expand their worlds. The ways that sexual ethics are established during this time may have an important influence on healthy lifestyles and the maintenance of social order. This study aims to determine a typology of undergraduate students' sexual ethics and the characteristics that compose the types. Q methodology, which analyzes the subjectivity of each type of attitude, was used. The 44 selected Q statements from 43 participants were classified into the shape of a normal distribution using a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. The results revealed three discrete groups of students with respect to sexual ethics: traditional absolute purity type, open-minded compromise type, and rational responsibility type. The results of this study indicate that different approaches to educational programs on sexual ethics are recommended for undergraduate students based on the three types studied.

The role of professional knowledge in case-based reasoning in practical ethics.

The use of case-based reasoning in teaching professional ethics has come of age. The fields of medicine, engineering, and business all have incorporated ethics case studies into leading textbooks and journal articles, as well as undergraduate and graduate professional ethics courses. The most recent guidelines from the National Institutes of Health recognize case studies and face-to-face discussion as best practices to be included in training programs for the Responsible Conduct of Research. While there is a general consensus that case studies play a central role in the teaching of professional ethics, there is still much to be learned regarding how professionals learn ethics using case-based reasoning. Cases take many forms, and there are a variety of ways to write them and use them in teaching. This paper reports the results of a study designed to investigate one of the issues in teaching case-based ethics: the role of one's professional knowledge in learning methods of moral reasoning. Using a novel assessment instrument, we compared case studies written and analyzed by three groups of students whom we classified as: (1) Experts in a research domain in bioengineering. (2) Novices in a research domain in bioengineering. (3) The non-research group--students using an engineering domain in which they were interested but had no in-depth knowledge. This study demonstrates that a student's level of understanding of a professional knowledge domain plays a significant role in learning moral reasoning skills.