**1. Introduction**

#### **1.1 Background of the study**

Ethical professional practice in teaching is about professionalism, responsibility, justice, equity, ensuring a healthy and safe environment for students, avoiding corruption, honesty-truthfulness and trust, impartiality, professional commitment, continuous improvement, respect, and the effective use of resources [1]. Moral questions of good or bad in human behavior have been posed since ancient times [2]. There is a growing interest in the past two decades on the moral essence of teaching and ethical

professionalism by researchers such as David Carr, Gary Fenstermacher, David Hansen, Philip Jackson, Robert Nash, Hugh Sockett, Jonas Soltis, Kenneth Strike, and Alan Tom. Moreover, in many studies, it is emphasized that teachers should be given ethical education before their employment and assigned to provide services to students and other people. It is accepted that ethical education is important for ethical attitudes, behavior, and decisions.

Yildirim and Simsek [3] state that teachers should have the ethical knowledge and skills required by their profession. According to Campbell [4], the moral and ethical principles that teachers undertake in the way they interact with their students and other people, and in the handling of their professional responsibilities form the basis for one aspect of their moral institution. Teachers have the obligation to comply with a set of principles that define professional behavior after getting involved in the profession. These principles are reflected in the codes of ethics that serve as the standards of professional conduct and practice procedures set out for the education profession and the public [5]. Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of students constitutes one of the prime ethical responsibilities of teachers [6].

Unlike the aforementioned studies, there are studies that draw attention to unethical behaviors in the relationship between teachers and other stakeholders. For instance, in the findings of a study by Yıldırım et al. [7] students revealed that their teachers display negative behaviors, including physical and psychological violence, communication barriers, and injustice. Similarly, the study carried out by Dilekmen [8] found that teachers exhibit undesirable behaviors in the classroom environment. Furthermore, a study conducted by Çetin and Demirkasimoglu [9] indicated that the unethical behaviors of teachers include harassment, and physical and psychological violence against students.

Teachers' ought to show respect and common courtesy for students both during interpersonal interactions and in responding promptly to students' need for guidance and feedback. Caetano and Silva [10] explained in their finding that ethical dimensions are important in our education system and are specified in several legislative documents, not only in relation to students and teachers but also in terms of their significance for professional performance. John [11] claims that teachers as professionals are responsible in one of the most ethically demanding jobs, to provide education to the young generation.

According to the Connecticut Code of Professional Responsibility for Teachers Connecticut State Department of Education [12], there are three types of responsibilities bestowed on teachers: responsibility to the student, to the profession, and to the community. Moreover, the Ontario College of Teacher's Ethical Professional Standards Ontario College of Teachers [13] for the teaching profession aims to inspire members to reflect and uphold the honor and dignity of the teaching profession, identify the ethical responsibilities and commitments in the teaching profession, and promote public trust and confidence in the teaching profession. Accordingly, there are four main professional ethical standards in teaching. Care: members express their commitment to students' well-being and learning through positive influence, professional judgment, and empathy in practice; Respect: members honor human dignity emotional wellness and cognitive development. Trust: members' professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians, and the public are based on trust. Integrity: continual reflection assists members in exercising integrity in their professional commitments and responsibilities.

According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Education [14], there are three domains of teaching with their standards and performance indicators. These are professional

#### *Teachers' Ethical Professional Practices in Higher Education Institutions: An… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109651*

knowledge, professional practice, and professional engagement. Professional knowledge includes knowing the students and how they learn as its standard. Professional practice consists of planning for and implementing effective teaching-learning, creating and maintaining supportive and safe learning environments, and assessing and providing and reporting on student learning. Professional engagement incorporates standards, such as engagement in professional learning, and collaborating professionally with colleagues, parents/caregivers, and the community. With respect to this, the Education and Training Policy [15] of Ethiopia, under paragraphs 3.4.3. and 3.4.6., states that teacher education and teaching components will emphasize basic knowledge, professional codes of ethics, methodology, and practical training. Moreover, it states that the criterion for professional development of teachers is based on continuous education and training on professional ethics and teaching performance.

The Senate legislation of Haramaya University [16] outlines duties and responsibilities expected from an academic staff of the university. These include preparing graduates who are competent in terms of knowledge and skills (38.3.2), refraining from discrimination against any individual or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex or creed, and religion (38.3.6), consulting and advising students (38.3.15), carrying out required tasks in an effective and efficient manner (38.3.24), informing students well in advance if and when he/she cannot be available for teaching (38.3.26), conducting class regularly without missing except for majeure reasons (38.3.27), avoiding acts and situations that are intimidating to students (38.3.29), and arranging make up for all missed classes due to involvement in other work (38.3.33).

The researchers were convinced to study the issue of teachers' ethical professional practices in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences because despite all the aforementioned ethical standards specified in the guideline of the Ministry of Education, the Ethiopian Education and Training Policy, and the Senate Legislation of Haramaya University, there are reports of unethical professional practices and the inability of teachers to accomplish duties and obligations to the required level. There are exemplified by complaints lodged by students against their teachers. Moreover, teachers' behaviors were not evaluated. In addition, there is paucity of research studies conducted on ethical professional practices of teachers in the university that initiated me to carry out this study. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' ethical professional practices and pinpoint the status of teaching profession in College of Education and Behavioral Science. Based on this, the following basic research questions were posed.


#### **1.2 Theoretical framework**

The study is based on Piquemal [17] ethical framework that fits well to the ethical standards of professional teaching. According to this theoretical framework, there are four underlying principles in the teaching profession. These are a commitment to difference or to the "relational other" [18]; respect for persons [19]; commitment to the reciprocity [20]; and a sense of care [21]. Through understanding the commitment to differences, teachers recognize their students' irreducible otherness and develop a classroom environment that students could truly be who they are. Respect is crucial in teacher-student relationship. It should be mutual. The real respect generates from dedication to the profession and to their work [19]. Buber [20] suggests that teacherstudent relationships ought to be characterized by a principle of reciprocity. Teaching academically is a primary responsibility of a teacher. Students' well-being need be developed in a caring environment and guided by caring teachers. Noddings [21] states learning can be a lot more effective in caring environment. Sometimes, students' affective needs require more attention than academic needs.
