Code of Professional
Conduct: Code of Ethics for Student Teachers
Preamble 鈥 A Student-Centred Perspective
Preamble 鈥 A Student-Centred Perspective
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Mandate
A joint subcommittee consisting of members from two standing
committees of the Faculty of Education (Faculty of Education Ethical Review
Board and Student Standing) was created to develop a Code of Ethics for Student
Teachers and to examine the ways in which this Code will be communicated to
students, faculty members, and educational partners.
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Goals and Rationale
The interests of the two Standing Committees of the Faculty of
Education in promoting appropriate ethical and professional conduct have led us
to develop the following Code of Ethics for Student Teachers. This code seeks
to respond to and address the following needs:
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The Code addresses the
interdependent duties, rights, and responsibilities of student teachers, faculty
members, and educational partners.
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By addressing common
issues and needs, the Code seeks to articulate and make explicit ethical
principles that transcend disciplinary boundaries. These principles reflect the
fundamental values that are expressed in the duties, rights, and
responsibilities of all involved in Teacher Education.
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The Code requires a
reasonable flexibility in the implementation of common principles. It is
designed to help those involved in Teacher Education, as a matter of sound
ethical reasoning, to understand and respect the contexts in which they work
and accommodate the needs of others.
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The Code seeks to
encourage continued reflection and thoughtful response to ethical issues. It
does not seek definitive answers to all ethical questions or situations.
Rather, it seeks to outline the guiding principles to ethical conduct and to
identify major issues that are essential to the development and implementation
of this Code.
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Context of an Ethics Framework for Student Teachers
The principles and norms guiding ethical conduct are developed
within an ever-evolving complex societal context, elements of which include the
need for reflective action and ethical principles.
Education is premised on a fundamental moral commitment to advance
and construct knowledge and to ensure human understanding and respect for
individual and collective well-being and integrity.
The moral imperative of respect translates into the following
ethical principles that assume a student-centred perspective as articulated in
the Quebec Curriculum Reform and Competencies outlined for Teacher Education.
Academic Freedom and Responsibilities
Academic Freedom and Responsibilities
Teachers enjoy, and should continue to enjoy, important freedoms and
privileges. However, with freedoms come responsibilities and ethical
challenges. This Code of Ethics is in keeping with the philosophy and spirit of
the New Directions that are embedded in the document 鈥淭eacher Training:
Orientations, Professional Competencies鈥 (MEQ 2001) and the reflective practice
literature.
The role of the teacher and the contexts of teaching have changed.
Thus, new resources (knowledge, skills, attitudes) are required to practice the
profession and to meet the challenges of teaching and learning in whatever
contexts student teachers may find themselves, and to engage in professional
development individually and with others.
Ethics and Law
Ethics and Law
鈥淭eaching is governed by a legal and regulatory framework鈥 (MEQ
2001, p. 120). The law affects and regulates the standards and norms of
teaching behaviours in a variety of ways such as respecting privacy,
confidentiality, intellectual property, and competence. Human rights legislation
prohibits discrimination and recognizes equal treatment as fundamental to human
dignity and well-being. Teachers should respect the spirit of the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly the sections dealing with life,
liberty, and the security of the person, as well as those involving equality and
discrimination and the Education Act that sets out the obligations and rights
of teachers.
Guiding Ethical Principles
Guiding Ethical Principles
Ethical student teachers should respect the following guiding
ethical principles:
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Respect for Human
Dignity
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Speaks and acts
toward all students with respect and dignity; and deals judiciously with them
at all times, always mindful of their individual rights and personal
sensibilities.
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Respects the dignity
and responsibilities of cooperating teachers, peers, principals, parents, and
other professionals or para-professionals within the school, school board, and
community.
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Respect for Vulnerable
Persons
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Respects and
recognizes ethical obligations toward vulnerable persons. This principle
recognizes that students are in a vulnerable position and that student teachers
are in a privileged relationship with students and their families and will
always refrain from exploiting that relationship in any form or manner.
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Respect for
Confidentiality and Privacy
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Respects the
confidential nature of all information related to students and their families
and will share such information in an appropriate manner only with those
directly concerned with their welfare.
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Respects the
confidential nature of all information related to all school personnel and will
share such information in an appropriate manner.
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Respect for Justice
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Respects and
recognizes the right of individuals to be treated with fairness and equity and
the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest.
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Respect for Safety of
Students
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Respects the right
of individuals to expect that student teachers will engage in practices that
aim to ensure the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of students.
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Respect for Existing
Ethical Codes and Professional Standards
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Respects the
authority, roles, and responsibilities of the cooperating teacher, and agrees to
adhere to the responsibilities and obligations for teachers as outlined in the
Education Act, Faculty, and University handbooks as well as all local agreements
by host school boards and schools.
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Balancing Harm and
Benefits
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Acknowledges that
any potentially harmful practices (e.g., science labs and physical education
activities) must be balanced with anticipated benefits and conducted in a
prudent, informed manner.
Putting Principles into Practice: Venues for
Communication
Putting Principles into Practice: Venues for
Communication
More than one principle may apply to a given case or situation. For
meaningful and effective implementation of these principles, they must be
widely communicated and applied in appropriate contexts.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2018-2019 (last updated Aug. 16, 2018) (
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