The Impact of teacher’s morality, attitude and self-control on constructive environmentalism: A literature review and analysis

 Clarisa G. Ballena

Divine Word College of Laoag- Graduate School of Education

 Abstract 

            Teachers shape students’ moral values and behaviours, promoting constructive environmentalism. They are ethical agents of morally good values, attitudes, and self-controlled personalities who integrate the development of moral formation into the curriculum and create a more balanced and harmonious environment addressing deeply rooted environmental issues and challenges. This paper highlights the significance of teachers' morality, attitudes, and self-control and explores how they impact the advocacy for constructive environmentalism.

Keywords: Teacher’s Morality, Attitudes, Self-Control, Environmental Education, Constructive Environmentalism

Introduction

            Moral values are crucially significant in addressing environmental issues and challenges in our country. Environmental challenges become deeply serious when people lose their moral conviction of what is right and wrong for their actions toward the environment.  Morality is beyond one’s behavior. According to Raymond (2020), morality is a totality of rules that will help our behavior in a particular surrounding. These rules will set the standards for building one’s morality and values. Teachers are vital in characterizing and shaping school behavior because of their distinct moral values, attitudes, and self-controlled personality.   

            Morality directs one’s actions and behavior toward various societal ideals and beliefs. Hence, a teacher’s morality is a significant value that sustains balance and harmony in understanding environmental degradation's growing and detrimental effects. Teachers' attitudes and self-control are personal factors and virtues that help them achieve a positive impact in combating environmental challenges. Moreover, teachers do not merely transfer knowledge and share experiences with students. Teachers' roles are challenging. Aside from being second parents to students, they are responsible for educating and promoting moral and practical ways to safeguard our environment. Environmental issues have escalated to the global community, and more attention and action are needed to mitigate these ecological predicaments. However, the actions taken are incomparably less than the existing environmental challenges. Environmental sustainability poses a gap between measures initiated by global citizens and the lack of knowledge on the effect of ecological degradation. Hence, promoting moral values and behaviour among teachers is an imperative factor in preceding constructive environmentalism.

This literature review and analysis focuses on the possible and significant impacts of teacher’s morality, attitude, and self-control toward constructive environmentalism. This paper also presents practical recommendations for teachers to improve and develop a more profound moral consciousness for environmental stewardship.

Literature Review

The Importance of Teacher’s Morality

            Morality is a set of values and ideals that help people discern judgment as to right or wrong action. Morality is fundamental to every human being. Teachers are one of the many people who can manifest morality through their responsibilities and duties. In schools, moral education is evident in all subjects. According to Hand (2017), moral education focuses on the learner’s commitment to ethical standards and participation in moral formation and inquiry. Moral education promotes the standards that train students to acquire the virtues of self-discipline, honesty, integrity, and serving the people and the country.

            Teachers are known to uphold the values and ethics of professionals and models of good conduct in society. They are highly respectable people with positive attitudes and values through their characters in society and school. Gui, Yasin, and Abdullah (2020) claim that teachers should play their role in shaping and guiding students to be rightful, and that could develop their morality; this means that teachers are moral agents who help the students become accountable for putting into practice the rules and standards of morality that lead them to a better life. Hence, teachers should allow the students to understand ethical behaviours through direct or indirect teaching and create a caring environment that will help them develop morality, love, and care in protecting their environment. 

Teacher’s Attitude, Self-Control toward the Environmental and Environmental Education of students

Environmental education has become increasingly essential, highlighting the need for comprehensive methods to instil sustainability among students and future generations. As moral educators, teachers are responsible for shaping students’ ethical accountability in environmental stewardship. Accordingly, teachers' attitudes and self-control are the focus of this moral responsibility, which profoundly impacts their ability to teach ecological values. In addition, environmentally aware individual, or those who are conscious of environmental problems’ impact on society, look forward to acting and doing their activities according to the environment and how their lives continue (Ulug, Ozden, & Eryilmaz, 2011). Moreover, teachers’ attitude towards environmental issues shows their moral beliefs, which serve as a model role for students. Zachariou, Tsami, Bersimis, and Chalkias (2017) stated that an effective environmental education would lead to the student’s environmental awareness and ecological consciousness, which will bring positive implications in addressing local and global environmental conditions.

            Furthermore, self-control through the lens of morality highlights moral values such as integrity and discipline, which are equally crucial in integrating environmental education into the curriculum. Despite evident challenges and competing priorities, teachers who maintain and exhibit strong self-control have equipped commitment to ecological principles. According to Hidayah (2021), self-control can regulate negative behavior. Thus, when teachers possess a positive attitude and self-control towards environmental preservation and protection, they will wholeheartedly relay the ethical importance of ecological sustainability, fostering a sense of moral duty among the students. Also, this moral fortitude ensures that environmental education is not confined but taken into action through relevant teachings, decisions, and actions that reflect a deep sense of morality. 

 The Impact of Teacher’s Morality on Environmental behaviour of students 

            For a sustainable future, the teacher’s role in promoting environmentalism has never been more crucial. As moral agents, teachers influence students' environmental values and behaviour through their morality, attitudes, and self-control. Teachers' moral integrity is a pillar in building a culture of environmental responsibility inside and outside the classroom. When teachers strongly uphold moral principles and the ethical significance of environmental stewardship, students account for and view this as morally imperative to safeguard the environment.

            Teacher’s attitudes towards environmental issues further from their effectiveness in advancing environmentalism. However, Zachariou et al. (2017) show in their study that teachers are not satisfied with the measures for environmental protection and believe that society lacks sensitivity towards the environment. On the contrary, teachers consider that the level of information on environmental issues provided to them is satisfactory. Moreover, teachers with a positive and proactive attitude towards ecological protection inspire students to follow and adopt similar values and behaviours.

            According to Hidayah (2021), self-control is the capacity of people to regulate their responses and actions, and it also provides five qualities such as self-discipline, the tendency to act rather than be impulsive, healthy habits, self-regulation or good work ethics, and reliability. These qualities help promote a greater understanding of regulating one’s action toward achieving environmentalism. Additionally, an orderly environment benefits individuals’ self-control behaviours more than a disorderly environment (Li, Liu, & Li, 2020).  Thus, empowering teachers to embrace their moral duties and responsibilities can significantly influence dedicated, morally grounded, and accustomed teachers, underscoring the importance of supporting the promotion of environmentalism.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, teachers are vital in characterizing and shaping school behaviour because of their distinct moral values, attitudes, and self-controlled personality. Teachers are ethically accountable for shaping students’ ethical values and behaviours toward becoming stewards of the environment. Environmental education is necessary as part of the curriculum as it teaches the proper approaches to inculcate the significance of environmentalism to the students, which helps them acquire the required knowledge, skills, and abilities that prepare them to provide a livable planet Earth for future generations. Also, teachers are agents of change for the environment as they promote a deep-seated understanding of environmentalism to students that is not only limited in the classroom but to a more global effect since environmental issues and challenges have been a perennial problem to all. Acknowledging a more profound sense of constructive environmentalism through the moral obligations of teachers and students provides a more meaningful and livable society

References

Gui, A.K., Yasin, M., Abdullah, N.S., & Saharuddin, N. (2020). Roles of Teacher and Challenges in Developing Students' Morality. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8, 52-59.

Hand, M. (2017). A Theory of Moral Education. Taylor & Francis Group. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315708508/theory-moral-educationmichael-hand

Hidayah, R. (2021). Students’ Self-Adjustment, Self-Control, and Morality. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 12 (1):174-193. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1292720.pdf

Li, Z., Liu, N., & Li, S. (2020). Environmental Orderliness Affects Self-Control and Creative Thinking: The Moderating Effects of Trait Self-Control. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01515

            Raymond, A.G. (2020). International Norms and the Resort to War. Springer                    n                      InternationalPublishing.

Ulug, M., Ozden, M. S., & Eryilmaz, A. (2011). The Effects of Teachers’ Attitudes on Students’ Personality and Performance. Procedia: Social & Behavioral Sciences, 30, 738–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.144 

Zachariou, F., Tsami, E., Chalkias, C., & Bersimis, S. (2017). Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Environment and Environmental Education: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 1567–1593.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Influence of teachers' morality on educational outcomes: A literature review

 Ma. Assumpta Joy J. Ballesteros

Divine Word College of Laoag- Graduate School of Education

 Abstract

            Teachers have a significant impact on how students think and develop in the future. In addition to teaching academic content, they are in responsible for fostering the moral and ethical development of their students. The morality of educators has a big impact on student results, character development, academic achievement, and the school climate as a whole. The article explores the various ways in which teachers' morality affects students' academic performance, the difficulties in upholding moral standards, and methods for encouraging moral instruction.

Keywords: Teachers' Morality, Ethical Teaching, Moral Development, Educational Outcomes, Teacher Ethics

Introduction

            The moral integrity and moral conduct of educators are vital in the field of education. Teachers serve as both knowledge providers and role models for their students, and their behaviour and morals have a significant influence on both. A conducive educational atmosphere is facilitated by the moral values that teachers uphold, which include honesty, integrity, empathy, and justice. The paper explores the relationship between instructors' morality and education, looking at how moral behaviour in the classroom affects student involvement, classroom dynamics, and overall educational outcomes.

            Morality is a system of ideals, convictions, and rules that direct a person's actions and choices. It is a set of behaviour standards that are widely recognized in a given community or culture. It points to the distinction between good and wrong and is generally dependent on a person's values and personal views. Teachers are the key persons in the educational setting and whom the students look up to. They play a vital role in the foundation of morality in students. The core responsibility of a professional teacher is to handle students with dignity and respect, as stated in the code of ethics of professional teachers. They uphold proper verbal, physical, emotional, and social boundaries to support students' health, safety, and overall well-being. Teachers naturally exemplify morality in their lives, whether they are working in or out of the school.     Teaching and learning in the classroom are greatly influenced by the teacher's personality and character, and developing a rapport with the students is more important than the actual teaching process. Students' performance can be greatly impacted by the moral behaviour of their teachers. The work ethic of educators, encompassing their devotion, perseverance, and commitment to moral principles, has a direct impact on their effectiveness. Strong work ethics are associated with better teacher performance, which can have a favourable effect on students' academic success. Thus, developing moral behaviour in educators is essential to raising student achievement in the classroom.

            This paper aims to explore the multifaceted ways in which teachers' morality influences education, offering practical recommendations for educators to enhance ethical practices in teaching. By understanding and promoting moral behavior in teachers, we can contribute to a more just and effective educational system.

Literature review

Teachers as Moral Exemplar

            Four essential values; dignity, truthfulness, justice, and responsibility and freedom, make up the foundation of education. Teachers are free to hold the values they choose, but they also have to uphold the standards set by their main role and by-laws and curriculum. A teacher is a moral educator who shares with students the basic principles and values that they work to uphold in their daily lives (Mohammed, 2016). In addition to being inspired by universal respect for human life, teachers should be directed by caring ideals. It is a truth that teachers have a moral obligation to act in their students’ best interests. As students entrust their teachers with their care and responsibility, and teachers are accountable for meeting the requirements of their students. This duty of teaching has significant practical and legal implications for teachers' personal and professional lives. It also establishes an ethical standard of professional activity that educators must adhere to. Teachers should be a models of proper conduct since they must help students grow into morally upright individuals in addition to proving their knowledge (Ilharenil & Aravindah, 2015). Yashoda and Kumar (2017) claim that educators serve as role models for their students. To help learners develop good character traits, they should instil moral principles in them. Through a variety of activities and the media, teachers should establish moral standards for the classroom.

            The moral implications of educational activities link morality and education, and the goal of moral education for teachers is to create morally upright individuals. Teachers always assume role modelling, whether consciously or unconsciously, within or outside the classroom, Teachers become moral agents by setting an example for their students (Caslib, 2014). Therefore, teachers must uphold and demonstrate the highest ethical standards to provide a positive example for the students.

Impact of Teachers' Morality on Students

            Teaching morality refers to efforts made to give students the means they need to develop their morality, whereas teaching morality refers to the morality of the teachers' behaviour. Teachers should be moral role models whose actions and behaviour have a big influence on the students they teach, in addition to being providers of knowledge. The moral code of a teacher, comprising their values, ethical principles, and commitment to professional integrity, can have a significant impact on students' academic performance as well as the learning environment (Shahid et al., 2019).

            Campbell (2003) believes that educators have an ethical duty to consider their students' morality outside of the classroom. Educators can communicate beneficial moral ideas through their interactions, modelling, and example-setting. The environment of the school, and thus the teachers who work there, greatly influence their students to grow up morally and character-wise. They aid in forming learners’ socialization and establishing morality and stability.

            Teaching strategies that follow parenting best practices strongly predict students' learning goals, school interests, and mastery learning orientation. For example, students who have high expectations from their teachers are more likely to seek realistic objectives, take responsibility, and show a commitment to mastery learning. They also tend to do well academically in society. Teachers who uphold moral principles have a beneficial effect on learners' emotional and academic development (Inuyakan-Adebayo & Nwile, 2022). Students who have teachers who have high integrity perform better academically. Teachers' moral character has a direct impact on students' academic performance. When teachers are honest, fair, and committed, they create a positive learning atmosphere where respect and trust grow. Students are more likely to be engaged in their studies and strive for success when they feel that their teachers are ethically sound people.

            The influence of a teacher as a moral role model can be profound and long-lasting. Teachers who set an example of moral behaviour for students often influence their adult students' personal and professional lives by instilling these beliefs in them. Students gain the ability to collaborate on projects, engage in positive peer interactions, and encourage one another's academic growth. These learners will probably contribute greatly to society since they are more likely to be morally pure, sympathetic, and socially aware. Students gain the ability to collaborate on projects, engage in positive peer interactions, and encourage one another's academic growth.

            Likewise, teachers who exhibit moral leadership can also have a beneficial impact on students' perspectives on social issues. Students are more likely to engage in better levels of engagement with society, social responsibility, and ethical behaviour when they are taught by morally upright teachers. Teachers' moral guidance has the power to mould students' personalities and inspire them to contribute positively to both their local communities and society as a whole.

            Mugabo (2020) suggests that teachers should focus on developing students' social and emotional skills as a means of imparting moral values to their students. Most importantly for academic performance are social and emotional skills. Social and emotional learning programs help students learn more academically even if recent evidence indicates that emotional intelligence has a greater impact on life and academic success than academic intelligence. Educators use interventions that target social and emotional skills that are successful in stopping harmful behaviours. A strong indicator of a student’s moral development in the future is social and emotional learning.

Challenges in Maintaining Teachers' Morality

            Maintaining teachers upright in their conduct is essential to creating a supportive and moral learning environment. It can be a difficult responsibility for teachers to always be conscious of their actions and the examples they provide. Teachers need to be aware of their own prejudices and make sure that the values they want to inculcate in their students are reflected in the way they act. They also need to create an atmosphere where people appreciate and comprehend one another's points of view while balancing the varied moral backgrounds of their students.

            Teachers should understand that their behaviour, both on and off the work, can have a significant impact on their professional image since they are role models. Mistakes in decisions can negatively affect students, harm educators' reputations, and reduce public confidence in educational institutions and the teaching profession. According to Anand (2016), educators encounter a variety of difficult ethical challenges and situations in which their own moral principles are tested by those of their colleagues, administrators, and the school community. There are several examples of when educators and administrators make bad choices without giving ethical considerations any thought. Throughout their careers, teachers must deal with a variety of challenges.

            Since teaching is a morally demanding vocation, the classroom atmosphere must uphold the highest moral standards. Also, studies indicate that most of the time teachers are not aware of the consequences of what they do. If teachers manipulate their students' grades in any way, for example, by forcing them to pass an exam they don't deserve to pass or by ignoring incorrect answers, they are acting unethically. Teachers are supposed to be aware of the diversity in the classroom and to respond accordingly, treating all pupils equally regardless of their differences. This requires them to act without any personal bias. Parents' and teachers' perceptions might conflict at times due to differences in what is in the best interests of the students, based on personal experience, as well as differences in the students' aptitude and abilities. Parents may hold differing opinions because they wish to impose their beliefs on their children regarding career choices or other matters (Singh & Sabhawal, 2020).

Challenges in Teaching Morality

            According to Gui, et al. (2020), educators face numerous challenges in their efforts to help learners build moral character and conduct out moral education in school. The method of instruction and assessment provide difficulties for teachers. The interest of students in moral education presents teachers with another problem. Although they learn these moral principles in school, they are unsure of how to put them into practice in real life. When teaching moral principles, teachers consistently employ the same techniques which makes the students tired of the subject. Similarly, insufficient educational resources represent an additional factor (Okeke & Okoye, 2016).

            While any teacher can serve as a moral educator—moral educators or not—to effectively instruct students, they must become knowledgeable about moral concepts and ideas. Some teachers are given assignments by school administrators even if they have never received training in this subject's pedagogy.

            Every level of education has an important role to play to ensure that students develop ethical values. The learners’ environment has changed, and it can be difficult to defend moral principles in a society where everything is designed to appeal to a fleeting and instantaneous perspective on life in general. Making our children understand the worth of human values that are in contrast to their temporal environment is a difficulty (Chandak, 2022).

            As stated by Chowdhury et al. (2019), subject-based training exposed teachers to a variety of instructional techniques. Teachers are uncomfortable and under stress, since they are unable to properly and adequately care for their students and fulfil their responsibilities due to a lack of teachers and a heavy workload. The majority of students are unaware of the advantages of acquiring ethics in their daily lives, and educators fail to adequately clarify the learning objectives of their charges. Thus, there is a discrepancy between what students anticipate to learn and what is expected of them. The right lessons to teach morality and ethics in the classroom are not taught to teachers during their training. Teachers can lose hope in teaching morality when they see no progress in their kids because of their parents' awareness and lack of poverty.

Promoting Ethical Behavior Among Teachers:

            Teachers use their professional competencies and abilities, primarily from their university education to impact students through their teaching; however, continuing professional development and experience are necessary for improvement. The development of professional abilities is linked to an understanding of the ambiguity of education, the impossibility of being fully prepared for teaching, and the issues that come with it (Olejarova, 2017).

            Teaching requires an integration of personality, potential, and competencies; thus educators should focus on improving their professional and moral selves. In along with imparting knowledge, teachers assist students in developing into responsible, moral adults. Teachers should so remember that part of their job is to demonstrate ethical behaviour in addition to professional ability.       According to Bilasová (2016), teacher education is crucial to the development of ethics in the classroom. Teacher preparation should be of high caliber, covering both methodological and pedagogical competencies, and emphasizing a humane approach in addition to the aptitudes and skills necessary for that specific field. This presents us to the moral qualities or skills that teachers should actively work to cultivate and enhance through training and self-improvement in moral performance, moral thinking, and moral decision-making by choosing responsible and focused solutions to common teaching problems.

            The work of Olejarove (2017), states that education demands sensitive and adaptable decision-making in settings that are always changing in the workplace. For this reason, courses on teacher professional ethics have to centre on the acquisition of ethical information, enhancing the capacity of aspiring educators to recognize the ethically significant elements of a given circumstance and to comprehend its moral implications in their entirety. In order for future educators to properly analyze the situation, courses on the professional ethics of teaching should also foster the capacity for moral thought and decision-making.

            Professional development programs should incorporate instruction on ethical education and character development to assist teachers in fulfilling their position as moral role models. Schools should offer a safe space where educators can talk about and consider the difficulties they have had in upholding moral principles. As well as schools and the government must give support to teachers by giving enough learning materials and professional development training.

 Conclusion

            In conclusion, teachers have a vital role in forming their students' moral compass and character since they are moral exemplars. Teachers help shape the next generation of responsible and ethical individuals by their words, deeds, and instilling of values. A key component of a successful education is the morality of the teachers. It has a major impact on pupils' social growth, moral behaviour, and academic success. Teachers can motivate and mentor their students toward successful academic and personal achievements by acting as moral role models and exhibiting these qualities. To ensure that future generations have the knowledge, abilities, and ethical foundation they require to remain viable in a world that is becoming more and more complicated, educational systems everywhere should place a high focus on encouraging high moral standards among educators. Acknowledging and promoting this facet of education can improve learning outcomes for students as a whole and help build a society that is more moral and just.

References

Anand, S. (2016). Understanding Code of Professional Ethics in Teaching. International journal of applied research, 2(7):159-163.

Bilasova, V. (2016).Ethics and ethics education in schools. Philosophy of ethics education pp. 24-25).

Campbell, E. (2003). Moral Lessons: The Ethical Role of Teachers. Educational Research and Evaluation, 9(1), 25–50. https://doi.org/10.1076/edre.9.1.25.13550

 

Carr, D. (2014), Metaphysics and methods in moral enquiry and education: Some old philosophical wine for new theoretical bottles. Journal of Moral Education, 43 (4) 500- 515. doi: 10.1080/03057240.2014.943167

 

Caslib, B.N. (2014). On the nature of ethics for teachers. University of the Philippines Diliman. PSSR 66/1(2014): 67-90

Chandak, S.R. (2022). Challenges of teaching moral and ethical values in an age of instant gratification. IMPACT Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 10 (10).

 

Chowdhury, M.S.R., Yesmin, S., & Obaydullah, A.K.M. (2019), Teaching morals and ethics in primary education: practices and challenges. IJARIIE, 5(1) ISSN(O)-2395-4396.

 

Gui, A.K., Yasin, M., Abdullah, N.S., & Saharuddin, N. (2020). Roles of Teacher and Challenges in Developing Students' Morality. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8, 52-59.

 

Ilharenil N. & Avarindah K. L. (2015). Teachers As Moral Models- Are We Caring Enough?

 

Inukan-Adebayo, R. & Nwile, C. (2022). Influence of teachers’ moral behaviour on students’ academic performance in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State. 2782-2766

 

Mohammed C. (2016). Emphasizing morals, values, Ethics, and character education in science education and science teaching. The Malaysian online Journal of education science,4(2).

 

Mugabo, D. (2020). The role of teachers in moral character development of students. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research. Vol. 8(1), 378-384.

 

Okeke, C. & Okoye, H. (2023). The challenges facing the effective teaching and learning of religious/moral education in secondary schools in Onitsha Urban. Journal of Religion and Human Relations, 8(1), 84-95. 2016996996663

 

Olejárová, G.P. (2017). Virtues and consequences in teaching ethics. Human Affairs, 27(3), 273-288. https://doi.org/10.1515/humaff-2017-0023

 

Shahid, N. A., Akhter, N., & Malik, S. I. N. (2019). Professionalism as a Moral Code of Secondary School Teachers. Social Science Research, 4(1), 53-60. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-I).07

 

Singh, R., & Sabharwal, S. (2020). Ethical Dilemmas of a Teacher. Pramana Research Journal. Volume 10(6).