Activity 11: Applied and Professional Ethics

Create a blog post where you highlight key points from the article on Applied and Professional Ethics by Collste (2012) and discuss what you find relevant or applicable to your profession.


The key points most relevant to my profession highlighted by Collste is the identification and distinction between applied and professional ethics. 

Collste (2012) identifies applied ethics as:

"the art or science of reflecting on moral dilemmas and moral problems in different social contexts."

Whereas, Professional ethics is, on the other hand, a response to moral problems facing professionals in their work or also later described as virtue ethics. (Collste, 2012)

These professional ethics are what guide a professional entity, and those who work for them. 

As a teacher, we refer to the following document:

1) "Code of Ethics for Registered Teachers" 

The professional interactions of teachers are governed by four fundamental principles:
Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended,

• Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power,
• Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others,
• Truth to be honest with others and self

I believe that it essential for teachers to have an aligned and consistent guide to act as a foundation for the interactions we have with colleagues, whanau and students.  

The professional code of ethics help negate any vagueness or ambiguity of what is expected. And can also act as a guide for individuals who have a conflicting applied ethics.


References:

Collste, G. (2012). Applied and Professional Ethics. The Asian Journal of Humanities, 19(1), 17-33.

http://www.educationcouncil.org.nz/required/ethics/coe-poster-english.pdf