Berufsethik in Arbeitsfeldern der Kindheitspädagogik und der Sozialen Arbeit: Eine vergleichende Studie

As part of a seminar on social history, philosophy, and ethics, dual students of Social Work and Early Childhood Education (IU Ulm, WS 24/25) explored the foundations of professional ethics. The seminar began by examining observed differences between students’ own ethical orientations in practice and the emphasis of relevant position papers, such as the RECKAHNER REFLECTIONS and the BERLIN DECLARATION of the DBSH. To capture the professional ethical frameworks of experienced practitioners, students distributed an open-ended questionnaire on ethical questions and routine practices at their field placements. A total of 36 completed questionnaires were returned from early childhood education and social work settings. Through thematic analysis, key values, their implementation in practice, and potential discrepancies be- tween guiding principles and everyday routines were identified. The findings indicate both widely shared ethical orientations (e.g., respect, empathy, self-determination) and differences in ethical priorities depending on the field of practice. The survey results were further discussed in the seminar and concluded with an Open Space session aimed at fostering professional ethical practice.