To Act Ethically: The What,Why,and How of Ethics Pedagogy

Abstract

This paper takes a step toward assessing ethics pedagogy in graduate public affairs/administration programs in the United States. Drawing on a 1995 survey of NASPAA representatives, the author was able to identify a set of public affairs/administration schools that required students to complete an ethics course and had had that requirement in place for at least five years. Alumni of four schools were surveyed to address the following questions: What difference, if any, did ethics pedagogy make in the professional lives of the graduates? Why did graduate ethics education make or not make a difference? How did different approaches and teaching methodologies employed at the study schools influence the outcomes of graduate ethics education? The study results showed that ethics education does made a difference by helping graduates reason through ethical dilemmas. Additionally, study subjects reported that their ethics education had reinforced but not changed their ethical outlooks and behaviors. Finally, the survey results indicated that some instructional methodologies, especially those that produce an interactive teaming environment, are the most effective. This paper concludes by summarizing study respondents' recommendations that could strengthen graduate ethics education in public affairs/administration programs.¹