Critical and enduring questions for teachers are whose ethics or what ethics they should be teaching in schools and how, given the pluralism of the wider society. The focus of this study is to establish whether it is possible to identify a common, non-relativist basis for what should be taught in Ethics Education and then to consider how such an approach might best be undertaken. This task involves finding some basis for ethics that we all have reason to accept and requires an understanding of the nature of moral development and learning. An interdisciplinary approach has been undertaken to investigate whether it is possible to find a common basis for ethics and to determine what constitutes the nature of moral development and learning. In the first instance, this interdisciplinary approach has been used to investigate whether there is justification for believing that as human beings we share certain characteristics and patterns of behaviour, or a common humanity, the features of which might suggest a common basis for ethics that we all have reason to accept. This investigation examines empirical findings and theoretical conclusions relating to the sociobiological, psychosocial and sociocultural dimensions of human beings to support the notion that we share a common humanity which is characterised by a number of features. These features include the deeply reciprocal nature of our relationships with one another and the sociocultural nature of our moral learnings. Moreover, we are a highly interdependent social species whose survival and well-being are dependent not only on cooperation with one another but also with sustaining a satisfactory ecological balance with other forms of life within dynamic, natural systems. This interdependence suggests that the norm of having care for one another and our world is one that we all have reason to accept. This norm, in turn, suggests a telos, or set of goals for ethics, that involve the creation of a just and caring society. However, in order to realise such a telos for ethics it is necessary to provide some specific theoretical and practical guidelines related to deciding what constitutes the nature and scope of care within specific contexts. Accordingly, the study undertakes a brief review of contemporary approaches to ethics to evaluate the extent to which these provide a means for realising the ethical form of life based in the norm of having care for one another and our world. This review suggests that feminist theories of care provide the most promising basis for delineating what it is to care for one another and our world. However, it is also acknowledged that there are a number of limitations with existing theories of care. This study, therefore, undertakes a conceptual analysis of the nature and scope of care and outlines an extended ethic of care. This theorising recognises that care for others is characterised by the dimensions of responsiveness, the exercise of responsible action and is refined and amended by critical reflection. It is acknowledged that justice is intrinsic to the nature of care as is the exercise of a range of virtues. The scope of our caring responsibilities is seen to extend to all others in the global community, as well as all other species, while also requiring care for self, and care for particular others for whom we may have special familial or work-related responsibilities. The evaluation of what constitutes caring practice is also discussed and it is acknowledged that caring practices must meet minimum requirements in terms of respect for basic human rights and should contribute to the welfare and well-being of the recipients of care. This specification of the nature and scope of care, in conjunction with a consideration of the nature of moral learning and development, provides a basis from which to develop a philosophical foundation as well as a set of aims and objectives for Ethics Education. It is acknowledged that students need to develop a wide range of cognitive, emotional and social competencies in order to understand what it means to care for self and others within specific socio-cultural contexts and also to develop the sense of empathetic connection and affiliation to others that translates moral decisions into responsible moral action. It is hoped that the study provides the basis for beginning a dialogue in schools that involves students, teachers, families and members of the wider community about what it means to live the ethical form of life and how education itself might promote broadly such a form of life.

The state of moral decline has recently come under scrutiny in South Africa and abroad. Moral development is nurtured and developed by moral teaching. South Africa has put in place various avenues for moral education in order to curb moral degeneration. However, due to the continuing social ills that are experienced in the country further avenues of moral education ought to be explored. Due to the multicultural nature of the South African population, moral considerations should consider the strengths that cultural diversity in moral education can contribute toward a moral society. Moral teachings have been explored through education and religious chastity; however, the indigenous knowledge systems of South Africans have not been tapped in this regard. This is partly because the scientific world has not seen it fit to accommodate these knowledges in the knowledge production sphere. The study employed a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the role of traditional teachings in Batswana female initiation schools and how the traditional teachings contribute to morality and the construction of womanhood. A decolonial epistemic perspective, the African epistemology and social constructionism were used as concepts that formed a framework to allow the critiquing of main stream theories and to allow a grounded theory to emerge from a Batswana female initiation context. Unstructured interviews with initiation instructors as primary data sources were conducted. Secondary data sources included initiation songs and dance; conversations with people who are involved in initiation schools, people who are knowledgeable in Setswana culture and the cultural celebration that the researcher attended were used. The textual data was analysed using the Attride Sterling model of thematic networks. Womanhood as a particular identity and female morality as mainly determined by context are the main themes in the study. Womanhood and morality are intertwined within this context that determines womanhood according to acceptable behaviours. An ethic of responsibility was the overarching theme when analyzing how female morality and womanhood is constructed in the context of initiation schools in Taung. / Psychology / M.A. (Research Consultation)

Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D.Th. (Theological Ethics)

This thesis devotes to programs of ethics education for older school age in Czech Republic. The first part characterizes ethics education and its historical issue including specification basic ethics terms. This part describes ethics education and its place in basic education. In the end of first part is defined development of older school age and moral development. The second part characterizes three programs of ethics education for older school age in Czech Republic, which are used in formal education. These programs are Ethics education, Philosophy for children and Ethics workshop. Each from programs has specific conception. Finally of this part is adduced briefly comparisons of these programs.

The work deals with ethical education, which can be used in different areas of child's life through the program of Philosophy for Children. The theoretical part characterizes the child in a period of younger school age, describes his cognitive and moral development including important psychological aspects. Psychological knowledge becomes an important starting point for the practical part of the work. Education in different areas of child's life carries specific features of the environment. Educational subjects, such as family, school, leisure time, can participate in the upbringing of moral behavior. The development of children's moral reasoning can be supported by the knowledge of different ethical systems. Ways to work in Philosophy for Children can become a means of ethical education. The role of teachers, parents and leisure teachers has an important place in this educational process, especially in the implementation of ethical dialogues. The practical part offers three philosophical stories, with the main ideas and plans for discussion. The stories serve as an inspiration for cultivating the morals of children in different environments of their lives.

Syftet var att undersöka uppfattningar, ansvarstagande och åtgärder kring matchfixning. Urvalet bestod av totalt sju respondenter fördelade på två spelare, två ledare och tre styrelsemedlemmar. Respondenterna tillhörde föreningar inom Gävleborgs län idrottsförbund med koppling till fotboll och bandy. Studien bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer och har fair-play idealet, sociala konstruktioner och Kohlbergs moralutvecklingsteori som teoretiska utgångspunkter. Bearbetningen och analysen följde de tre stegen transkribering, datareduktionoch skapande av teman. Resultaten från intervjuerna delades in i de tre teman som bildades utifrån syftet och frågeställningarna. Vid temat uppfattningar uppvisade intervjuerna framförallt att det fanns bristande kunskaper angående matchfixning och ett ekonomiskt hot med anknytning till spelindustrins utveckling. I temat ansvarstagande framfördes att både idrottsrörelsen och de samhällsmässiga aktörerna bör integrera mer och ta större ansvar. Angående åtgärder var anblicken riktad emot spelutbudet, värdegrunden, samverkan mellan aktörer och en avskräckande bestraffning. I analysen framkom det att idrotten är i förändring med spelindustrin och synen på moraliska handlingar. Det är något som utgör ett hot mot idrottens kärna med god etik och moral, samt en försvårande omständighet i arbetet mot matchfixning. Slutsatsen är att det finns flera bekymmersamma aspekter inom samtliga tre teman och att det behövs ett gemensamt arbete gentemot matchfixningen. / The aim was to explore perceptions, responsibility and measures around matchfixing using an idiographic approach. The sample of consisted seven respondents with two players, two managers and three board members. The respondents belonged to associations in Gävleborg county sports federations linked to football and bandy. The study is based on semi-structured interviews and has the ideal of fair play, social structures and Kohlberg's moral development theory as the theoretical bases. The processing and analysis followed the three steps oftranscription, data reduction and creation of themes. The results from the interviews were divided into three themes that were formed after the purpose and issues. The respondent’s perceptions showed that there was a lack of knowledge regarding matchfixing and an economic threat related to the gaming industry. Regarding the measures they were directed against the betting line, values, interaction between performer and a deterrent punishment. The analysis revealed that sports is under change with the gaming industry and with a new different view of moral acts in sport. That’s something that poses a threat to the sport's good values with good ethics and morals, as well as an aggravating factor in working against matchfixning. The conclusion is that there are several worrying aspects in all three themes and a need for a common effort against matchfixing.

The aim of this study is to explore the assets that are available in the context of the school of industries that will promote the youth at risk’s psycho-social development using the asset based approach. The researcher followed a qualitative research approach guided by an interpretivist epistemology and employed a case study design in the natural environment. Multiple data collection methods (interviews, focus groups and documentation) were used in order to gain rich descriptions of the participants’ perceptions of assets available for the enhancement of the adolescent’s psycho-social development. Results indicate that many assets for example, human as well as physical resources, structures and procedures are currently used and can be effectively mobilized in the future at schools of industries to promote the development of the adolescent on personal, social and moral levels. Placement at a school of industries is beneficial to the youth at risk because he can continue his schooling and therapeutic counseling is available which will empower him to successfully return to the community. Dysfunctions in the system involved with the placement of youth at risk at schools of industries are currently preventing the use of the school of industries, involved in this research, as a community asset for the child- and youth care system. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

PhD (African Studies) / Department of African Studies / Moral degeneration is rampant among the youth across the globe. Juvenile delinquency and diversified social ills are prevalent and manifesting moral degeneration among the youth. This study sought to explore youth moral degeneration at Makuya area in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study is qualitative and exploratory in nature. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select twenty-eight research participants comprised of the parents, educators, youth, religious leaders, traditional leaders, social workers and SAPS officials. Data was collected using unstructured face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions to gain insights of youth moral degeneration challenges. The narrative analysis method was used to analyse and interpret data. The study found that moral degeneration among the youth at Makuya area is rife and is exemplified by the high rate of teenage pregnancies, teen parenthood, school dropout, alcohol and substance abuse, bullying trends, vandalism and other criminal acts committed by the youth in the Makuya area. The study recommended the use of a multi-pronged comprehensive youth moral regeneration strategy which emphasises the restoration, among the others, humanness, love, discipline, integrity, respect for authority, promotion of accountability and responsibility. / NRF

Auf Grundlage der These, dass die Qualität der erzieherischen Intervention nach kindlichem Fehlverhalten ein entscheidendes Lernfeld für den Regelerwerb ist, wurden Lehrer-Schüler-Interaktionen in einer ersten Klasse durch Teilnehmende Beobachtung im Längsschnitt über ein halbes Jahr lang untersucht. Ziel war es, die Art und die Häufigkeit von Regelverletzungen (Überschreitungen) und Lehrerinterventionen zu eruieren und diese Ergebnisse in Beziehung zur Taxonomie von Martin L. Hoffman über elterliches Erziehungsverhalten zu setzen. Es wurden zwei Kategoriensysteme zur Analyse von Überschreitungen und Lehrerinterventionen entwickelt, welche in der Lage sind, Interaktionsverläufe im Anfangsunterricht detailliert zu beschreiben. Insgesamt konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Schüler in erster Linie durch Unaufmerksamkeit, verbale und physische Aktivitäten die Unterrichtsregeln übertreten, dass die Häufigkeiten von Überschreitungen im Verlauf des 1. Schulhalbjahres abnehmen, Jungen häufiger in Übertritte verwickelt sind und die untersuchte Lehrerin ein sehr konstantes Verhalten in ihren Reaktionen auf Fehlverhalten an den Tag legt.

The dissertation focuses on the challenges of teaching “Foundations of Orthodox Culture” course to junior teenagers in general schools. Based on the analysis of age-specific psychological, pedagogical and cultural traits of younger teenagers as a specific cultural group, the author explores the main challenges faced by teachers of “Foundations of Orthodox Culture” curriculum in Russian general education schools. As a potential approach to overcoming some of these challenges, the author has designed a digital encyclopedic dictionary to facilitate modern (i.e. utilizing information and communication technologies) presentation of course materials both during the lessons and in extracurriculum activities. / Диссертация посвящена проблемам преподавания предмета «Основы православной культуры» младшим подросткам в общеобразовательной школе. На основе анализа возрастных психолого-педагогических и культурных особенностей младших подростков (как особой культурной группы) анализируются основные проблемы преподавания предмета «Основы православной культуры» в российских общеобразовательных школах. Как вариант разрешения ряда проблем предлагается авторский электронный энциклопедический словарь, ориентированный на современное (с использованием информационно-коммуникационных технологий) изложение материала на уроках и во внеурочной деятельности.