Dana Visser

001186311
EDUC-4321 Social Issues in Education
Aaron Stout
Assignment #2

Task 1: Analyze and evaluate the overarching vision of education.

There are many common themes about the purpose of education that come up in these

documents. Firstly, the dominant idea of utility. One of the main purposes of education is to

create contributing members of society. This is stated in the Alberta Education Act through the

idea that education is the “foundation of a democratic and civil society”. Education, as stated in

the Education Act, should establish “ethical citizens who demonstrate respect, teamwork and

democratic ideals”, all of which are essential to being positive members of society. The topic of

utility is also discussed further in the inclusion of programs that prepare students either for post-

secondary or for entry into the workforce. This concept of utility has been a part of education as

long as education has been around. Education has been used primarily to “prepare people for

productive work and responsible citizenship”. The commitment to utilitarian education has been

stated mainly at a government level.

Next, the idea of exploring individuality has become increasingly important in developing

the vision of education here in Alberta. The Education Act states that one of their perceived

purposes of education is to “inspire students to pursue their interests”. Now whether or not this is

actually happening in education is another question. Another aspect of individuality that comes

up through these documents is personalizing programs and meeting the specific needs of

students. In the Code of Conduct, implementing personalized instructional programs that meet

the specific needs of each student is actually listed as one of a teacher’s professional

responsibilities. Furthermore, the TQS states that teaching to the specific learning needs of all

students is of utmost importance. Again, whether or not this actually occurring in schools or if it

is an idealistic notion is seen on a case-to-case basis. Some schools really delve into the
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importance of personalized programs and meeting student needs on a one-to-one basis, where-as

others often end up teaching to an “average” and letting some students fall through the cracks. I

believe that the idea of seeing students as unique individuals is essential and should actually be

emphasized even more in our education documents.

The idea of an inclusive education has become a significant concept in Albertan education. In

the Teaching Quality Standard, one of the professional obligations of teachers is stated as

“providing an inclusive learning environment in which diversity is respected and members of the

school community are welcomed, cared for, respected and safe.” Now this idea of inclusive

education is fairly new, but extremely vital to the successful education of empathetic and

understanding students in our diverse country. Each of the documents we studied further

emphasizes the importance of respect for each other’s differences. In fact, the very first point in

the ATA’s Code of Conduct is that “the teacher teaches in a manner that respects the dignity and

rights of all persons without prejudice…”. I believe that the idea of establishing safe and

inclusive learning environments is vitally important, and I am so glad that it is seen throughout

each of these documents. I believe that this is seen as a significant part of education both on a

government level, as well as in the eyes of the ATA and school divisions.

The last idea I would like to highlight is the right to an education. All of these documents go

into detail about making education as accessible as possible to everyone. Both the TQS and the

Education Act describe the importance of accessibility. The entirety of part one of the Education

Act digs into the right of education to all, regardless of homelife or situational backgrounds. The

TQS points out that “all Alberta students have access to quality learning experiences…”. I think
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this is a key aspect behind the purpose of education. The purpose of education does not really

matter if no one is able to access this education.

Now these are merely a few examples of the many perceived purposes of education through

the eyes of the government, the ATA, and the individual school divisions and are definitely not

limited to just these few visions. From reviewing the documents, I can see many similarities that

are seen through each document. However, there seems to be more of an emphasis on utility and

developing civil citizens in the governments statements whereas it is not seen as much in the

ATA’s perspectives stated in the documents. This is interesting to point out because whereas the

government views global respect and understanding as the most important skills that students

develop during their time at school, the ATA seems to focus on aspects of individualism and

attending to student differences as the foundation of education.

It seems to me that these documents take into consideration the values outlined by

governments and educational associations, however, I am curious to know if they involve the

viewpoints of teachers, parents and students when deciding what is important in education. I do

not have an answer to this, but I am curious to know if perhaps by including the perspectives of

students and teachers, if there may be more disputes about what things are the most important in

an education. Perhaps by leaning in on student and teacher needs, the purpose of education

would change. The ethical implications of focusing on utility in education rather than on

individualism would change the way education is operated. This is why it is so important that

governments, districts, and schools are all on the same page when it comes to outlining the main

purpose of education. If I had to state the purpose of education in one sentence in terms of the

information outlined in the three documents it would be as follows: Education should develop
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creative and critically thinking individuals who, through individualized programming, are ready

to engage as contributing members of society.

Stout, A. (2020). Interview with Dr. von Heyking- The Purpose of Education. Retrieved from

https://moodle.uleth.ca/202002/mod/resource/view.php?id=9202

Province of Alberta. (2020). Education Act. Retrieved from https://moodle.uleth.ca/20200

2/pluginfile.php/62698/mod_resource/content/4/e00p3.pdf

Alberta Education. (2018). Teaching Quality Standard. Retrieved from https://moodle.uleth.ca/

202002/pluginfile.php/62696/mod_resource/content/0/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01-17.pdf

The Alberta Teacher’s Association. (2018). Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved from

https://moodle.uleth.ca/202002/pluginfile.php/62697/mod_resource/content/1/IM-4E%20 Code

%20of%20Professional%20Conduct.pdf

Task 2: Evaluate the role of the teacher in the policy documents

The Teaching Quality Standard and the Code of Conduct are governing documents that

outline the responsibilities of teachers in Alberta. Teachers are held to a very high standard in

Alberta, and as such, have many professional obligations to their students, colleagues, school

authorities, and to the teaching profession as a whole. In my opinion, the main ethical

responsibilities that teachers have are shown through the importance of relationships. The

documents emphasize relationships, not just with students, but for every party involved in

education: parents, colleagues, authorities, governments, etc. TQS #1 encompasses this idea

by elaborating on the importance of “Fostering Effective Relationships”. The Code of

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Conduct is primarily about relationships as it emphasizes how teachers are to act in relation

to pupils, school authorities, colleagues and to the profession. Engaging in effective

relationships is a stated responsibility, but also brings to the surface some implied

responsibilities including acting with empathy, developing cultural understandings, resolving

issues ethically, being able to make un-biased judgements when needed, and many more.

These implied consequences of partaking in meaningful and respectful relationships are just

as significant to the role of a professional teacher.

Like any profession, a teacher must also adhere to the legal policies and frameworks.

These are more black-and-white and perhaps less situational than personal responsibilities

such as “developing effective relationships”. These legal frameworks guide teachers as to

how to act professionally and are mainly outlined in the ATA’s Code of Conduct. As Jason

Schilling stated in his interview, these legal policies can be summarized as the responsibility

for teachers to “always act with dignity and respect”. Part 7 of the Alberta Education Act also

outlines the importance of professionalism in education. I believe these foundational

frameworks for teachers are important to understand as a baseline for educational practice.

As Jason pointed out, however, these are just the minimal frameworks that teachers must

adhere to. Teachers must follow all of these legal policies, not simply pick and choose from

them. It is a teacher’s ethical responsibility to act in a way that adheres to these policies and

promotes the professionalism appointed to the teaching profession.

In Alberta, there is an emphasis on both educational policies and teacher responsibilities

to the application of FNMI foundational knowledge. I think this is what makes our provinces

education so unique. TQS #5 requires all teachers to demonstrate an “understanding, and

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respect for, the histories, cultures, languages, contributions, perspectives, experiences, and

contemporary contexts of FNMI (peoples)”. This commitment to providing FNMI education

is also revealed through the Alberta Education Act. I believe education should teach our

students about cultural diversity and differing perspectives and therefore it makes sense to

me that the teachers in our province should be able to demonstrate that they have an

intercultural understanding in relation to the Aboriginal peoples of our province. It is a

teacher’s ethical obligation to acknowledge and develop an understanding of FNMI

perspectives.

I think that many of the roles and responsibilities outlined in these governing documents

are plausible in a real-life classroom situation as long as the proper supports are in place. For

example, in order to gain a true understanding for FNMI perspectives, I believe teachers

should have a FNMI liaison that they can reach out to in order to broaden and deepen their

understanding of historical and current issues. In the same way, I believe developing

meaningful relationships with each student is necessary and important, but this is only

plausible if they have the capacities to meet the needs of each student. This requires

educational assistants, programming alternatives and special education teachers, and a

collaborative effort amongst admin. Adhering to the legal frameworks outlined in these

documents is possible and, in my opinion, imperative to acting in a way that respects and

honors the teaching profession.

Stout, A. (2020). Interview on Purpose and Professionalism- Jason Schilling. Retrieved from

https://moodle.uleth.ca/202002/mod/resource/view.php?id=8893
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Province of Alberta. (2020). Education Act. Retrieved from https://moodle.uleth.ca/20200

2/pluginfile.php/62698/mod_resource/content/4/e00p3.pdf

Alberta Education. (2018). Teaching Quality Standard. Retrieved from https://moodle.uleth.ca/

202002/pluginfile.php/62696/mod_resource/content/0/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01-17.pdf

The Alberta Teacher’s Association. (2018). Code of Professional Conduct. Retrieved from

https://moodle.uleth.ca/202002/pluginfile.php/62697/mod_resource/content/1/IM-4E%20 Code

%20of%20Professional%20Conduct.pdf

Task 3: Constructing a reasoned judgment (I have taken the points of the argument map and

simply put them into an essay format, mostly because I was finding the argument map to be quite

crowded and hard to navigate.)

Question at Issue:

To what degree do ethical considerations guide teaching profession in Alberta?

Reasoned Judgement:

Teaching is an ethical profession in nature and thus is fundamentally grounded in ethics.

Alberta education advocates for an ethics of care model that meets the unique requirements of

each student.

Argument #1:

A student-centered approach to education has become more and more predominant in

Alberta’s educational legislations. This student-focused method of conducting education allows

for individual and situational factors to be taken into consideration when responding to
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situations in the classroom. This brings to the surface aspects of the ethics of care that is found in

our education system here in Alberta.

The ethics of care is defined as a “relational ethic based on the caring one responding to

the expressed needs for the cared one.” Student-centered education allows for teachers to meet

the expressed needs of each individual student without simply teaching and responding to the

“average.” By practicing aspects of the ethics of care, education is grounded on three ethical

values: relationships, empathy, and responsiveness.

The importance of relationships is showcased through all three governing educational

documents. The Code of Conduct is primarily situated around relational aspects of teacher

professionalism. Relationships are emphasized through this document as it highlights a teacher’s

professional responsibility to always act in a way that maintains “dignity and respect” of all

persons. In regard to relationships with students, this document reiterates ethics of care by stating

one of the professional responsibilities as “diagnosing (the) educational needs” of each pupil.

Similarly, the Teaching Quality Standard emphasizes the importance of relationships through

TQS #4: Establishing Inclusive Learning Environments. This section states the ethics of care by

expressing the teacher’s role as “recognizing and responding to (the) specific learning needs of

individual… students.”

The importance of respect and empathy in education is shown frequently in the governing

documents through the emphasis on inclusive learning environments. The Alberta Education Act

states that all students are entitled to a “welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning

environment…” Likewise, the TQS states that teachers must “act consistently with fairness,

respect and integrity” and “demonstrate empathy… for others”. Values of empathy are shown
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time and time again in the ethics of care and acting in an empathetic way is considered essential

when resolving issues.

Finally, responsiveness is tied in with relationships and promotes the use of

individualized programming for students in order to ensure success for all individuals. The

presence of an ethics of care perspective in our education system here in Alberta is fundamental

to our provinces’ inclusive teaching philosophy.

Argument #2:

Not only is education in Alberta responding to current ethical issues, but there are

structures in place within the governing education documents that require teachers to respond to

historical ethical issues within our province. It is compulsory for Albertan educators to recognize

and begin to reconcile past events that negatively impacted First Nations, Metis, and Inuit

peoples. Once again, the ethics of care is a main focus as educators are to teach empathy through

intercultural understandings. The focus on FNMI reconciliation is fundamentally ethical and

remains a major component that guides the teaching profession, as well as education, in Alberta.

Developing student “knowledge and understanding of FNMI perspectives” builds the

framework of our social studies programming here in Alberta. As many educators come to the

profession sometimes completely unaware of current and past FNMI issues, the Alberta

government has made it a professional obligation for teachers to develop understanding and

awareness of “FNMI histories, cultures, languages, contributions, perspectives, experiences and

contemporary contexts.” This requires all educators to demonstrate the engagement of career-

long learning so that they can relay culturally appropriate perspectives to their students. By

teaching our students about our province’s Aboriginal peoples, they can learn to develop
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empathy, respect, and responsiveness towards FNMI people, all which are pillars of the ethics of

care theory.

Growing student compassion and empathy through FNMI perspectives is a part of several

of the governing documents regarding education here in Alberta. In fact, the Teaching Quality

Standard has set aside an entire section, TQS #5, for necessitating Albertan educators to “apply

foundational knowledge about First Nations, Metis and Inuit” people. The TQS also emphasizes

the importance of relationships, another fundamental part of the ethics of care values, with FNMI

elders and persons as a key part of true understanding and reconciliation. Through true

collaboration with FNMI people, teachers are able to give their students real-life experiences in

examining ethical issues, both current and historical.

The Alberta Education Act also reveals the importance of celebrating FNMI cultures and

perspectives. Not only are all students able to learn about and from FNMI people, the Education

Act also requires educators to meet the diverse needs of FNMI students. It states, “the

government of Alberta is committed to encouraging the collaboration of all partners in the

education system to ensure the educational success of Alberta’s First Nations, Metis, and Inuit

students.” Once again, the main components of this facet of our province’s educational

requirements is grounded in feminist values from the ethics of care: relationships, empathy, and

responsiveness.

Counter Argument: Elaborate on your reason, and Examples and Evidence to support the

argument.

Promoting the ethics of care in education can sometimes be seen as controversial. By

responding to each individual’s needs, some students may require more attention or more help in
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certain areas. As well, one could argue that if we include a focus on FNMI perspectives in order

to encourage intercultural understanding in our students, we must also focus on other cultural

perspectives and histories. Because of these disputes, within an ethics of care framework, the

question becomes: Can fairness and equality realistically take place in the classroom?

Meeting the needs of every individual student would require many supports that we

currently do not have in our education system. Not only would teachers be expected to go out of

their ways to develop individualized programming for each student, but they would be required

to see these programs through in order for them to be deemed successful. Our classrooms are so

diverse; every student comes with differing perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, learned

knowledge, and values and because of this, it is simply impossible for an education system to

meet every perceived need of every single student. Currently we are also struggling with the

sizes of classes becoming much too large for this kind of practice to be feasible. Presently,

teachers are struggling with meeting the needs of students and by focusing on ethics of care

sentiments of such extreme inclusive practices, teachers simply do not have the ability to achieve

success. Although the ethics of care theory in education is an idealist sentiment, it would require

many more supports that we simply do not have in our capacities currently.

As well, by solely requiring students to focus on developing intercultural perspectives

through FNMI issues, both current and historical, we are narrowing their cultural exposure. We

must then also confront issues of our refugees, those who suffered through Japanese internment

camps, and every other group of people that have been affected by our historical and

contemporary concerns. The ethics of care is not fully being lived out if we deny students the

exposure to other cultural perspectives and solely focus on one group of people.
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The ethics of care in education is an idealist, and unattainable way to guide the teaching

profession. We simply do not have the capabilities currently to properly achieve success in every

student through such exaggerated means.

Rebuttal:

The ethics of care theory provides a framework in which our province’s education

focuses on the core values of relationships, empathy, and responsiveness. Every individual in the

classroom is unique and comes with different knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. By

advocating for an ethics of care approach to education in Alberta, teachers are given the freedom

to determine the specific needs of their class and work in a way that is suitable to seeing success

in each of their students. The student-centered approach to teaching that comes as a result of the

emphasis of the ethics of care values is allowing more students to thrive through individualized

programming. Teachers determine the needs of their students, establish how to respond to these

needs, and then react to the child’s needs.

FNMI perspectives are of utmost importance in our province. In order to truly reconcile

our province’s history, we must continue to grow and learn in our understandings of these

perspectives. Encouraging collaboration and relationships between educators and FNMI people

will allow for students to gain these understandings through first-hand knowledge and

experiences.

In closing, the teaching profession is entirely grounded in ethics and it is our professional

responsibility as educators to respond to the ethical issues that are placed in front of us. The

ethics of care values of relationships, empathy, and responsiveness, provide a framework upon

which educators can act when resolving issues.


Task 4: Self-Evaluation
Criteria
Analysis of the Purpose of Education
 A close examination of the
relevant documents provides an
accurate representation of the
goal/ purpose of education.
 The articulation of the purpose
of education is clearly
connected to the policy
documents (documents are
quoted when appropriate).
 Ethical implications of the
goals/ purposes of education are
clearly and accurately
explained.
Analysis of the Teaching Profession
 A close examination of the
relevant documents provides an
accurate representation of the
roles and responsibilities of
the teaching profession.
 The articulation of the purpose
of the teaching profession is
clearly connected to the policy
documents.
 Ethical implications of the
goals/ purposes of education are
clearly and accurately
explained.
Reasoned Ethical Judgment
 The reasoned judgment clearly
and accurately addresses the
inquiry question.
 The reasoned judgment is
based upon clear criteria and
evidence.
 The reasoned judgment is deep
and detailed providing strong
arguments that speak to the
complexity of the issue.
 The reasoned judgment takes
into consideration purpose,
assumptions, implications, and
interpretations of the policy
documents.
 The reasoned judgment follows
Dana Visser
001186311
EDUC-4321 Social Issues in Education
Aaron Stout
Assignment #2
Assignment clearly reflects the Assignment generally Assignment does not
standard reflects the standard address key aspects
of the standard
- A close examination of -Ethical implications
the relevant documents of the goals/ purposes
provides an accurate of education are
representation of the goal/ clearly and accurately
purpose of education. explained.
-The articulation of the
purpose of education is
clearly connected to the
policy documents
(documents are quoted
when appropriate).
-A close examination of -Ethical implications
the relevant documents of the goals/ purposes
provides an accurate of education are
representation of the roles clearly and accurately
and responsibilities of the explained.
teaching profession.
-The articulation of the
purpose of the teaching
profession is clearly
connected to the policy
documents.
-The reasoned judgment -The reasoned
clearly and accurately judgment takes into
addresses the inquiry consideration
question. purpose,
-The reasoned judgment is assumptions,
based upon clear criteria implications, and
and evidence. interpretations of
-The reasoned judgment is the policy
deep and detailed documents.
providing strong -The reasoned
arguments that speak to judgment is a strong
the complexity of the and compelling
issue. perspective that
-The reasoned judgment considers divergent
follows logically from the perspectives.
analysis of the documents.
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logically from the analysis of

the documents.
 The reasoned judgment is a
strong and compelling
perspective that considers
divergent perspectives.