LV EN RU DE FR

Professional Ethics of Career Consellor

Course developer

Course abstract

The study course develops knowledge and skills on the essence of the concept of professional ethics, its principles of career counselling in relation to the choice of education and profession, its transformation and integration into the labour market. An acquisition of the study course develops the ability to organize client-centred counselling and individual professional self-development according to ethical standards and guidelines of the career counsellor

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge of the principles of professional ethics in career counselling and its integration into various theoretical approaches from the aspect of personality needs, values, career development and life planning. There is an understanding of the aspect of professional ethics in different educational models and approaches; understanding of the moral development and cultural values of nowadays multicultural society. There is a necessary knowledge at the level of use about ethical and moral judgments in performing the duties of a career counsellor.
Assessment of the knowledge - test.
Skills to carry out self-analysis for career counselling professional activities, its exploitable resources; the ability to act in accordance with the principles of professional ethics of a career counsellor in solving various ethical problems. Have the skills to help the client to understand and evaluate his personal qualities, abilities, skills and match them with the chosen career direction.
Assessment of the skills - practical works.
Competence: able to express own opinion about professional ethical behaviour in the field of career counselling and guidance; to organize client-centred counselling and develop individual professional self-development according to ethical standards and guidelines of career counsellor.
Assessment of the competence - two seminars and two independent works.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. The essence of professional ethics. Historical view of morality. Value balance - 2h.
2. Role of ethics in career counselling - 2h.
3. Universal values and the individual's value system as the basis for career development and life designing - 2h.
4. Levels of moral judgment and principles of professional ethics (by T. Beauchamp, J.F. Childress and K.S. Kitchener); integrating them into career counselling - 2h.
A test: explained the levels of moral judgment and principles in career counselling.
5. Cognition, Attitudes and Thinking in the Learning Process as Ethically Weighted and Thoughtful Career Choice and Development (based on B. Blum's Taxonomy) - 2h.
6. The human moral development (L. Kohlberg's theory) and its link with career development and guidance -2h.
1th independent work "Analysis of moral judgment in problem situations of life designing and career development "
7. 1th seminar on human moral development and its link with career development and career guidance - 2h.
8. Value models (S. Schwartz, M. Rokeach, D. Brown) in career counselling. Self-esteem and self-regulation in career counselling. Hope / expectation value model (R.W. Lent, S.D. Brown) - 3h
9. Ethics and morality of counsellor in socio-dynamic counselling (V. Peavy) - 3h.
2nd independent work on the ethical professional activities of a career counsellor in socio-dynamic counselling.
10. Self-analysis and inventory of career counsellor’s professional activity: awareness and self-improvement of attitude and belief - 2h.
11. Ethical judgments, dilemmas and problem situations in career counselling - 2 h.
12. Law and Ethics in Career Counselling - 2h
13. Professional competence of a career counsellor - 2h.
14. Career counsellor’s ethical guidelines of the Latvia and the world - 2h.
15. 2nd seminar on career counsellor’s ethical guidelines and their practice - 2h.
Practical works: discussions, as well as individual and group work.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Test with a 10-point mark.
Cumulative assessment of two independent works and participation in both seminars, as well as practical works during the classes.
The test must be successfully written and submitted.
80% attendance of classes.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The 1st independent work “Analysis of moral judgment in life planning and career development problem situations” - independent research on moral development has been independently studied, thus forming an in-depth understanding of moral judgment of an individual. The analysis of moral judgment is described in relation to the Master's professional activity or research environment.
The second independent work „The ethical and moral behaviour of a career counsellor in socio-dynamic counselling” is independently studied by V. Peavy “Socio-Dynamic Counseling. A Practical Approach to Meaning” (2011). A career counsellor’s ethical and moral behavioural analysis in socio-dynamic counselling is based on the reflection of a Master's students personal experience in career counselling or vision / conception of how it might be, thinking about his / her possible professional activity in career counselling or vision / conception in relation to the research problem in his / her Master's thesis.
Both independent works must be submitted electronically.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The assessment of the study course depends from the cumulative assessment of the test, practical works, as well as the two independent works and two seminars.
The test is evaluated with a successful mark if at least 60% of the questions are answered correctly.
The assessment of independent and practical works is carried out according to the criteria specified therein.
The test mark is the arithmetic mean between the test, two independent works and the evaluation of practical work, as well as participation in both seminars.

Compulsory reading

1. Amundsons N. Aktīvā iesaistīšanās. Rīga: Valsts izglītības attīstības aģentūra, 2016. 348 lpp. 2. Anspoka Z., Apse D., Ķirse A., Mackēviča L., Miķelsone I., Oļehnoviča E., Soika I., Strods G. Karjeras attīstības atbalsts. Rīga: Valsts izglītības attīstības aģentūra, 2008. 319 lpp. 3. Cohen E.D., Cohen G.S. Counseling Ethics for the 21st Century: A Case-Based Guide to Virtuous Practice. 1st edition. SAGE Publications, Inc, 2018. 272 p. 4. Corey G., Schneider-Corey M., Callanan P. Issues and ethics in the helping professions. 7th edition. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole/ Cengage Learning, 2011. 597 p. 5. Gibbs J. Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt. 3th edition. Oxford University Press, 2013. 384 p. 6. Hutchinson D. The Essential Counselor. Process, Skills, and Techniques. 3th edition. Sage publishing, 2014. 424 p. 7. Jungers C., Gregoire J. Counseling Ethics: Philosophical and Professional Foundations. 1 st edition. Springer Publishing Company, 2012. 412 p. 8. Likona T. Bērna audzināšana no dzimšanas brīža cauri pusaudža gadiem. Rīga: Avots, 2000. 523 lpp. 9. Peavy R. V. Sociodynamic Counselling: A Practical Approach to Meaning Making. Chagrin Falls, Ohio: Taos Institute, 2010. 137 p. 10. Pīvijs V. Sociodinamiskā konsultēšana: praktiska pieeja nozīmes veidošanai. Taosas Institūts. Rīga: Valsts izglītības attīstības aģentūra, 2011. 89 lpp. Pieejams: http://viaa.gov.lv/files/news/727/38262_viaa_pivijs_2012_f.pdf

Further reading

1. Bauman S. Essential Topics for the Helping Professional. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2008. 318 p. 2. Cohen-Scali V, Rossier J., Nota L. New Perspectives on Career Counselling and Guidance in Europe Building Careers in Changing and Diverse Societies. Springer International Publishing AG, 2018. 246 p. 3. Nota L., Rossier J. Handbook of Life Design: From Practice to Theory and from Theory to Practice. 1st edition. 2016. 298 p.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Hanel P.H. P., Uwe W. The Dark Side of Personal Values: Relations to Clinical Constructs and their Implications. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences. Vol 97, 2016, p. 140–145. [Viewed 19.12.2018]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886916301994 2. Lent R.W., Brown S.D. A social cognitive model of career self-management: toward a unifying theory of adaptive career behaviour across the life span. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 2013. No. 60, p. 557-568. 3. International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance. [Viewed 15.12.2018]. Available: http://iaevg.net/ 4. IAEVG Ethical Guidelines. [Viewed 18.12.2018]. Available: http://iaevg.net/wp-content/uploads/IAEVG-EthicsNAFeb2018Final.pdf 5. Latvijas Karjeras attīstības atbalsta asociācija. [Skatīts 14.12.2018.]. Pieejams: http://www.lkaaa.lv/node/1 6. Latvijas karjeras konsultantu profesionālās ētikas kodekss. [Skatīts 19.12.2018.]. Pieejams: http://www.lkaaa.lv/sites/default/files/uploads/etikas_kodekss.pdf 7. Karjeras konsultanta profesijas standarts. [Skatīts 19.12.2018.]. Pieejams: https://visc.gov.lv/profizglitiba/dokumenti/standarti/ps0367.pdf

Notes

Professional Ethics of Career Counsellor