The relationship of education and moral reasoning to ethical practice: a meta-analysis of quantitative studies

This meta-analytic article of quantitative studies is aimed at summarizing knowledge gained on ethical practice for the period of 1987 to 1997 and at suggesting directions for future research. It specifically investigated the relationships of education and moral reasoning to ethical practice, with ethical practice as the dependent variable. The sample consisted of eight studies that investigated the relationship between education and ethical practice, and five studies that addressed the relationship between moral reasoning and ethical practice. A small to medium relationship between education and ethical practice was found, with an overall mean for effect sizes, d = .44, p = .000. To test the relationship between moral reasoning and ethical practice the Pearson product moment coefficient r was used as the effect size estimate, as each of the studies in this group reported correlation analyses. A small but significant relationship was found between moral reasoning and ethical practice (overall r of .2, p = .000). These results are evaluated in comparison to those of a decade earlier and overall trends are identified. As before, the majority of the studies are in the form of dissertations, and few of their authors have published their work in the general scientific literature. Similarly, clarity has not yet been achieved with regard to the conceptual and operational definitions of ethical practice. Theoretical, measurement, and policy issues are discussed in highlighting the implications of the study.