The focus of this unit is a theoretical and practical exploration of ethics in relation to education and teacher identity. It encourages you to consider how particular philosophical ideas inform educational values, how these values relate to your identity as a teacher, and how they might be articulated into your own ethical teaching practice. You will gain and apply skills in appraising these ideas and evaluating their impact on educational practice. This process will assist you to arrive at the foundations of your own understanding of the philosophy and ethics of education, which will be built upon as you progress through your degree and teaching career.

The rationale for this unit is that your teaching practice is strongly influenced by your philosophical stance on teaching and the ethical implications that flow from this. You will explore these issues by engaging with philosophical theory, critical reflection, ethical reasoning, tutorial and peer discussion, and your assessment tasks.

The unit focuses on three main areas: 1) the development of critical reasoning skills will underlie and be woven through your approach to, 2) teacher identity and its relation to ethics, as well as inform your understanding of, 3) a number of key contemporary issues in the philosophy of education.