Ethics in education

Abstract

As the idea of university education becomes more directly aligned to post university employment (for better or for worse) questions of whether it is possible to teach capabilities like critical thinking, or ethical reflection and action, and how they might be taught, require new discussion. Such questions go to the heart of what a university education should be. Too great a focus on disciplinary content, knowledge acquisition, or the application of skills might become an instrumentalist form of higher education that does not condition students to be ethically or critically reflective. Some faculty, however, question whether teaching ethics (or indeed other general graduate capabilities) falls within their role as disciplinary experts. (Abstract taken from first paragraph of document)