A search for virtue ethics: Social work ethics curriculum and educators' survey

Drawing on the qualitative analysis of the social work ethics curriculum and the social work ethics educators’ survey, this paper presents the nature and scope of social work ethics subjects in terms of learning outcomes, overall curriculum content, textbooks used, teaching approaches, challenges and strategies for teaching and assessment methods and practices. It also discusses social work ethics educators’ views about teaching virtue ethics. Overall, it argues that there is not conclusive evidence to suggest whether or not virtue ethics is covered in social work ethics subjects, given the above conceptualisation of virtue. Virtue ethics is captured in terms of values and principles. While these subjects do cover values and principles, there appears to be little conscious attention to the development of the qualities of character that are central to virtuous practice (though these may develop naturally to some extent).