In an investigation involving human beings as participants,
there must be strict ethical guidelines adhered to. Add to that additional
complications such as the age of the participants and the educational setting
and the whole inquiry gets ever so slightly more complicated! Ethics infiltrates
across all parts of our lives, both personal and professional, public and
private and there is no exception here.
Our own ethical stances govern our actions and the decisions
that we take. My personal ethics have been informed from the values my family
instilled in me, any religious influences during my upbringing and also my
basic morals; what I inherently know to be right and wrong – my ‘character.’
Historically, law and religion have always been closely associated with morals
and ethics. My current place of practice sees many individuals brought together
under one roof, each with their own set of ethical beliefs, varied as they may
be. Professional ethics have therefore evolved from the ‘norms’ that can be
expected of certain professions, in my case – teaching, and have developed so
that the standards of the profession may be upheld. An ethical stance can
sometimes be referred to as a ‘code of conduct.’ These regulate any
differentiation in people’s personal ethics. Should anyone wishing to work
within a school environment therefore should abide by these rules. Both
personal and professional ethics then combine to contribute to social harmony
in the larger community of the school.
The ripple analogy seen in Reader 5 aims to explain the
consequences and knock-on effects of our own perceptions of right and wrong
within our immediate community. But in a chain-reaction scenario, at whose ‘door’
would ethical principles lie? Should it merely stop at personal? I believe that
the staff within a school all have a duty of care to its students. If a
teaching assistant observes the Head Teacher ignore an incident of concern,
does that justify it? Regrettably, tensions can arise between personal ethics;
what we see fit and professional codes/what our employer expects of us. By
supporting one another and remaining collegial, the ripples that spread
outwards are all positive and influential. Ultimately, the ethos of the school
should be one whereby its student’s personal ethics are shaped, in turn
creating their own ripples within a wider society.
Unfortunately, issues that may make us question whether acts
are good/bad/necessary are not always a case of ‘black or white.’ It is my
personal responsibility during my inquiry to thoroughly investigate any ‘grey’
areas that would affect the well-being of my participants.
I found the reading of the history behind ethical principles
extremely interesting. Hobbes (1651) was of the belief that ethics were a
practical solution to harmony within society and existed in order to achieve peace
and cooperation. In order to achieve social order, everyone within that society
must all first adhere to a set of moral rules. I believe this theory could be
considered fairly black/white. For instance, it works on the premise that
rational people will accept it on the understanding that everyone will as well.
But who decides on rational? Certainly in a school the ethical code of practice
determines the morals expected of its staff and students. Unfortunately
however, there are individuals that exist within educational organisations who
fall short in terms of adhering to moral rules.
Kant’s (1779) belief is that the moral rules are absolute. A
person should act for the greater good no matter what their desires are and
that the moral behind the action determines whether the action itself is right
or wrong. In stark contrast to that is the view of Mill (1861) in that he
believed that the means justified the end. By looking at the ‘kill one person
to save ten’ analogy, although seemingly extreme, I have been able to link it
to an educational example. If one student is persistently disruptive throughout
a lesson, the teacher could be considered right in removing the student and
sacrificing their learning during that lesson, in order to enhance it for
everyone else. In terms of this view on the ethos of a school? No, I am of the
opinion that the community within the school should follow the same guidelines.
Leading on from that, Plato’s idea of comparative ethics
whereby what is deemed right/wrong differs with the passage of time can also be
given an educational example. Social changes have rendered certain types of
conduct which were acceptable e.g.
use of the cane and physical pain as punishment, to now not being so. The
concept of ‘moral relativism’ states that there are in fact no universal moral norms. What is right or
good in one society or time may not necessarily be the same in another. While
this could be true of all educational establishments worldwide, educational settings
within Western culture and certainly within the UK all share the same ethical expectations.
When planning my inquiry, I must follow complete ethical practice
in the carrying out of actions and consider the broader ethical implications
that may be attached. The motivating factor for my inquiry is twofold; I
improve my professional practice through the results brought about by the
investigation and likewise the learning experience for my students is enriched.
At the end of the day, the students themselves stand to benefit most from the
research, in that the reason for me wanting to improve my practice and become a
better teacher is so that my students learn more and have a more successful educational
experience. I have responsibilities to my students, my peers at the school, the
academic institution and the greater community of practitioners.
*Who are my participants? – Drama students of mixed age range,
gender and ability, particularly in years groups 7-9 before it is chosen as a preferred
Key Stage 4 subject.
*How have you chosen the participants? – Students have purely
been chosen on the fact that I am able to access their lesson in a supporting
role. I will ensure that I have plenty of differentiation within my sample e.g.
age, ability, gender etc.
*Why were the participants chosen? – As my inquiry will look
into factors affecting motivation/negativity towards drama, transferable skills
etc, the participants will be chosen based on their timetabled drama slot and
also by ensuring a variation of participants e.g. by not comparing three
different year 7 groups.
*How will you contact the participants? - Put simply, I will
not. It would be inappropriate of me as their teacher to attempt to contact the
students individually or outside of school hours, inquiry or not. All contact
will take place within the lesson or school environment.
*How will you make sure that your participants can leave the inquiry if
they desire to do so? - I will make it perfectly clear to the
participants before we begin that they can decide to not be a part of my investigation
at any point without repercussion. Obviously they cannot opt out of the drama
lesson as a whole but I will be sure to omit their results/data before making
my final conclusions.
*Do the participants have your contact details? – No, as
discussed above.
*Are you storing the participant’s data safely? – The data will
be stored digitally and as such, will require proper managing and special
handling to ensure that it is not manipulated in any way or shared with other
parties. The data will represent the attitudes and behaviour of the
participants and not my opinions as the researcher. I must also consider
appropriate disposal of the data.
My responsibilities as the instigator of the inquiry must be
to develop ethical and legal methods of working. Essentially, at the very heart
of ethics, no harm should befall any of my participants. Any areas of potential
ethical concern will be dealt with quickly and effectively. All research will
be conducted to the agreed protocol, as outlined in my proposal and agreed with
the authorising professional source. I will endeavour to treat the students
with respect and honesty by informing them of the purpose of my study, gaining
parental consent and ensuring their safety throughout, reporting any
problems/incidents to the appropriate body within the school. Feedback provided
to participants will be accurate and truthful, and findings presented fairly
without cherry-picking data or ignoring any anomalous responses.
Ultimately, I
want to ensure that if my observations are carried out on certain classes
within the year group and not others, in order to measure subsequent differences,
that I am not impeding learning in any way.
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