Titled ''Apprehension of Ethics in the practice of Czech teachers'', my Master's Thesis opens with elaborating on the term ''competention'' as the objective of education in the 21st century. Putting the ethic education in the European context, I then investigate the practical teaching cases in particular countries. The existing concepts of T. Lickona, M. Berkowitz and R.R. Olivar are described in the third chapter. After that the ethic education in the Czech Republic comes in to the focus; with a special attention being given to its institutional framework. The chapter number four analyses a teacher of the ethic education; it explores further options for ethic education in offer; and the selection of various teaching materials that differ among each other in their ethical and philosophical approaches and learnings. Using the phenomenological method, the last part of the Thesis presents a qualitative research on the various approaches taken by the teachers of ethic education. It particularly focuses on how the teacher's personal value system is projected in the education process and thus affects opinions and values of her students.

The changes in economy in addition to globalisation have impacted upon the audit profession. After the economic crisis in the 2000s, the audit profession was deemed to be a cause of the corporate collapse due to unethical behaviour of auditors. This issue also impacts upon auditing instruction worldwide, including Thailand where political and economic crises along with corruption issues have become significant and urgent problems in the Thai society. There has been a high scrutiny on capabilities, competence and ethics of auditors from the public and other stakeholders, whereas there is scant evidence to show whether Thai educators take action on enhancing holistic attributes of their auditing students, in particular, ethical sensitivity of the students. Thereby, Thailand needs to reform the quality of audit education in order to serve qualified graduate students to the business environment. This thesis developed a set of reflective case studies as an instructional intervention for auditing learning. It aims to enhance professional knowledge, skills and ethics of auditing students in Thailand. Four learning theories comprising Transformative Learning Theory (TLT), Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), Reflective Learning Theory (RLT) and Project-based Learning Theory (PLT) were applied as the theoretical framework. In addition, this thesis applied concepts of qualitative and action research together with the ADDIE instructional development as the practical framework for the development of an instructional intervention. There were five phases of the ADDIE model: Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate applied to organise the empirical work. Two empirical fieldworks were conducted within university settings in Thailand. The first fieldwork complied with the analysing phase of the ADDIE model exploring current practice and problems of audit instruction in Thailand in order to identify performance gap of the audit education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 11 universities with 34 participants who were audit lecturers and students in five regions throughout the country. The results showed that in general, audit instructors in Thailand mostly applied traditional teaching methods. However, there were problems of audit instruction comprising inappropriate learning strategies of the students, lack of staff and learning resources, deficiencies of knowledge and skills of audit students and lack of ethical awareness of the students. Significantly, the participants required case studies in Thai context as a learning tool to enhance the knowledge, skills and ethics of Thai auditing students. These elements were determined as performance gap which was required to improve. In response to the results of the first empirical fieldwork, the thesis applied the design and development phases of the ADDIE model to develop a set of reflective case studies for auditing students. A framework for the development of case studies derived from other professional education such as law, medicine, nursing and engineering where such real-life case studies have been successfully used to enhance ethical sensitivity of students. Additionally, concepts of reflective writing and audit working paper were applied in the cases studies. Other instruments such as guidance for lecturers and students were also developed for Thai auditing students. All instructional resources were validated by experts. The final version was refined and approved before the implementation. The second empirical fieldwork complied with the implement and evaluate phases of the ADDIE model. An experiment conducted with 77 auditing students in Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. In addition, there were 15 participants who voluntarily participated in the reflective writing activity and the focus group interview. The results revealed that before the cases’ implementation, students had negative views on auditing learning. However, during and after the implementation, students had reformed their way of learning, attitudes towards auditing learning and ethical sensitivity.

ABSTRACT An ethics curriculum is an integral part of most health profession courses. This thesis will explore using a qualitative approach to investigate the learning and application of professional ethical practice by Flinders University speech pathology students. This work will identify factors that may influence students’ readiness to learn about ethics. The knowledge, skills and attitudes that underpin professional ethical practice which speech pathology students were able to demonstrate at the conclusion of their entry level course will be illustrated. Also described will be the factors, identified by students and academics and field educators, which may influence student learning of this complex area of practice. To explore this topic, the results of “The Defining Issues Test” (Rest, 1979b) of moral judgement development, independent and scaffolded case studies, as well as group and individual interviews with students, and individual interviews with academic and field educators have been used. Results from this study suggest that a significant number of the undergraduate speech pathology students involved in this study found learning and applying ethical principles difficult, as their ability to reason morally remained conventional and rule bound. At the point of graduation, the students applied clinical and ethical reasoning skills, whilst emerging, were not yet well developed. The ability of students to demonstrate the integration of ethical theory and practice appeared limited. This lack of integration may be influenced by the fact that few field educators could report being exposed to formal ethical theories and ethical reasoning approaches during their own undergraduate education. Some of the more generic ethical practice skills reported by academics as being embedded throughout the speech pathology course, such as communication, team work and the seeking of professional support, were more clearly demonstrated by students. Results of this study suggest that exiting students and newly graduated speech pathologists require ongoing support in the area of professional ethical practice. More explicit embedding of the theoretical underpinnings of the ethics knowledge base throughout the curriculum may be required. To be able to support the integration of professional ethical practice in students and new graduates, speech pathologists currently practising in the field who did not receive formal ethics education during their own degree or since, may require ongoing professional development in the formal knowledge base pertaining to professional ethical practice.

Ethical behavior and moral judgment are fundamental issues facing the accounting profession today. Changes in the ethical culture of accounting have brought about a crisis of ethical misconduct in the profession. External forces for better ethics in accounting, represented by Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation, and internal forces, represented by increased educational coverage encouraged by state societies and the AACSB, are attempts to influence the current crisis. Research in the field of ethics and moral judgment in the accounting profession continues as researchers continue to examine factors influencing the ethical reasoning abilities of accountants and accounting students. The results of these studies may assist accounting schools and the accounting profession in controlling and improving the ethical orientation of the accounting profession. This study examines the possible relationship of ethics education and moral reasoning of undergraduate and graduate accounting students. Limited previous research on these two variables has provided mixed results. This study examined undergraduate and graduate accounting students at six colleges and universities in the upper mid-west and southern region of the United States. The variable of ethics was measured with Rest's DIT-2 instrument and ethical education by completed ethics courses. The results of this study demonstrate a significant relationship between ethics education and the moral reasoning of accounting students. However, the results were not in the expected direction, with the accounting students completing ethics education having a significant lower level than the accounting students without ethics education. In addition, this research found that accounting students who are 22 years of age or younger possess higher levels of ethical reasoning than accounting students who are older than 22 years of age. However, the findings show that there are no significant differences in the ethical maturity levels of accounting students when grouped by gender and education level. These findings support the need for further research into determining factors influencing moral judgment in undergraduate and graduate accounting students.

Este trabalho tem como objeto a educação em valores e o papel da Bioética no ensino superior, especificamente em cursos de Engenharia. Em suas diversas modalidades (mobilidade, transporte, saneamento, edificações, eletrônica, energia, etc.) a Engenharia tem impacto que proporciona aumento ou redução de expectativa e qualidade de vida e segurança. Considera-se que uma abordagem bioética transversal pode estabelecer pontes entre humanidades e ciência e tecnologia, promovendo reflexão a partir do referencial da preservação da vida com o máximo de qualidade possível para a atual e as futuras gerações. A pesquisa aqui apresentada tem caráter qualitativo e foi motivada pela busca, por parte de alguns alunos e professores de Engenharia, de materiais sobre o tema e a constatação de sua escassez em língua portuguesa. Assim, desenvolveu-se uma investigação a partir do seguinte problema: em relação às abordagens tradicionais da Ética para Engenharia, em que a Bioética pode ser um diferencial e por quê? Como pode ser um programa de Bioética destinado a área da Engenharia? Para responder a essas questões, investigou-se primeiramente a educação em valores em cursos de Engenharia previamente selecionados. A seguir, foi realizada pesquisa acerca de conteúdos em formação em valores nas grades curriculares e ementas de cursos de Engenharia. Por fim, os sujeitos selecionados (coordenadores de graduação na área) foram inquiridos acerca da educação em valores no ensino superior em geral e nas engenharias em especial, bem como a relação entre Bioética e formação de Engenheiros. Poucos sujeitos responderam. As respostas recebidas possibilitaram conhecer dos mesmos quanto à educação em valores na Engenharia, o papel da Bioética, os conteúdos, formato, métodos e resultados esperados. Entretanto, a inexistência de materiais em língua portuguesa, a ausência do tema nas grades curriculares e as não respostas por parte dos sujeitos podem indicar que a educação em valores e não apenas a Bioética, é uma área silenciosa, uma lacuna a ser preenchida nos cursos de Engenharia. / This work presents the education in values and the role of Bioethics in higher education, specifically in engineering courses. In its several modalities (mobility, transport, sanitation, civil building, electronic, energy, etc.), Engineering has an impact that provide increase or decrease of expectancy and quality of life and safety. It´s considered that a transversal bioethical approach could establish bridges among humanities and science and technologies, promoting reflection from the benchmark of life preservation with maximum possible quality for present and future generations. The research presented here has qualitative approach and was driven by the search, by some Engineering students and professors, for materials about the theme and its scarcity in Portuguese. Therefore, it was developed a research from the following problem: in reference to traditional approaches, in what can Bioethics be a differential, and why? How could a Bioethics program for engineering areas be? To answer these questions, it was researched first the values education in Engineering courses previously selected. Next, it was made a research on values formation contents in Engineering curricula and syllabuses. At last, the selected subjects were surveyed about values education in higher education in general and in Engineering in special, as the connection between Bioethics and Engineering formation. Just a few subjects responded. The answers received made possible to know their opinion on values education in engineering, the role of Bioethics, the contents, formats, methods and expected results. However, the nonexistence of materials in Portuguese language, the absence of theme in curricula and the non-responses by subjects can indicate that values education - , and not just Bioethics, is a silent area, a gap to be filled in Engineering courses.

Este trabalho tem como objeto a educação em valores e o papel da Bioética no ensino superior, especificamente em cursos de Engenharia. Em suas diversas modalidades (mobilidade, transporte, saneamento, edificações, eletrônica, energia, etc.) a Engenharia tem impacto que proporciona aumento ou redução de expectativa e qualidade de vida e segurança. Considera-se que uma abordagem bioética transversal pode estabelecer pontes entre humanidades e ciência e tecnologia, promovendo reflexão a partir do referencial da preservação da vida com o máximo de qualidade possível para a atual e as futuras gerações. A pesquisa aqui apresentada tem caráter qualitativo e foi motivada pela busca, por parte de alguns alunos e professores de Engenharia, de materiais sobre o tema e a constatação de sua escassez em língua portuguesa. Assim, desenvolveu-se uma investigação a partir do seguinte problema: em relação às abordagens tradicionais da Ética para Engenharia, em que a Bioética pode ser um diferencial e por quê? Como pode ser um programa de Bioética destinado a área da Engenharia? Para responder a essas questões, investigou-se primeiramente a educação em valores em cursos de Engenharia previamente selecionados. A seguir, foi realizada pesquisa acerca de conteúdos em formação em valores nas grades curriculares e ementas de cursos de Engenharia. Por fim, os sujeitos selecionados (coordenadores de graduação na área) foram inquiridos acerca da educação em valores no ensino superior em geral e nas engenharias em especial, bem como a relação entre Bioética e formação de Engenheiros. Poucos sujeitos responderam. As respostas recebidas possibilitaram conhecer dos mesmos quanto à educação em valores na Engenharia, o papel da Bioética, os conteúdos, formato, métodos e resultados esperados. Entretanto, a inexistência de materiais em língua portuguesa, a ausência do tema nas grades curriculares e as não respostas por parte dos sujeitos podem indicar que a educação em valores e não apenas a Bioética, é uma área silenciosa, uma lacuna a ser preenchida nos cursos de Engenharia. / This work presents the education in values and the role of Bioethics in higher education, specifically in engineering courses. In its several modalities (mobility, transport, sanitation, civil building, electronic, energy, etc.), Engineering has an impact that provide increase or decrease of expectancy and quality of life and safety. It´s considered that a transversal bioethical approach could establish bridges among humanities and science and technologies, promoting reflection from the benchmark of life preservation with maximum possible quality for present and future generations. The research presented here has qualitative approach and was driven by the search, by some Engineering students and professors, for materials about the theme and its scarcity in Portuguese. Therefore, it was developed a research from the following problem: in reference to traditional approaches, in what can Bioethics be a differential, and why? How could a Bioethics program for engineering areas be? To answer these questions, it was researched first the values education in Engineering courses previously selected. Next, it was made a research on values formation contents in Engineering curricula and syllabuses. At last, the selected subjects were surveyed about values education in higher education in general and in Engineering in special, as the connection between Bioethics and Engineering formation. Just a few subjects responded. The answers received made possible to know their opinion on values education in engineering, the role of Bioethics, the contents, formats, methods and expected results. However, the nonexistence of materials in Portuguese language, the absence of theme in curricula and the non-responses by subjects can indicate that values education - , and not just Bioethics, is a silent area, a gap to be filled in Engineering courses.

AbstractThe purpose of this essay is to investigate the views Swedish elementary school teachers produce on the subject of ethics. The teachers’ thoughts on selection among ethical notions is described and also how these notions are assessed. The essay proceeds from the central content and the knowledge requirement in the syllabus of religious knowledge. The empirical survey is based on qualitative scientific interviews with four teachers employed in grades 4-6 at different schools.The teachers find ethics in its current state of the syllabus hard to define and they find encounters with parents and pupils difficult in their tasks. The selection of ethics is decided by previously planned basic values education or from conflicts erupting during schools hours. Difficulties with selection of ethics leads to the education only providing the essentials. Assessment of ethics is best performed in small groups where pupils may discuss and thereby present their level of knowledge to their teacher. Teachers believe assessment of ethics is problematic since they have to evaluate the pupils performed knowledge without letting their own personal ethic beliefs interfere in the process. / SammandragSyftet med det här examensarbetet var att ta reda på hur svenska grundskolelärare ser på ämnet etik. Lärarnas tankar kring urvalet som görs av etiska begrepp beskrivs och även hur dessa begrepp senare bedöms. Examensarbetet utgår från kursplanen i religionskunskaps centrala innehåll och kunskapskrav.Den empiriska undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer som genomförts med fyra lärare verksamma i skolåren 4-6 vid olika skolor.Lärarna anser att etiken i sin nuvarande form i kursplanen är svårdefinierad och de möter svårigheter i mötet med såväl föräldrar som elever i genomförandet av sitt arbetsuppdrag. Urvalet av etik till undervisningen styrs av på förhand planerad värdegrundsarbete eller utifrån konfliktsituationer som uppstår under skoldagen. Svårigheterna med urvalet av etik leder till att undervisningen oftast blir av en väldigt grundläggande karaktär. Vid bedömningen av etiken bör eleverna diskutera i mindre grupper för att visa upp sina kunskaper menar lärarna. Lärarna anser att bedömning av etik är svårt då de måste betrakta elevens förmågor utan att väga in sina egna värderingar i förhållande till elevsvaren.

Cette thèse fut réalisée en codirection avec la Faculté des sciences de l'éducation de l'Université de Montréal. Elle fut produite grâce à l’importante contribution financière de nombreux organismes subventionnaires, soit le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH), le Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC); aussi financés par le CRSH, le Projet religion et diversité (dir. Lori G. Beaman, Université d’Ottawa), le projet IRTG-Diversité (Groupe international de formation en recherche sur la diversité) (dir. Laurence McFalls, Université de Montréal; dir. Ursula Lehmkuhl, Université de Trèves), la Chaire en gestion de la diversité culturelle et religieuse (CGDCR) dont Solange Lefebvre est titulaire ainsi que la Faculté de sciences des religions et théologie de l’Université de Montréal. / Le programme québécois non confessionnel d’Éthique et culture religieuse (ECR) exige de ses enseignants une posture professionnelle d’impartialité et d’objectivité. Cette dernière suscite une controverse sociale et des poursuites judiciaires. Les détracteurs du programme, comme ses défenseurs, invoquent l’impartialité de l’enseignement pour justifier leur position, mais en y conférant un sens différent. Malgré l’importance de cette question, aucune recherche empirique ne propose d’analyser l’impartialité des enseignants. Sur le plan théorique, on rencontre une diversité d’usages des concepts. Cette thèse propose une clarification de la question, tant sur le plan théorique que pratique. Une analyse approfondie de la posture professionnelle d’impartialité exigée en ECR est effectuée en première partie. S’ensuit une clarification des concepts d’impartialité, d’objectivité et de neutralité. Si le terme neutralité semble dominer la littérature en éducation et en politique, l’objectivité est principalement utilisée pour définir la posture du chercheur scientifique et le savoir qu’il produit. De son côté, l’impartialité est le parent pauvre de la littérature, particulièrement en éducation. Elle se trouve mieux définie dans le domaine de la justice et du droit, qualifiant surtout l’impartialité du juge. Dans la deuxième partie de cette thèse, la méthodologie, les résultats d’analyse d’entrevues et ceux des observations sont présentés en examinant comment les enseignants d’ECR problématisent et négocient avec l’exigence d’impartialité professionnelle. La thèse innove aussi en analysant tant le propos que la mise en pratique de cette exigence d’impartialité en ECR chez 12 enseignants « typiques » ou « exemplaires » au secondaire provenant de milieux socioculturels différents (écoles privées confessionnelles ou publiques non confessionnelles de milieu multiculturel ou non multiculturel), répondant aux questions suivantes : Comment les enseignants conçoivent-ils l’impartialité exigée en ECR? Comment l’impartialité exigée en ECR est-elle mise en pratique dans l’enseignement d’ECR au secondaire? Réalisées à partir d’une approche déductive thématique, les analyses transversales des observations non participantes en classe et des entrevues semi-directives d’enseignants permettent de cerner les liens existant entre l’analyse théorique des prescriptions du programme ECR réalisée en première instance et les données qualitatives recueillies en deuxième instance. Dans la discussion sont présentés les six principaux résultats se dégageant des analyses des 12 enseignants participants. Proposant une réflexion critique sur l’impartialité exigée en ECR, les résultats empiriques sont approfondis par les analyses théoriques, contribuant aussi à éclairer la question dans les domaines préoccupés par des défis professionnels similaires. Le premier résultat indique qu’il n’y a aucune influence des variables personnelles ou professionnelles des enseignants participants sur leur compréhension et leur mise en pratique de l’impartialité professionnelle exigée en ECR. Le deuxième rappelle qu’il existe une polysémie et une confusion conceptuelle entre les termes neutralité, impartialité et objectivité, tant chez nos enseignants que dans la littérature. La thèse propose à ce sujet des voies de clarification utiles. S’appuyant sur une typologie de l’impartialité élaborée en première partie, le troisième résultat explique que l’impartialité absolue ou « axiologique » est généralement rejetée. Le quatrième résultat rappelle que la notion de distance critique s’avère être le fondement de l’impartialité exigée en ECR. Le cinquième montre les différences entre l’impartialité religieuse et éthique, les questions d’endoctrinement religieux et d’expression ou non des croyances religieuses personnelles dominant la question de l’impartialité. Quant au sixième résultat, il résume les nombreux problèmes associés à l’exigence d’intervenir à partir des finalités du programme, ces finalités renvoyant à des concepts polysémiques et flous pour les enseignants. / The non-denominational Quebec program Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) requires that its teachers adopt a professional stance that is both impartial and objective. The program has provoked social controversy and lawsuits, with its critics appealing to teacher impartiality to justify their position, but interpreting it differently than do its advocates. Despite the importance of this issue, no empirical research has been put forward to analyze teacher impartiality. As for theory, we find these concepts used in a wide variety of ways. This dissertation proposes to clarify the issue, from both a theoretical and practical perspective. In the first section, we present an in-depth analysis of the professional stance of impartiality required in ERC. Following that is an explanation of the concepts of impartiality, objectivity and neutrality. While the term ‘neutrality’ seems to dominate educational and political literature, objectivity is mainly used to describe the stance of scientific researchers and the knowledge they produce. As for impartiality, it is the ‘poor cousin’ in literature, especially in education. It is more clearly defined in the domains of justice and law, characterizing in particular a judge’s impartiality. In the second section of this dissertation, we present the methodology used and the results of analyzing interviews and observations, by examining how ERC teachers problematize and negotiate the requirement of professional impartiality. Our innovative approach analyzes not only the implementation of this ERC impartiality requirement, but the discourse of 12 ‘typical’ or ‘exemplary’ secondary school teachers from different sociocultural settings (private denominational or public non-denominational schools, with multicultural or non-multicultural environments). The teachers replied to the following questions: How do teachers conceptualize the impartiality required in ERC? How is the ERC impartiality requirement put into practice in ERC teaching in secondary schools? The use of a thematic deductive approach (transversal analyses of non-participant observations in class and semi-directed teacher interviews) allows for the identification of existing connections between a theoretical analysis of the ERC program in the first case and the qualitative data gathered in the second case. Six primary conclusions emerging from these analyses are discussed. Proposing a critical reflection on the impartiality required in ERC, empirical results are clarified by theoretical analyses, which also aids in understanding the issue in fields where similar professional challenges are faced. The first outcome indicates that personal or professional variables in teachers have no influence on their understanding and implementation of the professional impartiality required in ERC. The second emphasizes the existence of polysemy and conceptual confusion concerning the terms neutrality, impartiality and objectivity, in teachers’ minds as well as in literature. In this regard, this dissertation suggests some useful paths of clarification. Next, based on a typology of impartiality developed in the first section, the third result explains that absolute or ‘axiological’ impartiality is generally rejected. The fourth conclusion reminds us that the idea of critical distance proves to be the foundation of the impartiality required in ERC. The fifth outcome demonstrates the differences between religious and ethical impartiality, with issues of religious indoctrination and the expression or non-expression of personal religious beliefs dominating the issue of impartiality. Finally, the sixth result summarizes the numerous difficulties associated with the requirement of intervening in accordance with program goals, as these goals refer to concepts that teachers find to be polysemous and vague.