Teacher ethics training for learners with special educational needs

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore and describe the experiences of five teachers at an independent mainstream school in Pretoria on the ethics training they received in their undergraduate years. The conceptual framework supporting this study was guided by constructs from the professional ethics perspective, the deontological perspective, the consequential theory, and virtue ethics. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, this study provided insight into the experiences of these participants’ undergraduate ethics training and how it equipped them to make ethical decisions relating to learners with special educational needs. Data were generated through a focus group. The findings suggested that the participants received inadequate ethics training during their undergraduate years and felt unequipped to support learners with special educational needs. They experienced uncertainty when confronted with ethical dilemmas. As such, they often relied on mentoring to obtain guidance and support when faced with ethical dilemmas. The participants recommended that training institutions in future should include a specific module on ethics. They further recommended that a refresher ethics course, as well as a formal induction programme for new teachers, would be beneficial to achieve good teaching practices.