Ethical Decision-Making in
Art Education

See all Art Education in Practice titles.

By Christina Bain, Ph.D.

This addition to the Art Education in Practice Series is developed to help all art educators understand how beliefs, values, and morals form the cornerstone of ethical decision-making practice in Art Educator’s professional lives.

Teachers engage in internal conversations throughout the course of each workday, responding to a continuous stream of events, behaviors, and comments: “What’s the best way to do x or y (for example, glaze a pot or store used paint)?” or “How should I help that student?” In addressing these issues, teachers draw upon what they know and have learned through professional study and past experiences. In Ethical Decision-Making in Art Education, Christina Bain reminds readers that some situations in teaching seem weightier than others, challenging teachers to draw upon their values, beliefs, principles, and moral codes. “What is the morally or ethically right thing to do?” is different, in kind, from so many of the questions that emerge in teaching.

Teachers typically are not prepared to sort through issues that call for ethical decision-making. To make her point, throughout the book, Bain provides many real-life examples of situations where educators must consider the right or ethical thing to do. Grounded in ethics research, the goal of this book is to empower educators to recognize situations that present ethical dilemmas and to use strategies to decide what to do. Discover useful vocabulary and language to help recognize situations that call for ethical decision-making and develop strategies that are crucial for practitioners.

Table of Contents

• Introduction: Ethical Navigation for Art Educators
• Chapter 1: Becoming Ethically Literate
• Chapter 2: Applied Ethics for Educators
• Chapter 3: Morals and Values
• Chapter 4: Educator’s Codes of Ethics
• Chapter 5: Practicing Ethical Reasoning Skills
• Chapter 6: Following an Ethical Path
• Appendix I: Core Values Activity
• Appendix II: Extrapolate! Ethics Card Game
• Appendix III: Resources

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