Submitted by: Amir Hamza

Submitted to: Ms. Momna Sumbal

Course Code: 8612

Assignment No: 01

Roll No: CA632345

Program: B.ed 1.5 Years

Q. 1 Which characteristics are necessary for a profession? Why a profession is not called
profession without these characteristics?

Answer:

Following are the characteristics of a profession:

1. Great responsibility
Professionals deal in matters of vital importance to their clients and are therefore
entrusted with grave responsibilities and obligations. Given these inherent obligations,
professional work typically involves circumstances where carelessness, inadequate skill,
or breach of ethics would be significantly damaging to the client and/or his fortunes.

2. Accountability
Professionals hold themselves ultimately accountable for the quality of their work with
the client. The profession may or may not have mechanisms in place to reinforce and
ensure adherence to this principle among its members. If not, the individual professional
will (e.g. guarantees and/or contractual provisions).

3. Based on specialized, theoretical knowledge

Professionals render specialized services based on theory, knowledge, and skills that are
most often peculiar to their profession and generally beyond the understanding and/or
capability of those outside of the profession. Sometimes, this specialization will extend to
access to the tools and technologies used in the profession.

4. Institutional preparation
Professions typically require a significant period of hands-on, practical experience in the
protected company of senior members before aspirants are recognized as professionals.
After this provisional period, ongoing education toward professional development is
compulsory. A profession may or may not require formal credentials and/or other
standards for admission.

5. Autonomy
Professionals have control over and, correspondingly, ultimate responsibility for their
own work. Professionals tend to define the terms, processes, and conditions of work to be
performed for clients (either directly or as preconditions for their ongoing agency
employment).

6. Clients rather than customers

Members of a profession exercise discrimination in choosing clients rather than simply
accepting any interested party as a customer (as merchants do).
 7. Direct working relationships
Professionals habitually work directly with their clients rather than through
intermediaries or proxies.

8. Ethical constraints
Due to the other characteristics on this list, there is a clear requirement for ethical
constraints in the professions. Professionals are bound to a code of conduct or
ethics specific to the distinct profession (and sometimes the individual). Professionals
also aspire toward a general body of core values, which are centered upon an
uncompromising and unconflicted regard for the client's benefit and best interests.

9. Merit-based
In a profession, members achieve employment and success based on merit and
corresponding voluntary relationships rather than on corrupted ideals such as social
principle, mandated support, or extortion. Therefore, a professional is one who must
attract clients and profits due to the merits of his work. In the absence of this
characteristic, issues of responsibility, accountability, and ethical constraints become
irrelevant, negating any otherwise-professional characteristics.

10. Morality
The responsibilities inherent to the practice of a profession are impossible to rationally
maintain without a moral foundation that flows from a recognition of the singular right of
the individual to his own life, along with all of its inherent and potential sovereign value.

PROFESSIONALISM

Professionalism means behaving in an ethical manner while assuming and fulfilling your rightful
responsibilities in every situation every time, without fail. To get a bit more granular, one can
say that it means, in part, conducting your affairs in such a way as to engender trust and
confidence in every aspect of your work. It means having the requisite ability to be worthy of the
confidence others place in you. It means having already made the right choices so that you attract
the right sort of client and work under good circumstances rather than having to continually
make the best of bad circumstances and take whatever is tossed your way, regardless of its
quality.

Perhaps most importantly, professionalism means, in every situation, willfully gathering

responsibility rather than avoiding it. Doing so is important because if you don't acknowledge
and assume the onus of responsibility in every aspect of your work you will seldom if ever make
the right choice to do what is necessary to achieve consistent success for your employer, your
employees, your clients, or yourself.

Important distinctions between Professionals and Non-Professionals

  A professional makes deliberate choices where others have choices made for them or
they simply react to what comes their way.

 A professional is afforded the luxury of making deliberate choices because he has

made deliberate preparations.

 A professional can make deliberate preparations because his understanding of and

familiarity with the relevant (professional) landscape informs him on how to prepare.
Also, like the chess master, he is trained to understand the inevitable results of hundreds
of different patterns; he has disciplined himself to observe the whole board and not just
the most immediate features or the area with the most tension in the game.

 A professional is seldom caught off-balance. The discipline for deliberate preparation and
the understanding that comes with it allow that even when something unexpected or
unfamiliar is introduced, a professional can quickly understand its basis and easily
extrapolate the appropriate tactic, strategy, or process for ethically and successfully
resolving issues.

 In this capacity, and most fundamentally, a professional habitually makes the right
choices because all of his choices are based on the integrity provided by his moral and
ethical foundation. Any choice of expedience over integrity can quite easily be
recognized by anyone as the wrong choice. Here, the professional simply acknowledges
what is obvious, makes the right choice, and acts deliberately.

Q. 2 What is professional responsibility? Describe its role in promoting values.

Answer:

There are certain professional values which are universal and appropriate for all scenarios,
whether it be at an interview, work experience or starting in a new role:

 Dress appropriately - if you are not sure of the dress code, ask!

 Punctuality - make sure you have planned your route and you are confident of turning up
on time (every day!)

 Politeness and respect for others - creates good working relationships with colleagues
and customers.
  Discretion and confidentiality - as well as being ethically right to protect sensitive
information, the Data Protection Act makes it illegal to share data beyond its intended
use.

 Honesty - you could damage your own or the organisation's reputation by lying or being
dishonest.

 Personal responsibility – if you have a deadline to meet, or have made a commitment to

do something then take responsibility for delivering on time. Don’t let people down,
make excuses or blame others if you are unable to honour your commitments.

 Continuing professional development (CPD) – taking responsibility for your own

learning, taking advantage of training available to you as well as seeking out
opportunities to learn new skills and develop your knowledge.  

As well as the above, each organisation is likely to have its own specific sets of values. You can
learn some of the values expected of you in a role through researching the organisation- take a
look at their 'About Us' or 'Why work for us?' pages, you are likely to find an indication of the
company's ethos, branding or position in the marketplace.

For example, taken from a job description for a role here at The University of Bradford:

"It is the responsibility of every employee to uphold the University values of:

 encouraging participation and openness;

 encouraging creativity and innovation;

 supporting academic freedom and respecting the right to express diverse points of view;

 providing equal opportunities for all staff and students to achieve their full potential;

 applying the best ethical standards in everything we do"

 And Cummins states that their 'mission' includes: 

 "Motivating people to act like owners working together.

 Exceeding customer expectations by always being first to market with the best products.

 Partnering with our customers to make sure that they succeed.

 Demanding that everything we do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment.

 Creating wealth for all stakeholders."

These wider values give an indication of what a organisation is like to work for, so you should be
happy that a company's ethos fits with your own before applying for a job. Otherwise, you might
find that a job is not the right fit for you once you have started in the role.

Q. 3 Describe purpose and structure of code of professional conduct. Also explain

commitment to professional renewal.

Answer:

Professional Code for Teachers repeats and makes explicit the values and standards that have
long been experienced by the teachers through their active participation in the field of education.

Purpose of the Code

The Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers should be applied to all teachers. Its purpose is
threefold:

It fills in as a directing compass as teachers look to control a moral and conscious course through
their career in instructing and to maintain the respect and pride of the profession of teaching.

It might be utilized by the teaching group and the more extensive open to inform their
comprehension and desires of the teaching profession.

It has a vital legitimate standup and will be utilized by the Council as a source of perspective
point in practicing its investigative and under the disciplinary capacities.

Part 5 of the Teaching Council Act, 2001, dealing with fitness to teach. Professional misconduct
by a registered teacher is defined in the following terms:

"(a) participating in lead which is in opposition to a code of professional conduct settled by the
Council under section 7(2)(b); (b) taking part in any misbehaving or improper conduct in his or
her professional limit or generally by reason of which he or she is unfit to teaching." It is
imagined that the Council will exercise its powers in this regard when the essential lawful impact
is given to Part 5 of the Teaching Council Act. In regard of every individual complaint against an

registered teacher, the Council, as indicated by its procedures, will consider whether the
complaint is sums to a genuine missing the mark with respect to the teacher, of the standards of
teaching, information, aptitude, skill and conduct that could sensibly be normal. Existing broadly
concurred strategies for managing troubles and protests at school level will keep on operating.
The Council trusts that, much of the time, these will offer the best means for settling issues as
they emerge in the everyday operation of the education system.

Structure of the Code

While considering the three purposes set out, the Code starts by setting out the moral foundation
of the teaching profession. This is embodied in the values of Respect, Care, Trust and Integrity
that are reflected all through the Code. All these important values are supported by the teacher in
the act of his/her teaching profession. The Code at that point sets out the measures which are
fundamental to the act of teaching and expected of registered teachers. The standards distinguish
educators' professional responsibilities and are defined the assertions under six separate
headings: integrity and conduct; righteousness; professional development; collegiality and
teamwork. The standards show the unpredictability and different variety of teaching and serve to
professional judgment and practice.

Q. 4 What is teacher renewal? Discuss role of professional dispositions in teacher renewal.

Answer:

Professional Dispositions are professional attitudes, values and beliefs demonstrated through
both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators interact with students, families, colleagues
and communities. These positive behaviors support student learning and development.

The Professional Education Unit has identified Professional Dispositions within the Unit’s
Conceptual Framework. These dispositions represent the attitudes and behaviors expected of all
educational professionals. Further, they reflect the values established by faculty members as
essential to the mission of the Unit.

The Professional Dispositions identified are embedded in program curricula, as well as modeled
and encouraged by members of the Unit. The candidate will develop and demonstrate
professional dispositions based on observable and measurable behaviors at various stages in the
program. The Professional Dispositions expected of educational professionals by the
Bloomsburg University College of Education include:

Uphold Professional and Ethical Standards

Candidates honor the law and demonstrate professional integrity through behaviors that reflect
national, state and institutional ethical standards.

o Complies with University and school district policies and procedures (e.g., meets
expectations, produces quality work, exhibits academic honesty, demonstrates good
citizenship)

o Adheres to local, state and federal rules and laws (e.g., creates a safe environment for
students, demonstrates ethical conduct, maintains professional relationships)
 o Communicates with honesty and integrity (e.g., uses appropriate language, maintains
confidentiality, treats all people with respect and dignity)

o Displays a professional demeanor (e.g., dresses appropriately, meets attendance

expectations, actively participates in class)

o Adheres to the all professional standards, including the use of technologies (e.g., accesses
authorized websites, uses personal electronic devises as appropriate)

Embrace Diversity

Candidates demonstrate fairness, empathy and compassion based on their belief that everyone
can learn. Candidates actively seek out multiple perspectives and diverse experiences to address
the academic, interpersonal and emotional needs of ALL learners.

o Exhibits fair treatment of others (students, colleagues, professionals, staff and families)
(e.g., promotes social justice, exhibits fairness in assessing students’ academic, social and
emotional development, promotes respectful students’ interactions with others)

o Interacts with sensitivity to community and cultural norms (race, ethnicity, age, gender,
sexual orientation, ability/disability and social economic status)

o Values and responds to all aspects of a child’s well-being (cognitive, emotional,

psychological, social and physical)

o Utilizes a full range of differentiated instructional practices (e.g., considers students’

strengths, needs and experiences when planning instruction, uses flexible groupings for
instruction, provides opportunities for all students to succeed)

Engage in Collaborative Endeavors

Candidates demonstrate professional interpersonal and communication skills. These skills are
used to promote positive partnerships (with and between learners: students, families, colleagues,
other school professionals, and the global community) to support achievement of learning
outcomes.

o Meets professional expectations (e.g., seeks help in a timely manner, completes

assignments on time, participates equitably in teamwork, is punctual, follows procedures
for extensions)

o Considers and responds to multiple perspectives (e.g., incorporates professional feedback

and constructive suggestions)
 o Demonstrates kind, caring and respectful interactions with others (e.g., maintains
emotional control, responds appropriately to actions and reactions of others, adapts to
unexpected or new situations, acts from a positive frame of reference)

o Utilizes professional oral and written communication based on the purpose and audience
(e.g., employs suitable tone of voice, verbal/nonverbal expressions, uses grammatically
correct sentences, exercises appropriate self-disclosure)

Reflect and Problem-Solve

Candidates demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions through systematic reflection and
problem-solving. Critical and creative thinking is used for identifying and implementing
strategies for improving academic, interpersonal and emotional learner outcomes.

o Accepts responsibility for personal actions or decisions (e.g., shows an understanding of

policies and procedures for professional behaviors and dispositions)

o Solves problems proactively (e.g., recognizes problems and seeks resolutions,

collaborates and problem solves with others)

o Seeks clarification and assistance as needed (e.g., seeks and utilizes human and material
resources)

o Engages in processes of continuous reflection based on relevant assessment data (e.g.,

utilizes systematic reflection processes for problem-solving and modifying educational
practices)

Value Life-long Learning

Candidates engage in professional growth and encourage curiosity and inquiry as reflective
agents of change by sharing knowledge responsibly and participating as a community resource.

o Completes assigned tasks that demonstrate high personal and professional standards

o Seeks to keep abreast of new ideas, evidence-based practices, and understandings in the
field to improve instructional practices and teaching activities (e.g., reads educational
journals, attends professional meetings and conferences, engages in professional
discussions with others)

o Demonstrates positive attitude toward learning through intellectual curiosity and

participation in professionally-related experiences (e.g., actively participates in class
activities and professionally-related associations, exceeds expectations for assignments,
tasks and teamwork)
 o Reflects upon teaching practices (e.g., identifies areas of strengths and needs, engages in
professional development based upon self-reflection)

Teacher education programs have a responsibility to establish, model and encourage the
development of positive standards of professional conduct. Teacher education programs should
also maintain screening and assessment procedures to assure candidate dispositions are not at
odds with professional standards or Unit expectations.

Additional professional behaviors that must be demonstrated throughout the field experiences
include:

o The candidate will review and adhere to the Pennsylvania Code of Conduct.

o The candidate will maintain student, family, and staff confidentiality.

o The candidate will acquire and maintain appropriate clearances.

o The candidate will review and adhere to policies and procedures of the specific school
organization.

o The candidate will advocate for high-quality, child-centered teaching practices utilizing
the appropriate supervisory channels, including requirements related to mandated reporter
status.

Q. 5 Describe teacher as a moral agent.

Answer:

Essentially, teacher is a noble profession which has a high ethical value. It holds a mission to
produce better humane generation for the nation. In this case, reality of education faced by the
teacher in wider context is to create humanization, a conscious and well-planned effort in
developing various human potentialities in multidimensional way, in which it becomes an ideal
and complete human; it is not about education in the narrow context (teaching or training). In
this humanity mission, teacher is obliged to understand deeply moral of self-identity, based on
Hart (2005), “Moral identity is a vital conception in human life at least for two reasons. First, it
helps us to understand not only moral example but also the cases of moral destruction. Second, it
is a bridging conception between philosophical conception about moral life and certain empirical
evidences from the ethic and psychological researches. Referring to Hart argument, moral
identity is a strong basis to build awareness of moral agency for the teacher. Moral identity also
serves as a compass in interpreting moral values critically. However, “moral values in human life
can influence and force human to establish a pure life and create goodness. It also gives benefit
among people which is based on the condition when human adhered and obey to the moral
policies, he will then have moral responsibility of his identity as a human” (Blasi, 1999). Moral
identity and the comprehension of moral values will support moral consciousness. Campbell
(2003, 2008) argues that “as a moral agency, teacher needs to have a high moral
consciousness.”In this case, the level of awareness is inserted when teachers develop their
capacity to identify how moral values and its sources become and how the ethic can be done
through the action, utterance, decision, and their own intention. This relationship is created
intellectually, emotionally, intuitively, philosophically, practically, and experientially. It happens
when the teacher makes a self-reflection and collective discussion with his colleagues about the
job they have been pursuedevery day”. Furthermore, Campbell (2003) suggests that Moral
Agency is the result of professional role and responsibility of the teacher, it is expressed and
confirmed in daily practice by giving role model, self-management, moral teaching, connecting
and advising and self-involvement. Moral agency is counseling about goodness and moral
principles and ethic which are intertwined from the difficulties both in life and in the classroom.
Regarding to Campbell (2003), (1) it is important to build trust toward the teacher that has
obligation as moral agency which is classified into two activities area: ethically doing a
professional action such as wisdom, discipline, altruistic, cooperative, visionary, responsible, and
full integrity to the job; and (2) teaching moral values using character education approach such
as honesty, just, bravery, patriotism, patience, empathy, etc. The purpose of character education
is to shape students’ identity to have a quality of moral character as well as good characteristic
performance. Moral character can be defined as the power to do a good thing anytime and
anywhere, while the characteristic of performance can be defined as capacity or power to do best
with full integrity to achieve a life goal properly (Davidson, Khmelkov, &Lickona, 2010). In
conducting the obligation, teacher must become a good role model for everyone, both for the
students, students’ family, work partner, headmaster and the grand society. Vargas (2001) in a
particular research about teacher moral development and professional ethic, noted that behavior,
nature, value and priority of the teacher is the most prominent factor in making role model for
the student, and also transfer value of goodness to the student. In line with Fargas, Ki Hajar
Dewantara, an education scholar in Indonesia, expressed a concept of “Leadership Trilogy” in
educational context. This trilogy is a potrayal of a teacher as the leader in educational world
which should have three characteristics. First, the teacher should be capable to be a role model
for the student; second, the teacher needs to escalate the spirit and affection among the student.
Third, the teacher should be capable to lead the student: (a) (guiding students’ behavior) to have
a high ethic. (b) Giving trust to a student to find the potentiality or nature.