Professional ethics training in higher education

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed particular awareness of, and societal demand for, professional ethics. Increasing emphasis is being placed on the importance of including ethical considerations in university education, and on the decisive role played by universities in achieving rounded professional development. The ethical aspects of professional practice are seen to be essential for producing competent, effective professionals. The presented research addresses this issue in the context of aspiring professionals currently undergoing training, and aims to determine their attitudes and perceptions in response to certain key ethical issues. To this end, a mixed research methodology (first qualitative, and subsequently quantitative) was employed. The results reveal important pedagogical issues to be taken into account when designing professional training programmes, in line with the current trajectory of university didactics.