Ethics in Sports and Physical Education: A Source of Role Conflict

Ethics A process of intellectual reflection. It is the theoretical study of morality (“standards of behavior”) and serves to guide us as we reflect on what is or is not moral behavior.

Morality  Is concerned with harm and benefit  Immoral behavior involves actual or potential harm

Value of Ethical Study Helps us to break down prejudices (our own and others) and test whether our views can stand up to outside criticism.

Value of Ethical Study to YOU In your career you will face many difficult decisions. In wanting to do the “right” thing you will face pressures from different sources. How will you resolve these pressures? How can you explain your decisions that will cause others to respect you even if they do not agree? You need some guidelines to follow.

Making moral judgements involves being:  Impartial – considering more than one viewpoint  Systematically consistent – avoiding contradictions  Critical and reflective – need to use moral principles to justify opinions.

Moral Reasoning Is the “systematic process of evaluating personal values and developing a consistent and impartial set of moral principles to live by daily.”

Remember Ideas and opinions that can survive counterexamples and criticism become more justifiable and reliable.

What is the TRUTH? The truth to scientists only exists to the extent that it cannot be disproved! The more it is tested and survives, the more reliable it becomes.

TWO Types of Values The values we use to defend a position may be: . Moral values . Non-moral values

Examples of Non-Moral Values  Fame  Power  Prestige  Money  Winning

?Question? Are there some UNIVERSAL ethical principles? Share with a colleague!

Commonly Accepted Universal Ethical Principles include:  Sanctity of life  Promise keeping  Dignity of life  Privacy  Justice  Confidentiality  Ownership rights  Freedom  Equality  Loyalty  Truth telling  Public good

Your CHALLENGE is to: . Begin without an opinion (as in a jury) . Use ethical principles and evidence to construct an opinion . Avoid simple “I think” statements. Instead say, “Based on…” or “This relates to the principle of….”

While you may not find enlightenment you will be prepared to defend your own position on any issue.

Expect conflicting viewpoints that may or may not ever be resolved. The purpose of moral reasoning is to seek moral truth to guide day-to-day conduct. Arguments are not necessarily bad because it may help you reach agreement through a systematic reasoning process. Arguing is bad if the persons engaged in it are unreasonable. An argument should be an attempt to demonstrate that a belief is true based upon the truth of other beliefs. (Lumpkin, Stoll, Beller, p.6)

Suggested Guidelines for Selecting Moral Values and Principles 1. Explicit and simple 2. Shared, common, and universalizable

Four Moral Values (1) Justice (fairness), (2) Honesty (3) Responsibility (4) Beneficence (includes nonmaleficence)

State these values as principles (writing them as negatives clarifies meaning) (1) Justice - Do not be unfair (2) Honesty - Do not lie, cheat, or steal (3) Responsibility - Do not be irresponsible (be accountable) (4) Beneficence - Do not be uncivil (do no harm, do good)

Discuss the following question trying to use the four ethical principles in your response.

Teaching and Coaching Daryl Siedentop has noted that based on his observations, one of the characteristics of a top quality PE program is the absence of coaching responsibilities. Classroom teachers typically spend time after school grading papers and preparing for upcoming classes. Teachers who coach go immediately to practice, finish in the early evening, and (especially those with families) have little time to prepare for their teaching responsibilities. Conversely, it could be argued that it is not possible to spend time planning lessons for class, then coach effectively. Despite this conflict, most graduates from teacher training programs continue to want to coach. Should novice PE teachers who are still learning how to teach and manage groups of young people accept or seek coaching positions?

Role Modeling Most physical educators would agree that one of their primary objectives is to motivate young people towards healthy and active lifestyles. One of the ways to motivate people is to role model the kind of behaviors you are trying to develop in others. Some people believe that physical educators are role models for personal health and health habits, personal fitness and activity habits, sportsmanship, honesty, fairness, and responsibility. The fact that the adult population is in such poor physical condition (less than 10% exercise regularly) suggests that we have failed to reach that goal in any significant way. Do you think physical educators have a responsibility to role model these kinds of health-promoting behaviors?

Review and Questions Assignment for Next Lesson “ Integration and Interdisciplinary PE”