Educating in ethics: Perception from the teachers of the municipality of Pamplona (Colombia)

Abstract

This exploratory study describes the perspectives of teachers in relation to the epistemological assumptions that guide their ethics education. The study draws upon the experiential knowledge of primary and secondary school teachers in the urban sector of Pamplona, Colombia. The present study employs a qualitative research method. A total of 22 teachers from various educational institutions within the municipality were interviewed for this study. The results of the study indicate that the epistemological approach to ethics in teachers is anthropocentric. However, sensitivity to the relationship between human beings and nature (environment philosophy) has been incorporated, which recognizes the geological force of the Anthropocene as the genesis of the environmental crisis. A paucity of training exists in subjects related to ethics, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence. It is recommended that a foundation be developed for teachers using a biocentric approach. This approach is predicated on the conception of the continuity of the human species on Earth, novel modes of relating, and emerging issues with the use of artificial intelligence.