Faculty Views on Normative Behaviors in Graduate Teaching, Research, and Mentoring

Faculty members play a crucial role in shaping the ethical culture within academic institutions. Their behavior and attitudes set the tone for students and colleagues, influencing the overall moral environment of the institution. This study examines inviolable and admonitory norms in graduate teaching and mentoring within Turkish higher education (HE). Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from 764 faculty members across 115 public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Türkiye. Normative behaviors were evaluated using the Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Behaviors Inventory developed by Braxton et al. (Professors behaving badly: Faculty misconduct in graduate education, 2011). Findings from descriptive and inferential statistics indicate that faculty places greater importance on inviolable norms. Additionally, participants prioritize admonitory norms related to advising and mentoring over those related to teaching. The results reveal significant differences in faculty perceptions of normative behaviors based on gender, academic title, discipline, country of Ph.D., and professional orientation, but not on administrative duty or university type. The paper concludes by offering practical implications based on these findings.