Philosophy,

Educational

ethics, and professional values

Introduction

I align with values of integrity, accountability, justice and dignity, with the ultimate aim of creating sustainable change and post-capitalist, post-patriarchy social progress.
At the center of my philosophy is the cultivation of the self in relation to global issues, and the inclusion of marginalized voices and disenfranchized communities in the global dynamics. They shape access, recognition, and safety within their history and within contemporary society.

Classrooms are socio-political spaces: knowledge is built collaboratively, identities are recognized and negotiated, and power structures are revealed.

Integrating transformative learning, cross-cultural competencies and critical literacy to educational curricula will help cultivating resilience, agency, solidarity and activism, as well as fuelling social change through civic engagement.

Purposes

Criticality and framework shifting to acknowledge and interrogate power structures and relations within legal, medical, and educational frameworks.
Solidarity and cross-cultural considerations for social competences and collective social action.
Ethical participation to public life -including digital citizenship.
Lifelong learning to understand and adapt to an ever changing and interconnected global society.

Theoretical Foundations

Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1997; Taylor & Cranton, 2012).
Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 2000).
Critical Digital Literacy (Pangrazio, 2016).
Critical Archival Studies (Berbesi & Tognoli, 2024).

Core Principles

Social and global relevance of content that connects to tangible and relevant issues.
Epistemic pluralism of different knowledge, positionalities, and intersectional identities.
Dialogic relationship with the existing knowledge and the multiple identities involved as valid and necessary for meaning-making, intellectually challenging learners and to provide evidence-based emotionally safe spaces
Cycles of reflection–action–reflection -through journals, multimedia content, action plans, etc., to develop self-awareness, accountability and a lifelong learning attitude.
Ethical use of technology that includes critique and interrogation of the tools for privacy, bias, and inclusion; learners audit the status-quo and advocate for more equitable digital environments.

References:

Berbesi, A., & Tognoli, N. (2024). Critical Archival Studies: Exploring an emerging domain. KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION, 51(8), 600–609. https://doi.org/10.5771/0943-7444-2024-8-600
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 30th Anniversary Edition. Continuum.
Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative Learning: theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1997(74), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7401
Pangrazio, L. (2016). Reconceptualising critical digital literacy. Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 37(2), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2014.942836
Taylor, E. W., & Cranton, P. (2012). The Handbook of Transformative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. Jossey-Bass.

Professional Code of Ethics

Student-centered welfare.

Safety and wellbeing: Academic performance is contiguous to students’ health and mental health, and I am responsible for ensuring that the necessary safety structures exist and are functional (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2022, p. 22; Soares & Lopes, 2017).
Empathy: Students’ experiences and perceptions provide insights on their needs and on how to address them (Kempen et al., 2024). Relations are based on trust, and I am mindful of who is impacted by my actions, and how (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2022, p. 22).

Pedagogy for justice.

Justice, dignity, criticality: The inherent dignity of learners is at the center of my profession (Roth et al., 2020). I recognize that power structures and systems of values may fail to guarantee justice for all (Freire, 2000). To counter, I promote criticality of the curriculum, and I acknowledge the relation between my position of authority and the systems that grant it (Landri, 2020, p. 24; Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2022, pp. 14-16).

Practicing ethics.

Leadership: I acknowledge my role as mentor/leader for the development of students’ own ethics (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2022, p. 25). I value communication skills, social-emotional competency, and differences in backgrounds and cultures. I foster resilience through empathy and recognition of the other (Wibowo & Paramita, 2021).
Transparency and accountability: I cultivate a culture of truth-telling, and my ethical standards are up for discussion when challenged (Craft & Vos, 2021). I clarify in advance rules and expectations with stakeholders, leave a paper trail, and empower all to check in that responsibilities are fulfilled (Rosano et al., 2022). I recognize that any lack of accountability ultimately harms learners (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2022).

Growth.

Reflexivity and lifelong learning: I am a reflective practitioner and seek stakeholders’ feedback to assess the effects of my decisions. Practical applications of theoretical frameworks –ethical, professional, pedagogical, etc.– are continuously vetted and adapted for future improvements and lifelong growth. (Starrat, 1991, p. 186)

References

Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 30th Anniversary Edition. Continuum.
Kempen, E., Labuschagne, M. J., & Jama, M. P. (2024). Elements of a safe learning environment: A student perspective. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 16(2), e1222. https://doi.org/10.7196/ajhpe.2024.v16i2.1222
Rosano, S. A., Gates, D. M., Zaretsky, L., Santoro, E. A., Kurilko, M. B., & Brigg, P. (2022). Accountability versus responsibility. In Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education. Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Complex Dilemmas (5th ed., pp. 175–196). Routledge. https://doi.org/ 10.4324/9781003022862-11
Roth, K., Mollvik, L., Alshoufani, R., Adami, R., Dineen, K., Majlesi, F., Peters, M. A., & Tesar, M. (2020). Philosophy of education in a new key: Constraints and possibilities in present times with regard to dignity. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 54(8) , 1147–1161. https://doi .org/ 10.1080/00131857.2020.1851189
Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2022). Viewing ethical dilemmas through multiple paradigms. In Ethical leadership and decision making in education. Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas (pp. 11–35). https://doi.org/ 10.4324/9781003022862-3
Soares, A. E., & Lopes, M. P. (2017). Are your students safe to learn? The role of lecturer’s authentic leadership in the creation of psychologically safe environments and their impact on academic performance. Active Learning in Higher Education, 21(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417742023
Starratt, R. J. (1991). Building an Ethical School: A Theory for practice in Educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 27(2), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x91027002005
Wibowo, A., & Paramita, W. (2021). Resilience and Turnover intention: the role of mindful leadership, empathetic leadership, and Self-Regulation. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 29(3), 325–341. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/15480518211068735

Educational Philosophy - Approaches

Below, a visual synthesis of the approaches to education developed as Webster University graduate student.

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Philosophy,

Introduction

Classrooms are socio-political spaces: knowledge is built collaboratively, identities are recognized and negotiated, and power structures are revealed.

Integrating transformative learning, cross-cultural competencies and critical literacy to educational curricula will help cultivating resilience, agency, solidarity and activism, as well as fuelling social change through civic engagement.

Purposes

Criticality and framework shifting to acknowledge and interrogate power structures and relations within legal, medical, and educational frameworks.

Solidarity and cross-cultural considerations for social competences and collective social action.

Ethical participation to public life -including digital citizenship.

Lifelong learning to understand and adapt to an ever changing and interconnected global society.

Theoretical Foundations

Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1997; Taylor & Cranton, 2012).

Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 2000).

Critical Digital Literacy (Pangrazio, 2016).

Critical Archival Studies (Berbesi & Tognoli, 2024).

Core Principles

Social and global relevance of content that connects to tangible and relevant issues.

Epistemic pluralism of different knowledge, positionalities, and intersectional identities.

Dialogic relationship with the existing knowledge and the multiple identities involved as valid and necessary for meaning-making, intellectually challenging learners and to provide evidence-based emotionally safe spaces

Cycles of reflection–action–reflection -through journals, multimedia content, action plans, etc., to develop self-awareness, accountability and a lifelong learning attitude.

Ethical use of technology that includes critique and interrogation of the tools for privacy, bias, and inclusion; learners audit the status-quo and advocate for more equitable digital environments.

Professional Code of Ethics

Educational Philosophy - Approaches