1 Educ.

2 The Teaching Profession

Lesson 2
THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY AND VALUES FORMATION AND
YOU

PRE-ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Before going over this lesson, you are tasked to go over this 10-item
multiple choice pre-test. Encircle the letter of your own choice.

1. What is a moral exemplar?

A. A non-absolute moral rule.
B. A person who serves as a role model.
C. A situation that illustrates the consequences of a moral principle.
D. A person to whom the moral rules do not apply.
2. A wife who loves her husband dearly becomes so jealous that in a moment of
savage rage, kills him. Is the wife morally responsible and why?
A. Not necessarily. Antecedent passion may completely destroy freedom
and consequently moral responsibility.
B. Yes, she killed her husband simple because of jealousy
C. It depends on the case of the wife’s jealousy
D. It depends on the mental health of the wife
3. You want to report on a colleague's act of immorality. You don't have the
courage to confront her. To end her illicit affair with a married man you write
and secretly distribute copies of your anonymous letter against your fellow
teacher. What should have been done instead?
A. If the charge is valid; present such charge under oath before your school head
B. Ask a third party to write the anonymous letter to prevent yourself from
being involved
C. Talk to the married man with whom she is having illicit affair
D. Secretly give the anonymous letter only to the two people concerned
4. Teacher Alessandra knows of the illegal activities of a neighbor but keeps
quiet in order not to be involved in any investigation. Which foundational
principle of morality does Teacher Alessandra fail to apply?
A. Always do what is right
B. The end does not justify the means
C. The end justifies the means
D. Between two evils, do the lesser evil
5. A student complains to you about his failing grade. When you recomputed you
found out that you committed an error in his grade computation. Your decision
is not to accept the erroneous computation before the student and so leave the
failing grade as is for fear that you may lose credibility. Is this morally right?
A. No, the reason for not accepting the error before the students is flimsy
B. No, the end does not justify the means
C. Yes, the end justifies the means
D. Yes, as a teacher you must maintain your credibility
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6. Which of these can measure awareness of values?

A. Sociogram
B. Moral dilemmas
C. Projective techniques
D. Rating scales

7. Which trust on value formation is meant to help the students make use of their
thinking and scientific investigation to decide on topics and questions above
values?
A. Value inculcation C. Value clarification
B. Analysis D. Moral development
8. Whose philosophy influences the present emphasis on character education and
values education in our school system?
A. Tagore C. Confucius
B. Gandhi D. Bonifacio
9. Values formation includes the formation in the .
A. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral aspects
B. Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor
C. Moral, Ethical, Behavioral
D. Value, Moral, Education
10. Our hierarchy of values is shown in our preferences and decisions. The hierarchy
of values was outlined by .
A. Immanuel Kant
B. Max Scheler
C. Aristotle
D. Confucius

LESSON MAP
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Values
Morality
Formation

Definition and Its

Taught an Caught
Scope

Cognitive,
Foundational
Affective, and
Principle
BEhavioral Aspects

Teacher as Person Train of Intellect

of Good Moral and Will

Hierarchy of
Values

This shows moral and ethical principles and values formation in education

Lesson Learning Outcomes

In this lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify statements as it implies morality
2. define morality and its implication to teaching-learning
3. discuss the foundational principles of morality
4. describe values formation in teaching-learning
5. reflect the moral and ethical principles and values formation as integral
part of personal and professional life
4 Educ. 2 The Teaching Profession

CONTENT

ENGAGE

Part I. Instruction: Answer the following questions with a YES or NO. If your
answer is NO, explain your answer.

1. Is morality for persons and animals?

2. Is the natural law known only by the learned?

3. Did the primitive people have a sense of the natural law?

4. Is the foundational moral principle the basis of more specific moral principles?

5. Are the Ten Commandments for Christians more specific moral principles of the
foundational moral principle?

Part II. Instruction: Write your personal response or stand with the statement below.

―Di baleng mahirap, basta’t may dangal‖

5 Educ. 2 The Teaching Profession

EXPLORE

COMPREHENDING THE CONCEPT OF MORALIY AND VALUES FORMATION

THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCPLES OF MORALITY

Someone once wrote of teachers: "Even on your worst day on the job, you are still some
children's best hope." Indeed society, expects much from you, the teacher. Henry Brooks
Adams said it succinctly: teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence
stops"

For you to be able to cope with these expectations you should be anchored on a
bedrock foundation of moral and ethical principles. Let us begin this lesson by defining
what morality is.

What is morality?

As defined by one textbook author, morality refers to "the quality of human acts by
which we call them right or wrong, good or evil (Panizo, 1964). Your human action is
right when it conforms with the norm, rule, or law of morality. Otherwise it is said to be
wrong For instance, when Juan gets the pencil of Pedro without the latter's permission,
Juan's action is wrong because it is adherent to the norm "stealing is wrong". A man's
action, habit or character is good when it is not lacking of what is natural to man, i.e.
when it is in accordance with man's nature. For instance, it is not natural for man to
behave like a beast because he is not a beast. He is man and, unlike the beast, he has
intellect and free will. That intellect makes him capable of thinking, judging and
reasoning. His lies will give him the ability to choose. Unlike the beasts, he is not bound
by instincts. It is a natural occurrence for beasts when a male dog meets a female dog
on the street and mate right there and then as they are not free but bound by their
instinct like sexual instinct. But it is contrary to man’s nature when a man and woman do
as the dogs do. To do so is to go down to the level of the beast.

Meaning of foundational moral principle

What is meant by foundational moral principle? The word principles comes from the Latin
word princeps which means a beginning, a source. A principle is that on which
something is based , founded, originated, initiated. It is likened to the foundation of a
building upon which all other parts stand. If we speak of light, the principle is the sun
because the sun is the body from which the light of this world originate. A foundational
moral principle is, therefore, the universal norm upon which all other principles on the
rightness or wrongness of an action are based. It is the source of morality.

Where is this foundational moral principle? It is contained in the natural law. Many
moralists, authors, and philosophers may have referred to this foundational moral
principle in different terms, But it may be acceptable to all believers and non-believers
6 Educ. 2 The Teaching Profession

alike to refer to it as natural law.

What is the natural It is the law "written in the hearts of men". (Romans 2:15) For
theists, it is "man's share in the Eternal Law of God..." (Panizo, 1964) St. Thomas
defines it as "the light of natural reason, whereby we discern what is good and what is
evil...an imprint on us of the divine light..." (Panizo, 1964) It is the law that says: "Do
good and avoid evil." THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL OR FOUNDATIONAL MORAL
PRINCIPLE.

All men and women, regardless of race and belief, have a sense foundational moral
principle. It is ingrained in man's nature. It is built into the design of human nature and
woven into the fabric of the normal human mind. We are inclined to do what we
recognize as good and avoid that which we recognize as evil.

EXPLAIN

Guide Questions; Further Understanding on the Concept of Morality and Values Formation

Guide Questions for Further Understanding;

1. What are the moral and ethical principles? How does it help in your personal and
professional life?
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2. How values formation in the teaching profession important?

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TOPIC SUMMARY

• Morality is defined as the quality of human acts by which we call them right or wrong.
• Foundational moral principle is a principle that on which something is based,
founded, originated, initated.
• Teacher as a person of good moral character are laid down in the preamble
of Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers.
• “Do good, avoid evil”
• Values are taught and caught which means if it is not being taught it will be caught.
• Values have cognitive, affective ad behavioral aspects. It also includes values
formation in three aspects.

REFERENCES

Bilbao, P., [Link] (2019). The Teaching Profession.2nd Edition. Lorimar Publishing Inc.,

Aggarwal, P., Teacher Education 1st Edition, Saurah Publishing House, 2010.

Bilbao, P., Ed.D., The Teaching Profession 1st Edition, Lorimar Publishing Inc.