The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that computer science educators have about computer ethics. The study focused on four areas: (1) the extent to which computer science educators believe that ethically inappropriate practices are taking place (both on campus and throughout society); (2) perceptions of such educators about…

A Bayesian approach for finding latent classes in data is discussed. The approach uses finite mixture models to describe the underlying structure in the data and demonstrate that the possibility of using full joint probability models raises interesting new prospects for exploratory data analysis. The concepts and methods discussed are illustrated…

This paper examines how teachers begin to think about ethics. A partnership between one elementary educator and one doctoral student writing her dissertation on educational ethics was formed. The project has grown to include four vantage points, or sightlines for viewing this issue. The four views come: (1) through the lenses provided by the…

Ethical behavior, particularly among young people, is of increasing concern to various segments of society. Before this or any behavior can be influenced, an understanding is needed of the factors that shape it, including social influences, cognitive and emotional factors, and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to examine students' knowledge…

Independent schools have traditionally held the view that education must address the whole person, not only the intellectual, artistic, and physical dimensions of life but also the fourth dimension, the spiritual or religious dimension. The spiritual dimension has a place in school life, and character development or moral education is primarily…

This paper reports the findings of a survey of rural northeastern Kentucky high school teachers on the questionnaire "What Do You Really Believe?," an instrument originally developed by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) and revised to assist in identifying a potential set of Core Values to which a majority of the public might subscribe. The present…

Even while struggling with their own biases and values, communication scholars can and should teach a unit on ethics in the basic communication course. One possible approach begins on the cognitive level by describing four different orientations toward ethics: hedonistic, legalistic, altruistic, and situational. By working out case study…

Research indicates that the overwhelming majority of preservice teacher education programs in the United States do not offer significant instruction in the methodology of teaching character, morals, values, and virtue. Consequently, upon graduation these beginning teachers are ill-equipped to deal with the complex social and behavioral problems…

Curricula are both the arena and the result of the struggle for hegemony in educational discourse and practice, but teachers have some freedom to give their own interpretations to the values they want to develop in their students. This paper gives examples of how teachers combine stimulating the development of specific values with teaching…

Since teen violence, crime, drug abuse, and teen pregnancies are a concern to parents and educators, this study looks at the values that are important to adolescents. The sample consisted of 550 Kentucky high school students in one state who completed a values survey (included). Results show that overall, teens reached consensus, (i.e., 67% of the…

This study investigated the strategies that teachers apply to moral dilemmas they encounter in their professional conduct. The case study explored the moral dilemmas as identified by 33 teachers from one particular lower-secondary school near Helsinki (Finland). In personal interviews the teachers were asked to identify the difficult moral…

This paper investigates the importance of responsible teaching, examining how professionally empowered teachers can move students in the direction of becoming empowered and independent learners. It explains that empowerment is integral within teacher education. Teachers must provide minimum conditions for success in terms of responsible teaching…

Prior research suggests that while males tend to equate justice with fairness, females associate justice with a responsiveness to individual circumstances that embodies an ethic of care. This document reports the conclusions of research examining what conceptions of justice are embedded in the taught curriculum and whether male and female teachers…

This document examines the results of a law education workshop designed to change teacher attitudes on various aspects of legal-ethical behavior. One hundred and eight Atlanta elementary and secondary school teachers were pre and postested on nine attitudes. These include attitudes toward (1) teacher conduct in a situation leading to bodily harm…

This paper presents the theoretical perspectives that supported one university instructor's rationale for teaching seminars on the Moral Classroom, examining her understanding of her experiences. The first section discusses her rationale for offering the Moral Classroom for new practitioners and experienced teachers, which stemmed from three…