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Educational management strategies for strengthening teacher ethics

Estrategias de gestión educativa para fortalecer la ética docente

Fani Ramón–Cabrera

Universidad César Vallejo, Piura, Perú

p7002292964@ucvvirtual.edu.pe

(Received on: 16/02/2022; Accepted on: 25/02/2022; Final version received on: 15/05/2022)

Suggested citation: Ramón-Cabrera, F. (2022). Educational management strategies for strengthening teacher ethics. Revista Cátedra, 5(2), 35-54.

Abstract

This research responds to the need to improve ethical behavior, interpersonal relationships and the practice of values in private Franciscan educational institutions. In order for this difficulty to be understood and incorporated as practice in the classroom, the application of a program of educational management strategies was proposed to strengthen teaching ethics oriented towards compliance with institutional norms, collaborative work and practice of managerial skills within the framework of the principle’s teacher ethics. The methodology is of a quasi-experimental type with two groups: experimental and control selected through a non-probabilistic sampling of 35 teachers in each group. A pre-test and post-test were used with a questionnaire validated through expert judgment, Cronbach's Alpha was 0.959, which verifies the reliability of the questionnaire. The program was developed in 15 sessions. The data was processed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the non-parametric Mann Whitney SPSS U test. The results verified changes in the ethical behavior and ways of acting of the teachers, significant differences were found; in the experimental group the fair and good levels decreased; increased the very good level by 91.40%. It was concluded that the application of the program improved the pedagogical practices of teachers with thoughts and feelings of Franciscan philosophy to have a behavior based on justice, peace and ecology. Ideas that are reflected in reality and in decision-making oriented towards the well-being of others and oneself.

Keywords

Management strategies, teacher ethics, values practice, educational management program, interpersonal relations.

Resumen

En el campo educativo, la aplicación de habilidades posibilitadoras de armonía social es fundamental. La presente investigación responde a la necesidad de mejorar el comportamiento ético, relaciones interpersonales y la práctica de valores en las instituciones educativas particulares franciscanos. Para conseguir que esta dificultad sea entendida e incorporada como práctica cotidiana en las aulas se planteó la aplicación de un programa de estrategias de gestión educativa para fortalecer la ética docente con el objetivo de orientar la gestión administrativa para el cumplimiento de normas institucionales, trabajo colaborativo y práctica de habilidades directivas en el marco de los principios éticos del docente. Metodológicamente se aplicó una investigación de tipo cuasiexperimental con dos grupos: experimental y de control seleccionados mediante un muestreo no probabilístico de 35 docentes en cada grupo. Se utilizó un pretest y postest con un cuestionario validado a través de juicio de expertos, el Alfa de Cronbach fue de 0,959 que comprueba la confiabilidad del cuestionario. El programa se desarrolló en 15 sesiones. Los datos se procesaron mediante estadística descriptiva e inferencial con la prueba no paramétrica U de Mann Whitney SPSS. Los resultados comprobaron cambios, en el comportamiento ético y formas de actuar de los docentes en las que se encontraron diferencias significativas, en el grupo experimental disminuyeron los niveles regular y bueno; aumentó el nivel muy bueno en un 91.40%. Se concluyó que la aplicación del programa estrategias de gestión educativa mejoró las prácticas pedagógicas de los docentes con pensamientos y sentimientos de filosofía franciscana para tener un comportamiento sustentado en la justicia, paz y ecología, esta última dimensión aumentada en los últimos tiempos. Ideas que se plasman en la realidad en la toma de decisiones orientadas hacia el bienestar de los demás y de sí mismo.

Palabras clave

Estrategias de gestión, ética docente, práctica de valores, programa de gestión educativa, relaciones interpersonales.

1. Introduction

The permanent changes that occur in pedagogical work require teachers to develop skills that make social harmony possible. Several of the problems faced in the educational context are closely linked to the ethical, moral and democratic principles of educational management. The concern arises from the need to make management processes transparent as a requirement to successfully achieve the objectives of sustainable development. The present research responds to this demand and is developed on the need to optimize the current educational management in Franciscan educational units. For this purpose, it proposes the application of a program of management strategies that strengthen the teaching ethic.

Studies based on the school reality in different countries confirm that teaching ethics is a discipline initiated within the educational management processes. Teaching ethics needs to be promoted through codes or regulatory guidelines for behavior and decision-making (Ramos and López, 2019). However, there are conditions that prevent the community from achieving total quality in administrative, pedagogical and community management. Among the causal aspects, the lack of resources, limited access to knowledge and limited attention and inadequate formative guidance predominates.

The experience of strategies focused on the improvement of teachers' attitudes and behavior is directly linked to professional performance. The ethical competence of teachers is manifested in knowledge, values, skills and abilities that guide the integral development of students. The objective of Franciscan educational institutions is the formation of teachers with personal processes of renewal that encompass cognitive, affective and moral aspects. In this way, UNESCO (2020) states that "it is the responsibility of each government to provide an authentic education, to prepare and train good teachers because it is up to them to help transform society" (p. 6).

Behaviors linked to these difficulties were detected in certain teachers of Franciscan Educational Institutions-Ecuador. The background diagnosis determined: scarce ethical commitment and empowerment in interpersonal interrelations, insufficient identity of institutional values and principles of the Franciscan philosophy. The solution to these problems, raises the need for the implementation of a program of educational management strategies to strengthen teacher ethics. By facing the ethical problem, the practice of Franciscan values and principles is favored. At the same time, teachers are oriented towards a humanistic way of life in a world immersed in a difficult existential crisis. In the classroom, the teacher is a role model for students and the educational community in general. As expressed by (Patiño, 2015) when referring to Francis of Assisi's proposal, he insists that "addressing the human being in relation to three fundamental dimensions: the human being in relation to himself, the human being in relation to the other, and the human being in relation to the cosmos" (p. 565).

It should be mentioned that education systems are in continuous change due to the great advances of the global world. Changes are also generated by the problems and needs that arise in society. Therefore, educational management becomes every day an unpredictable scenario that demands greater preparation and strategic control (Rodríguez et al., 2019). In this sense, educational management strategies propitiate innovative activities in favor of pedagogical improvement and strengthening of teaching ethics. The following studies show the importance of addressing this issue. In Spain, 67% of educators recognize that they do not actively contribute to the social change of their students for the consolidation of a participatory and critical society (Sanz and Hirsch, 2016). In Ecuador, 31.6% consider that limited communication between managers and collaborators has an impact on the presence of an unhealthy work environment. As a consequence of poor labor relations, authorities do not promote educational management strategies to achieve job satisfaction (Montero, 2015).

The research at the theoretical level is based on concepts of ethics applied to educational management from Kantian philosophy. The conceptual foundation urges the practice of values as a pedestal that sustains interpersonal relationships. It also guides the processes of all management to achieve a more just and supportive humanity. The research also incorporates the criteria provided in the work of Magister of St. Augustine of Hippo, Soto (2005) states that "it is not the teacher who teaches man the sciences, but God, as it is written in the Gospel: Jesus Christ is the only pedagogue par excellence" (cf. Mt. 23:8).

The research answered the question: what is the degree of effectiveness of educational management strategies in strengthening the teaching ethic in Franciscan educational institutions in the Costa-Ecuador region? Methodologically, we worked with two groups: control and experimental. The first group facilitated the contrast with the changes that originated in the second group. The experimental group demonstrated that the research improved pedagogical practices with thoughts and feelings based on justice, peace and ecology.

The research process contributed to the design of an instrument to assess teaching ethics in future research. A program was applied that contributed to the optimization of ethical attitudes and behaviors of Franciscan educators. The two contributions incorporated the sense of responsibility, institutional identity and belonging in the development of academic functions. The proposal was constituted as a didactic tool, with emphasis on the axiological component that highlights the ethical humanism of teachers to strengthen the organizational climate. The study was oriented through the verification of the effects of the program within several work training sessions, in which the experimental group participated. The programmed activities were designed according to professional development needs. The proposal was based on the practice of the ethical principles that guarantee the correct and complete fulfillment of the teacher's functions.

The evaluation of the goals established in the program was carried out by analyzing the achievements obtained with the application of the strategies. The experimental team participated in the development of the activities, for which purpose it was necessary to know their expectations through pretest and posttest. The teachers of the control group were also evaluated through the survey technique. Thus, it was possible to compare the categories achieved in terms of the strengthening of teaching ethics. This scientific article is organized in six aspects: 1 introduction; 2 review of the literature related to management strategies and teaching ethics as elements for improving pedagogical practices; 3 methods and materials applied in the quasi-experimental process; 4 analysis of results; 5 discussion of results; and 6 conclusions.

2. Literature review

2.1 Ethics

Ethics is defined from several theories, this term has its origin in the Greek word ethos which represents a custom, or a place inhabited by the human being (Samour, 2014). It comes from the Latin mosmoris, which means good habits, inherited traditions. Ethics is a key discipline in the understanding of man's behavior. It is philosophically analyzed by Socrates (470-399 BC) as a principle that governs every act and thought. According to Socratic ethics, the lack of ethics is an act of ignorance, since in his theory he maintains that the good is an unavoidable practice. Consequently, ethics is a transferable virtue, which can be cultivated in the process of formation. From the theoretical perspective of St. Augustine of Hippo, quoted by Soto (2005) "knowledge itself belongs to God" (p. 12). This leads to reflect that the human being in his inner self guides his actions through the voice of his own conscience. That is to say, he becomes an instrument through which divine wisdom is transmitted.

The Kantian theory expounded by Piñón (2014) identifies the "human being as an entity conscious of his acts, capable of building or destroying his life" (p. 193). Thus, it is understood that ethics is a discipline that guides man towards the right path, to act with responsibility, honesty and transparency. This theory is assumed in the research, in which teaching ethics is defined as an aspect of integral humanistic and professional training. Consequently, the level of teacher ethics determines the capacity for management and institutional leadership. As a result, values such as commitment, responsibility and morality, which are part of the integrity of the teacher's behavior, are increased and strengthened.

Teachers who act ethically acquire social prestige due to their responsibility in complying with the norms based on good actions. That is, they develop attitudes that reflect positive behaviors in social and work interaction. In addition, they have the capacity and professional knowledge to solve problems of all kinds in the educational organization. These characteristics are fundamental in each of the members of the organization (Ramos and López, 2019). According to Rodriguez et al. (2020) "teacher ethics is rational behavior with positive judgments that link culture, identity, common sense, and ability to lead" (p. 232). It is clear that teacher ethics promotes active participation within the institutional framework. It leads to consensus and decisions with attitudes that generate leadership and values that emerge as transcendental changes in the hard work of education.

2.2 Teacher ethics and values

Among the most important human activities is teaching. Teachers are not only responsible for transmitting knowledge, but also for influencing the lives of their students to ensure their success and happiness. It should be emphasized that educational management requires ethical principles in order to carry out an effective educational action. Therefore, "teaching ethics refers to the behavior expressed in the practice of values, which strengthens personal interrelationships between educational actors and is immersed in professional activities in any field" (Carrillo-Velarde, 2020, p. 1109).

In conclusion, the education sector must assume its major responsibility in the formation of the future citizen predisposed to the sustained and sustainable development of society. In this way, a higher level of professional capacity is required to analyze the personal problems of their social sector and generate solutions. The ethical teacher possesses a pedagogical, methodological and reflective behavior, which strengthens his professional identity (Izarra, 2019). In the management of teaching-learning processes, he/she incorporates positive attitudes that ensure quality teaching practices. By generating ethical behaviors as a pedagogical habit, it helps students learn from an early age. Thus, ethics becomes an intrinsic decision of the affective life, creates and strengthens emotional intelligence.

Chávez and Martínez (2011) "incorporate commitment within the ethical behavior of the teacher. They express that this value has the formal capacity to fulfill an action of interrelation between teachers and the educational community" (p. 7). Commitment creates an atmosphere of familiarity that favors the progressive achievement of the improvement of the quality of education. For Casadiego-Duque et al. (2020), ethical behavior "implies the use of individual, organizational and social values" (p. 101). In this way, the organization is strengthened from any social, formative, humanistic and professional perspective. To this are attributed the good attitudes, characteristic of the ethical behavior of a person who leads a company. Honesty, respect, fairness and responsibility are individual values that have an impact on the organization. Based on these norms, moral actions that form the individual character of the professional are governed.

The experience of ethics is considered as a value that leads to moral or ethical practice in organizations (Ramos and Lopez, 2019). It allows staff members to carry out activities according to ethical values for the common good of the organization. Teaching ethics is a sequence of actions performed with positive values, responsibility and skills that generate excellence in teaching practice (Rosales, 2021). This ethical teaching behavior, according to Agüero (2019) and Palacios (2017) is constituted in actions of transparent active practice, which do not seek their own benefit, but that of others. It increases leadership and teaching vocation, so that it benefits the educational community. Therefore, ethical behavior makes it possible to implement strategies, actions and corrective measures that benefit any organization. According to Reyes and Hernandez (2019) "the practice of values is indispensable for the performance of the vision and mission of educational institutions" (p. 3). Ethical values are personal knowledge that teachers must manage with their students, parents and authorities. This is reaffirmed by Wong et al. (2021) when they attest that "values constitute the essential in the work of any professional because they guarantee supportive and fair activities for the productive good" (p. 8). Consequently, the practice of values requires the dedication and donation of boundless love to the educational service.

2.3 Educational management

Studies and research on educational management strategies respond to the need for improvement and transformation of educational quality, from the approach of innovative paradigms. Thus, it should be noted that "the ways in which teachers carry out the teaching processes, how they assume the curriculum and translate it into a didactic planning, how they evaluate it and the way they interact with their students and parents to ensure learning" (Farfán and Reyes, 2017, p. 46). It is ratified that the teacher plays a fundamental role in the educational process. Innovation consists of providing opportunities for students to assume a leading role during their academic training. Management strategies designed with organizational culture objectives to strengthen teaching ethics facilitate quality and warmth educational processes. From the purposes of the Franciscan education ideology, it improves harmonious coexistence under an atmosphere of good communication, trust and collaboration.

For Hasek de Barbúdez et al. (2021) "educational management comprises a set of political actions of formation" (p. 411). The purpose is to design, guide, organize and evaluate in order to make the right decisions that benefit the institution, in quality and in production processes. In this sense, ensuring that educational management plays a leading role implies the practice of organizational leadership. This is important because it will strengthen strategic actions aimed at correctly guiding each of the management components.

Educational management incorporates concrete activities based on the basic needs of the campus and develops them as part of the academic content (Rodríguez et al., 2019). Thus, a bilateral process is established between the school and society that contributes to the achievement of the institutional vision and mission. Educational management applies strategies that optimize pedagogical tasks for the achievement of quality education. In this path, the management of legal norms and instituted policies is prioritized (Cruz et al., 2018). On the aforementioned, actions to strengthen educational management are oriented towards pedagogical accompaniment supported by institutional values. The practice of educational management enriches ethical strategies from the experience of each teacher. It promotes the improvement of the curriculum, school coexistence and leadership, with changes in the immediate environment and the entire educational community.

2.4 Educational manegement strategies

In order to internalize the values of the Franciscan charism as a sign of institutional life, knowledge of educational management strategies is a key element. According to Chen-Quesada et al. (2020) educational management strategies are "pedagogical tools planned with a short, medium and long term vision. They establish the achievement of management competencies as an organizational resource for teamwork, in institutional educational projects focused on the reality of each institution" (p. 328). In order to achieve this purpose, the Ministry of Education determines the educational management strategies, with the following dimensions: administrative, institutional, pedagogical and community. It identifies management as an indicator of the quality of the educational system. When referring to the administrative dimension, several authors relate it to management activities, from the aspects of institutional operability (Ministry of Education of Ecuador, 2020).

For Botero (2017) administrative management establishes "varied actions for the effective management of human talent, physical environment availabilities, technological and economic aspects" (p. 271-276). Arroyo-Cañada (2019) relates it to "managerial skills that lead to the improvement of the environment and collaborative work in the organization" (p. 28-35). For Anchelia-Gonzales, it is multiple processes or pre-established activities for compliance, both with legal regulations and with the availability of resources in the organization (Anchelia-Gonzales et al., 2021).

Moreno and Wong (2018) add that "managerial skills are developed with techniques, methods, strategies and vision for the production of good results. It is important to note that the program of educational management strategies to strengthen teaching ethics, drives these educational innovation projects" (p. 2-17). In addition, it improves the structure of the institution with training processes for teachers. This action organizes researchers as a contribution to the effectiveness of the program to enrich administrative management skills. Institutional management regulates teaching performance through evaluation instruments. This tool periodically controls the planning that foresees compliance with laws and regulations as well as the didactic process. These guidelines are supported by Acevedo et al. (2017), when they express that it is a "management aimed at complying with norms, laws, educational policies, didactic processes under the responsibility of the authorities of an institution" (p. 53-95).

An essential factor of institutional management is the monitoring of the functions performed by the teacher. This action implies following up on the execution of rules and regulations and the application of the Institutional Educational Project. Executives responsible for institutional management, act as guides to ensure compliance with the Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) (National Assembly of Ecuador, 2011) (Acevedo et al., 2017). Andia et al. (2021) state "that responsible and collaborative social work help to improve the quality of services" (p. 53-95). In addition, they establish as a fundamental value responsible social participation in decision making with available resources. In essence, they are the collaborative actions that the educational community performs to meet the desired goals.

According to Cabrera (2019) education based on ethical principles "is the fundamental basis or foundation required to consolidate the evangelical and institutional values that are established norms for living and coexisting in harmony with other people" (p. 269). In institutional management these principles seek peace and love as basic golden standards to work for the institutional good. For Castillo et al. (2017) "shared leadership is required to work on the needs, shortcomings and weaknesses of the institution." (p. 45). It is important that everyone contributes in a committed way with innovative strategies and projects. As expressed by the authors, ethical principles guide managerial action in coordination with teachers. These actors perform with honesty an optimal quality of service that supports the achievement of institutional values and those established by the Ministry of Education.

With reference to pedagogical management, it is conceived as a process of improvement of teachers' activities in their planning and didactic orientation (Rodríguez et al., 2019). It is also a set of processes that managers apply with various strategies to meet educational goals. Adequate pedagogical management is evidenced in the management of the curriculum, professional updating and ethical behaviors of teachers. This criterion is reinforced by Chen-Quesada et al. (2020) when they indicate that "pedagogical management models create teaching capacities that strengthen daily the practice of skills, methods and tools that educate by example in values and skills as the guiding threads of knowledge learning" (p. 342). They reiterate that pedagogical-educational management with ethical values requires a proposal that makes it feasible to update knowledge according to needs. In this sense, the program was designed to meet this management requirement.

In relation to community management, Solano et al. indicate that it is very important because it is responsible for encouraging the community to work together with mothers and fathers as collaborators in the advancement of their environment, with the search for strategies for the progressive solution of existing problems according to the possibilities of the educational community (Solano et al., 2021). This process of working together, would achieve the objective of Franciscan pedagogy, "to be a formative process that focuses on the person and is based on the everyday, on fraternal dialogical relationships and on creativity and imagination" (Patiño, 2015, p. 559-571).

He supports the importance of educational management Chacón (2014) when he indicates that "educational instances require a different form of management, which includes the change from the approach of simplicity to the model of complexity, in accordance with the currents of thought of the 21st century" (p. 158). These propose to modify the prototype of uniformity in which they worked, with the agreement of new forms of behavior under the guidance of ethical principles. An innovative model of educational management challenges routine and incorporates collaborative work with moral values as an opportunity for change. The teacher has to learn to learn, to relearn and strengthen ethical behaviors with skills and abilities that transform him/her into a leader of change.

3. Methods and materials

The present research applied a quantitative approach, the fundamental purpose was to analyze the hypotheses raised according to the variables. Applied research was used, which posed the solution of the problem in a practical way with contribution results for the scientific community (Cabezas et al., 2018). The solution of the problem was carried out through the implementation of educational management strategies oriented towards the strengthening of ethics. It was determined as an independent variable: educational management strategies as an element that supports teachers in the development of administrative, institutional and pedagogical capabilities. They contain instruments and methods planned to be fulfilled in the short, medium and long term. The educational management strategies were evidenced in the effects caused by their use in the experimental group.

The dependent variable: teaching ethics referred to the behavior expressed in the practice of values that strengthen personal interrelationships among educational actors. Teaching ethics was operationalized in the observation of teachers' behavior in the practice of the congregation's ethical values, according to the frequency of their actions, expressed in the items organized in an opinion questionnaire with alternatives. Two groups were considered for the research: experimental and control, selected by non-probabilistic sampling with 35 teachers in each group. This design contributed to the manipulation of the educational management strategies variable, with the objective of determining its effect on teacher ethics, since it was random and procedural.

The population under analysis was represented by 70 teachers from the private educational units of the control group (1), from La Libertad and the experimental group (2), from Guayaquil-Ecuador. The population was selected by inclusion and exclusion. All teachers included in the distributive lists of the private educational unit Guayaquil (1) and the private educational unit - La Libertad (2) were included, and principals and personnel who did not have a teaching load were excluded. The unit of analysis consisted of each teacher in the institutions included in the population and sample. A survey with specific, standardized and easy to understand questions was applied to the teachers. They were characterized by providing relevant information on the dimensions of ethics in the behavior of teachers in certain situations. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of the application of a program of educational management strategies for the improvement of teacher ethics. The items investigated the ability to learn to behave with the demands required to carry out their teaching work with professional ethics. The level of measurement used was ordinal because the responses contained several categories. The Likert scale was used in the instrument.

A pretest and posttest were used with a questionnaire that was checked for validity and reliability before application. For the content validity, questions included in the instrument were used, using the criteria of five experts in the field of education. Criterion validity assessed the relevance of the document with respect to its ability to measure teaching ethics by means of Pearson's statistic (items/total). The reliability of the instrument assessed the internal consistency, using the statistic for polytomous data with Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (Bernal, 2016). The reliability was 0.959.

The questionnaire was applied virtually, through the Gmail form, in anonymity mode, the data of the teachers who issued their expectations about teaching ethics were preserved so that, the information had transparency and authenticity. The management strategies program was developed in 15 sessions. For data analysis, the information collected was tabulated in Excel tables to be coded according to the values assigned to each of the responses and then inserted into the SPSS database. The information obtained in the pretest and posttest presented the distribution of frequencies with bar graphs that directly visualized the percentages of the variables and their dimensions, which in turn facilitated the interpretation of the comparisons. In the inferential analysis, a non-parametric statistic was applied to evaluate whether the two groups are significantly related or different from each other with respect to the teaching ethics variable, thus testing the hypothesis.

Regarding the ethical aspects, prior to the study, permission was obtained from the legal representatives, its development was carried out through the following ethical principles, the benefit of the teachers, who strengthened their ethics with the practice of a new model of educational management. No member of the teaching staff and the educational community in general was affected. The teachers voluntarily chose to participate in the research process, for which they signed an informed consent form that supported the researcher in the data collection process.

4. Results

The results were obtained from the collection of pretest and posttest data from teachers in the experimental and control groups (Table 1).

Levels	Level G.E Pretest		Level G.C Pre Test
Levels	Fr	%	fr	%
Regular	8	22.9%	10	28.6%
Good	22	62.9%	15	42.9%
Very good	5	14.3%	10	28.6%
Total	35	100.0%	35	100.0%
Table 1. Descriptive results of specific objective 1 Source: Test applied to Franciscan educational institutions, coastal region - Ecuador

In the pretest phase, at the fair level, the control group obtained 28.6% and the experimental group 22.9%. At the good level, the control group 42.9% and the experimental group 62.9%. At the very good level, the control group obtained 28.6% and the experimental group 14.3%. These results show a very good level of ethics in the majority of teachers in both groups, although unlike the experimental group, the control group has a higher percentage of teachers with a very good level. In relation to the inferential results, the sample used for the analysis was 35 teachers in each group, so the significance levels are lower.

	Kolmogorov-Smirnov^a			Shapiro-Wilk
	Statistician	gl	Sig.	Statistician	gl	Sig.
PretGExp	.143	35	.066	.906	35	.006
PretGcont	.156	35	.030	.882	35	.001

Table 2. Pretest normality test. Lilliefors significance correction

In Table 2, the experimental group in the pre-test, obtained a statistic of 0.906 and a significance value of 0.006 as opposed to the control group that obtained a statistic of 0.882 and a significance value of 0001. In the two groups the significance value is lower, which showed that the data had a non-normal distribution, because of this situation.

Test	VarAgrup	N	Average range	U de Mann-Whitney	Sig. (bilateral)
Pre Test	Experimental	35	36.36	582.500	.724
	Control	35	34.64		.724
	Total	70

Table 3. Pretest ranges test statistic, experimental and control group

According to the results, it was concluded that the experimental group presented similar characteristics in the level of teaching ethics to the control group, before implementing the educational management strategies. As shown in Table 4, the differences in the level of teaching ethics are evident.

Post test
	G. E		G.C
	fi	%	Fi	%
Regular	1	2.9%	10	28.6%
Good	2	5.7%	16	45.7%
Very Good	32	91.4%	9	25.7%
Total	35	100.0%	35	100.0%
Source: Test applied in Franciscan educational institutions, coastal region - Ecuador.

Table 4. Descriptive results of the specific objective 2

In the experimental group, 91.40% reached a very good level, 5.70% a good level and 2.90% a fair level. In the control group, 25.70% reached a very good level, 45.70% a good level and 28.60% a regular level. Most of the teachers in the experimental group increased their level of teaching ethics, while most of the teachers in the control group maintained a good and regular level. When contrasting the two hypotheses, in Ha2: level of teaching ethics and educational management strategies, the experimental group reached an average rank of 51.64, far from the 19.36 obtained by the control group, showing significant differences according to the (bilateral) Sig. 0.000. The evaluation of the effects of the educational strategies on the teaching ethics of the experimental group showed an increase in the results obtained by the control group; regarding the level of teaching ethics, in the pretest 14.30% reached a very good level, while, in the posttest, this level was reached by 91.40%, showing a significant increase in the level of teaching ethics. Also, in the pretest, 22.90% reached a regular level, a percentage that decreased 2.90%. From 62.90% it decreased to 5.70%, placing it in the good level.

When contrasting specific hypothesis 3: Ha3, with Ho3, the level of teaching ethics in the control group did not improve significantly. Mann-Whitney U test - pretest - posttest. The result was a significant difference between ranks of 32.42, at the two moments. These results showed that the application of educational strategies significantly improved the level of teaching ethics in the experimental group. With reference to the general objective: to determine the effectiveness of educational management strategies on the level of teaching ethics in educators of the Franciscan educational institution, coastal region, Ecuador, the results of the educational management strategies had a favorable impact on teaching ethics, Table 5.

	Test	Regular		Good		Very good		Total
	Test	Fi	%	fi	%	fi	%	fi	%
Ethical behavior	Pre	6	17.7%	23	65.7%	6	17.1%	35	100.0%
Ethical behavior	Pos	1	2.9%	1	2.9%	33	94.3%	35	100.0%
Interpersonal relationships	Pre	7	20.0%	22	62.9%	6	17.1%	35	100.0%
Interpersonal relationships	Pos	0	0,0%	2	5.7%	33	94.3%	35	100.0%
Practice of Values	Pre	6	17.1%	24	68.6%	5	14.3%	35	100.0%
Practice of Values	Pos	0	0.0%	3	8.6%	32	91.4%	35	100.0%

Table 5. Level of teaching ethics by dimensions before and after the application of the program

In the dimension of ethical behavior variable teaching ethics, before the application of the educational management program, 65.7% were at a good level, 17.1% at a very good level and 17.7% at a regular level; in the post-test 94.3% were at a very good level, 2.9% were at a good level and 2.9% at a regular level. In the interpersonal relations dimension, before the application of the educational management program, 62.9% were at a good level, 17.1% at a very good level and 20.00% at a regular level; in the post-test, 94.3% of the experimental group were at a very good level, 5.7% remained at a good level. In the values practice dimension, before the application of the educational management program, 68.6% were at a good level, 14.3% at a very good level and 17.1% at a fair level, in the posttest 91.4% of the experimental group were at a very good level, 8.6% remained at a good level. The educational management strategies had a positive effect, improving the levels of teaching ethics, it was found that all the differences in average ranges were significant in all cases, the dimensions reached a p=0.000, Table 6.

Dimensions of Teaching Ethics	Test	N	Average range	U of Mann-Whitney	Sig. (bilateral)
Ethical behavior	Pre test	35	19.44	50.500	0.000
Ethical behavior	Post test	35	51.56	50.500	0.000
Interpersonal relationships	Pre test	35	19.06	37.000	0.000
Interpersonal relationships	Post test	35	51.94	37.000	0.000
Practice of Values	Pre test	35	19.20	42.000	0.000
Practice of Values	Post test	35	51.80	42.000	0.000

Table 6. Level of dimensions

In each dimension of the teaching ethics variable: the ethical behavior dimension, obtained as a result a value of 50.500 and a Sig. value (bilateral) 0.000 (p < 0.05), with an increase in average rank in the post-test, in the value of 51.56. In the interpersonal relations dimension, it reached as a result a value of 37.000 and a Sig. value (bilateral) 0.000 (p < 0.05), with an increase in average rank in the posttest reflected in the value of 51.94. In the practical dimension of values, it resulted in a value of 42,000 and a Sig. value (bilateral) 0.000 (p < 0.05), there was an increase in average rank in the posttest reflected in the value of 51.80. At the conclusion of the research, it was demonstrated that the application of the educational management strategies program has a positive effect, improving the levels of teaching ethics in the educators of a Franciscan educational institution, coast-Ecuador region, as shown in the triangulation of results, Table 7.

DIMENTIONS	EXPERIMENTAL GROUP	CONTROL GROUP	OBSERVATIONS
Institutional	The permanent follow-up provided by the educational leaders strengthens the ethical behavior of teachers. 14.3% demonstrate a behavior in the option of very good.	28.6% express themselves with the option of very good.	Disagreement, accompaniment program not yet started
Administrative		In their actions, teachers take into account the institutional code of ethics.	Discordance, in the control group there is a predisposition for this action, despite the fact that the other group is the one that receives the assistance.
Pedagogical	Teachers demonstrate an ethical attitude in their daily work that allows them to increase the quality of the educational service.	Teachers demonstrate an ethical attitude in their daily work that allows them to increase the quality of the educational service.	Concordance, the two groups are concerned with demonstrating an ethical attitude in their work, those in the experimental group by direct incidence and those in the control group by permanent transmission.
Communitarian	The success or failure of educational management in the institution is a responsibility assumed by all teachers.		Disagreement, expressed and expressed preferably by the members of the experimental group.

Table 7. Triangulation of results

5. Discussion of Results

The results derived from the research made it possible to determine the level of teaching ethics in the following aspects: ethical behavior, interpersonal relations and practice of values. In the evaluation of these aspects considered dimensions of teaching ethics, deficiencies in the practice of institutional values were evidenced. At a general level, the understanding of the problem proceeded from the initial diagnosis obtained through the pretest.

In the first evaluation, it was identified that both the teachers of the control group and those of the experimental group before the program reached a good level (GC=42.9%) and (GE=62.9%), followed by the regular level (GC=28.6%) and (GE=22.9%). It should be noted that 28.6% of the teachers in the control group presented a very good level, while only 14.3% of the teachers in the experimental group presented a very good level.

In the hypothesis test whose statistic used was the Mann-Whitney U, the significance level obtained was 0.724 > 0.05. Finally, it was concluded that, in the two groups, the levels of teaching ethics were similar before implementing the educational management program.

The results agreed with Marín (2018) who focused the analysis on managerial strategies and their effect on teacher ethics. The author concluded that in order to maintain a high level of ethics in teachers, strategies guided by ethical principles should be prioritized. Regarding the impact of educational management on the practice of values, it was found that it is effective for the organizational climate. It was concluded that adequate management raises the level of motivation, interaction and sense of belonging.

According to the levels of achievement, the quality of management depends on the performance of the management team, as well as the entire teaching staff, which is in agreement with Rodriguez et al (2019). This panorama leads to take into account that management models depend on the situational context. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to identify the conditions that redefine the quality of the processes according to the products achieved (Cruz et al., 2018).

It coincides with the conception of Sánchez and Delgado (2020) who state that educational management is essential in teaching and learning processes. Through it, pedagogical actions that provide better results in each of the integrative processes are achieved. Since educational management is a set of actions governed by legal norms, planning, control and evaluation are of utmost importance, together with the proper use of the resources available to the educational institution in order to achieve the desired goal and reduce organizational problems in the future.

Regarding the inferential results, we agree with Alvarez (2015) who also evaluated through a pretest the level of teaching ethics before the program. The data obtained showed a similarity in the percentages of teachers who achieved a good and fair level. Similarly, at an inferential level, the results coincided with those of García (2018), who found that before applying the program, the research analysis groups showed similarity in the levels of teaching ethics.

In the present research, differences were established in the predominance of the level of teaching ethics. In the descriptive table of objective 2, it is observed that the majority of teachers in the control group (45.7%) persisted in the good level they reached in the pretest. While the teachers of the experimental group (91.4%), after having participated in the program sessions, improved and achieved a very good level.

The positive effect of the educational management program on teacher ethics was confirmed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The null hypothesis was rejected, since the significance value was 0.000 and the average range differed with 32.28, demonstrating the progress of the experimental group.

At a descriptive and inferential level, we agree with Palacios (2017), who with the application of the program managed to improve the levels of teaching ethics in the experimental group. The control group that did not participate in the program retained the levels achieved in the pretest. Durán & Martínez (2018) also agree with the result of the present research. According to the analysis of their results, personal and professional progress is proportionally a direct product of the practice of ethical and moral values.

In the general analysis, it was found that in the practice of ethical behavior 94.3% of the teachers reached a very good level. As for interpersonal relations, 94.3% also achieved a good level, and in the practice of values, 91.4% also achieved a very good level. Only 2.9% of the teachers in the experimental group did not exceed the regular level in ethical behavior. These results undoubtedly showed that the program was effective in improving the dimensions of teacher ethics.

In contrast with the pretest results, the hypothesis test showed significant differences according to the p-value 0.000. The positive results coincide with the studies of González et al., (2018), Rodríguez, (2016) and Álvarez, (2015). The authors confirmed that an adequate educational management program is favorable in administrative, pedagogical and community processes. According to the above, it is established that management strategies drive managers to plan improvement activities in a systemic and holistic aspect. At the same time, they create a space for interaction under a system of interdisciplinary communication.

6. Conclusions

The analysis of notions and concepts of various authors facilitated the understanding of the Franciscan institutional ideology aimed at educating in principles and values. The concepts of ethics applied to educational management were generalized. The theory of Kantian ethics was reaffirmed with the practice of values, as a theoretical support that sustains interpersonal relationships and guides school processes.

In the methodological field, the research contributed with an unpublished instrument, which will be of great relevance when measuring teaching ethics in future research. It facilitated educators to strengthen institutional values, ethical/professional performance and principles with the help of educational management strategies. In the context of the Franciscan education ideology, it strengthened the sense of leadership, as well as commitment, as integral values in teaching ethics.

The application of the educational management strategies program had a positive effect, by significantly reducing the levels of deficiency in the teaching ethics of the Franciscan Educational Institution, Coastal Region - Ecuador, 2021. It should be emphasized that, in this context, education is not reduced to the simple transmission of knowledge, but to the practice of values under the guidelines of the institutional ideology.

It should be emphasized that the practice of the educational management strategies program in the strengthening of teaching ethics, applied in this research, should be socialized in other educational institutions, as academic support for the creation of commitments in the pedagogical practice of teachers.

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to all the specialized teaching staff of the Graduate School Academic Program of Doctorate in Education of the Universidad César Vallejo Piura - Peru, for their unconditional support in the development of this research, as well as to the authorities and administrative staff who facilitated and participated in this study.

Special thanks to Dr. Mario Napoleón Briones Mendoza for his careful work during the development of this study. Our acknowledged gratitude to the professional team of collaborators for their outstanding work during the process of executing the Management Strategies Program of the present experimental study.

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Authors

FANI RAMÓN-CABRERA She obtained a Master's Degree in Intelligence Development and Education at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in 2010. She obtained the title of Specialist in Intellectual Diagnosis at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in 2010. She obtained the Superior Diploma in Innovative Pedagogies at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in 2010. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Education Sciences, specializing in Basic Education at the Technical University of Cotopaxi in 2003.

She is currently a counselor and general secretary of the Institute of Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Ecuador. She has served as director of the Unidad Educativa Particular, La Porciúncula de Loja from 2009 to 2018 and of the Unidad Educativa Particular San Francisco de Asís in Guayaquil from 2018 to 2021. She has worked as a religion teacher in Basic and High School Education Institutions. She has published in the In Crescendo Magazine on Managerial Leadership for the improvement of the performance of teachers in Educational Units, 2016 -2020.