Abstract:

It is very important to define which competences are necessary for the engineering professional practice, since the academic training of engineering students must include the diversity of necessary competences [1]. Many studies and authors argue that ethical and deontological education should be included in engineering programs [2] [3] [4]. Given the consequences of engineering action at the social and environmental level, Smith [5], considers that the engineers of the future need ethical education, in addition to technical and scientific knowledge. Johnston, Gostelow and King [6] also consider that, engineering professionals need training that allows them to understand the social dimension of the profession and promote ethics in the professional practice of engineering.

Considering that the regulatory bodies of engineering professional practice are well-versed in the practice of the profession, it can be considered that they are also well aware of the competences an engineer should have. These regulatory bodies take into account the vision of employers, professionals and society, in a long experience of interconnection between these parties [7]. Before the implementation of the Bologna Process, the regulatory bodies analysed the curriculum of engineering programs in Portugal and recognized them as suitable for the training of engineering professionals, and currently (in Portugal) they carry out the accreditation of foreign training [8] and participate in accrediting of Higher Education programs.

In this context, this study aims to identify and systematize the ethical competences necessary for the professional practice of engineering in accordance with one of the regulatory bodies for the professional practice of engineering in Portugal (Ordem dos Engenheiros Técnicos). It is also the objective of this study to identify and characterize the perspective of the role of engineering in society that the document reflects. This systematization of ethical competences will make it possible to better adapt the curricula of engineering programs so that they include the necessary ethical education.

From a methodological point of view, this study chose the Deontological Code of the Ordem dos Engenheiro Técnicos as a document for the identification and analysis of the ethical competences necessary for the practice of engineering.

From this analysis emerged (non-exclusive) categories that are presented in systematized manner. A content analysis was also carried out, which allowed the characterization of the perspective of the role of engineering in the society the document manifests. The full article will detail the found categories and their rationale.

The importance of this work lies in the fact that the necessary skills are the basis on which the academic curriculum of engineering programs should be built. This study aims to contribute to a better adequacy of the profile of academic training in the areas of engineering, as recognized by a key regulatory body of engineering practice.

Keywords:

Engineering education, competences, ethics education, deontologic professional code.