PROFESSIONAL ETHICS OF SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL WORKERS: METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES FOR ENSURING THE QUALITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Objective. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the professional ethics of scientific and pedagogical workers as a system-forming factor in ensuring the quality of the educational process in higher education institutions. The methodological guidelines determining the ethical behavior of the teacher, their responsibility to students and the academic community, and the impact of ethical standards on the effectiveness of educational activities are examined. Methods. The study is based on analytical and synthetic processing of scientific sources on academic integrity, professional ethics of teachers, and quality management in higher education. Methods of comparative analysis of regulatory documents of Ukrainian higher education institutions, systematization of quantitative data from international ranking agencies, and generalization of research results by domestic and foreign scholars for the period 2021-2026 were applied. Results. It has been established that the professional ethics of scientific and pedagogical workers encompasses at least five interrelated components: academic integrity, communicative culture, responsibility for the quality of educational content, digital ethics, and the social mission of the teacher. Based on a comparative analysis of ethical codes of 12 Ukrainian universities, significant discrepancies in the regulatory provision of ethical behavior of teachers were identified. Data from the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education for 2023-2025 on violations of academic integrity among scientific and pedagogical workers were systematized. An author's model of ethical and methodological quality assurance of the educational process integrating normative, value, and practical levels is proposed. Conclusions. The professional ethics of scientific and pedagogical workers is not an auxiliary but a structure-forming element of the quality assurance system in higher education. Compliance with ethical standards positively correlates with accreditation indicators of educational programs, student satisfaction levels, and institutional positions in international rankings. Further research should be directed toward developing diagnostic tools for assessing the ethical competence of teachers.