An Assessment of the contribution of teaching ethics at Strathmore University to the ethical development of undergraduate students

Abstract

Various studies in Kenya and other countries show the importance of ethics and ethical conduct in virtually all spheres of life. Unlike most Kenyan universities, Strathmore University teaches ethics to all its undergraduate students. The researcher set out to investigate the objectives of the teaching of ethics and the students’ perception towards the course. He also wanted to examine the contribution of the course towards making students become more ethical, based on their own assessment. The current generation of 4th year students was selected because of their “nearness”, in terms of time, to joining the labour market where they will be confronted with ethical dilemmas that exist in virtually all professions. The contribution of the teaching of ethics was the focus of this study. The researcher used a mixed method research design where both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. The findings gathered from in-depth interview discussions, questionnaires and focus group discussions were analysed and evaluated in the context of the Aristotelian Virtue Ethics Model whose background is supported by the philosophy of the human person. The outcomes of the study shed light on the contribution of the teaching of ethics towards making undergraduate students at Strathmore University more ethical persons. The study may be used by other universities to include ethics courses in their undergraduate education curriculum.