Exploring the Ethical Challenges Faced by Teacher Educators in Nigeria: Perceptions and Implications for Guidance and Counseling Programmes

This study, “Exploring the Ethical Challenges Faced by Teacher Educators in Nigeria: Perceptions and Implications for Guidance and Counseling Programmes,” investigated the perceptions of 327 teacher educators (136 from MOUAU and 191 from AIFUE) regarding ethical challenges and the adequacy of existing guidance and counseling programmes in addressing ethical challenges, their experiences in navigating ethical dilemmas related to academic dishonesty, equity, and professional boundaries, and the ethical frameworks and decision-making models they consider most beneficial for enhancing their ethical practices. The study employed a descriptive research design and utilized a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The findings revealed that teacher educators believe the existing guidance and counseling programmes adequately address ethical issues. Still, they need more regular training and workshops to develop their ethical decision-making skills. The teacher educators have encountered various ethical challenges, but feel confident in their ability to navigate them. They also consider ethical frameworks and decision-making models, such as deontological, consequentialist, and virtue ethics, as beneficial for enhancing their ethical practices. One key recommendation is the implementation of regular training and workshops for teacher educators on ethical decision-making skills to address the identified gap in the existing guidance and counseling programmes.