Acquiring ethical competences for the resolution of moral dilemmas in social work

Abstract

This study presents and analyses a teaching project focused on the acquisition of ethical competences to deal with moral dilemmas in the field of Social Work. The project used two pedagogical methods: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Theatre of the Oppressed (TO). The main objective was to raise students’ awareness of the importance of applied ethics in social work and to help them develop reflective and critical skills to solve ethical dilemmas. Through PBL, students were able to practice emotional skills by simulating ethical dilemmas in a familiar environment such as the classroom. The use of OT, on the other hand, allowed them to recreate professional situations, fostering creativity in a collaborative and participatory way by acting out scenes and swapping roles. The results of the study reflect a positive perception on the part of the students toward these methodologies, indicating that they have internalized the ethical lessons learned during the teaching process and that they have acquired critical skills to solve professional dilemmas.