Ethics and Values
Reflect on what is right, just, and good, and act with consistency.
Education is an act of love, and thus an act of courage.
— Paulo FreireMastery progression
Identifies basic rules but tends to confuse obeying with acting ethically.
Recognizes values at stake and starts justifying decisions with reasons.
Analyzes dilemmas, considers consequences, and acts with consistency between values and actions.
Deliberates in ambiguous situations, recognizes tensions between values, and helps build shared criteria.
- Name important values in a simple situation
- Recognize whether an action harms or cares for others
- Explain why a rule exists
- Distinguish value, norm, custom, right, and preference
- Analyze dilemmas where two values are in tension
- Anticipate the consequences of a decision for different actors
- Identify inconsistencies between what is said and what is done
- Build ethical criteria for complex cases
- Hold an ethical position under social pressure
- Facilitate deliberations where there is no single answer
Questions that activate it
Tap a card to see the coaching guide
What value is at stake here?
Tap to flipHelps go beyond personal preferences or external rules.
Tap to returnWho could be harmed by this decision?
Tap to flipIntroduces consequences and responsibility.
Tap to returnWhat would you do if no one were watching?
Tap to flipExplores integrity and consistency.
Tap to returnWhat happens when two important values clash?
Tap to flipAllows analyzing real dilemmas without simplistic answers.
Tap to returnWhat criterion would we use to decide fairly?
Tap to flipBuilds shared principles for the group.
Tap to returnWell-designed ethical dilemmas don't aim for everyone to answer the same way — they help students learn to justify their criteria better.
Moral education and ethical deliberation in the philosophical school traditionIdeas for developing it
- Present dilemmas with two values in tension and ask for justification
- Use value cards to make explicit what weighs most in each position
- Analyze characters' decisions and unforeseen consequences
- Rewrite a scene from a different possible ethical decision
- Transform classroom values into observable behaviors
- Revisit agreements when inconsistencies or conflicts arise
- Debate dilemmas about AI, privacy, plagiarism, data, and reputation
- Create an ethical guide for using digital tools in class
Resources and tools
Courses and resources for working on values, rights, and ethical action.
Agreement ScaleESWebsiteGlobal Citizenship Education — UNESCOUpdated framework for coexistence, peace, human rights, and sustainability.
Silent DebateESWebsiteHuman Rights, Democracy and Equality Education — OEIIbero-American perspective on citizenship, democracy, and equality.
Debate Cards