Task 5c - Ethics and my professional inquiry

Task 5c –Ethics and my professional inquiry

It is essential when carrying out an inquiry in a workplace that one considers the implications of ethics on professional practice and how to develop an approach to ethics during the planning stage of the inquiry. Ethics infiltrates across all aspects of our lives, both personal and professional.

As individuals, we have our own ethical outlook which governs our actions and decisions that we make. There have been various approaches towards ‘Ethics’ over many years which I have learnt from the reader and through my own research. By looking into my personal and professional ethics I will be able to arrive at an understanding as well as be able to apply principles of ethics.

My personal ethics have been informed from my upbringing, from the values my family encouraged when I was growing up, from religious influence and attending a Roman Catholic Primary School and also my own moral foundations and human nature, what I inherently know to be right and wrong. In a workplace which comprises of many different employees, customers, members, students and so on, it is essential that there is a sense of professional and organisational ethics. Ethical opinions vary from person to person and without structure in the workplace, it could result in conflict and harm to others. Professional ethics have evolved from the ‘norms’ of particular professions and most professions have developed an ethical stance or a ‘code of conduct’. These regulate any differentiation on people’s personal ethics and tacitly residing in these professional ethics and codes of conduct is the notion of good. As discussed in the previous two tasks for Module 2; for a Teacher it is critical that these codes of conducts and policies for ethical actions are enforced and practiced within in the workplace to uphold the standards of the profession.

The ripple analogy shown in Reader 5 seeks to explain the knock-on effect of our own perceptions of right and wrong towards society at large. It is undeniable that ethics pervades our lives as this chain reaction scenario demonstrates that in a situation we may be involved due to our personal, professional, organisational or societal ethics. Therefore although we have responsibility at whose door would ethical principles lie? Should personal ethics be the liability when we have established that there is a ripple effect? In each category we have a responsibility of ethics so who is to blame when something goes wrong? In the case study from Reader 5 depicting problems in the Mid-Staffordshire health system, we see this ripple analogy come into effect. Was the clinician to blame for not mentioning visible life-threatening problems? Was the hospital management to blame who as ‘management’ should have been on top and aware of their staff and practice? Was it the health authority in charge of the hospital? Or, the agencies that monitored standards? In my personal opinion, in a case like this I do not think all the blame can be put on the personal ethics of the clinician. Although partially to blame for not reporting the life-threatening problems that he/she witnessed within the practice, the professionals in charge also could be held accountable, likewise the health authority and standards agencies. Although this ethical issue refers to a health/medical situation, I can see a link across to Teaching and my place of work. If something goes wrong is it the responsibility of the Teacher? Staff? Headmaster? Education system? Governing bodies? It is essential that we know as practicing professionals, the documentation of policies and laws to abide by, and to consider in what situation am I personally accountable and what is my responsibility? I believe that the staff within a school all have a duty of care to its students. As Pip mentioned, “If a teaching assistant observes the Head Teacher ignore an incident of concern, does that justify it?”

It is inevitable that tensions can arise between personal ethics, our own professional codes and what our employer expects of us. If we remain collegial and respect the system, in theory the ripples that spread out into society should be positive and influential. Unfortunately, decisions and actions labelled ‘good and bad’ are not always a case of ‘black and white’. How and who decides is something is justified? Good? Or necessary?  It is my personal responsibility during my inquiry to thoroughly investigate any ‘grey’ areas that would affect the well-being of my participants.

When looking into the history and evolution of ethics it is interesting to see that almost every philosopher has a view on ethics, tracing back from Plato and Aristotle to modern day. We can see how Aquinas in the 13^th Century, adopted a natural law approach and that “everything should fulfil its natural end within Christian doctrine and that all things are created by God to provide a natural underpinning for Christian moral values”. Religion in a sense became the bedrock of ethics. I have been working in a Christian Primary School recently despite whether this is the religion I believe in or practice it is my duty to support the schools ethos and way of practice. It is the responsibility of the Teacher before commencing work there to consider whether they are able to support the Christian way and religious practice such as assembly, hymn signing, bible readings and study across the curriculum. In this situation, one may consider their personal ethics. What are my ethics? Can I support Christianity within my teaching? Will my personal ethics jeopardise my practice in this environment? The school supports equality and whether the Teacher is Christian themselves is not relevant, but that as a professional we respect and abide by the schools code of conduct and philosophy. Religion and law are both closely associated with morals and ethics.

Hobbes (1651) describes ethics as a practical solution to harmony within society and believed that peace and cooperation could be bought about by a social contract and adhering to a set of moral rules. This contract works on the premise that rational people will accept it on the understanding that everyone else will as well. This makes me question, who decides on rational? In a school environment the code of practice certainly determines the morals expected of its staff and students however an individual’s interpretation of rational will also influence their actions. Furthermore, not every educational system enforces these set of morals. Whilst working as a freelancer I have experienced two schools within the same town with almost identical policies and codes of conduct; the behaviour of the students however differs dramatically. One school is in a slightly more deprived area and some of the children need a lot more nurturing, teaching them wrong from right and socially acceptable behaviour. Although they students have a code of conduct they do not necessarily practice it. This is not always the fault of the school, the children may not have learnt about morality and good practice at home and so struggle to abide to rules and stop habits of bad behaviour. Here we can also see a relationship with the ripple effect. Home life affecting practice in education and society. In the other school, the students seem a lot more aware of what is expected from them and seem to have a sense of morality instilled within them whether that be from their upbringing or learnt whilst at school. Here we can see almost identical ethical rules but featuring is the problem of interpretation and implementation. It is interesting to think about the factors which bring about a ‘grey’ area and question the different theories surrounding ethics.

Kant (1179) believed that moral rules are absolute and if a universal law was applied then people would be able to cooperate. He argued that the only absolutely good thing is a good will and this theoretical approach has become known as deontology. It is the motive behind the action that determines whether or not it is morally right and is ethical action based on duty. In any workplace we have a duty. My duty is to nurture and encourage the children in a safe and inspiring environment to progress their development and learning experience. An area within my duty is to put children through examinations. It is my responsibility to ensure the children have learnt the syllabus and are ready for the exam. Although the children may have been in the class for the same length of time, some will be ready and others not. As all the children have essentially experienced the syllabus and have overtime made close friendships and built confidence within their own group/class, should I disrupt their learning by keeping some back? Should I let them all move up together despite not taking their exam grade? Could I offer it as a choice? From a deontologist point of view, it would be wrong for me to lie to the students and pretend they are all ready, and potentially this could harm the children more once they do not make the grade or feel stressed over the exam. Here I have to make an ethical action based on duty. In keeping with the organisation of one company I work for, we allow the children to move up a grade without taking their examination. A) Because the children are very young and have taken months to build enough confidence to be in class without their parents and have made strong friendships. It would be too disruptive for such young children to be changing class and detrimental to their progression of they then lost confidence. B) Exams are expensive, we do not force our students to take them. C) Exams can be stressful for young children. We do not want them to lose their passion for dance over worry and anxiety. On the other hand, I work for another company which promotes examinations. A) Because the children achieve each grade, can see their marks and feedback and are able to watch their development.  They can feel a sense of achievement and pride in their dancing. B) They know once they achieve one grade they will move into the next and this can be encouraging for the children to work hard and move up each grade. C) This can benefit them later in life if they chose to dance professionally and apply for college or even university. Some examinations can count towards UCAS points. Here I am forced to consider my ethical stance and yet remain impartial in order to support my place of work and code of conduct. Despite varying opinions, I can see that in my first workplace mentioned this structure works well to move the children up together as they are very young. In my second workplace, it works better to allow students to move up once completed their grade examination. The students are slightly older and able to cope with a changing environment/group of students.  Both places of work have considered what is best for their students and put together an ethos and way of working which encompasses those beliefs.

It was interesting to read about in ‘Arenas of professional practise’ in reader 5 and think about the attributes which depict my role. It illustrates how sometimes tensions can occur for example the codes of conducts referring to examinations at the dance schools which I spoke about above. I believe professionalism is essential to my role. I have recently experienced whereby a new member of staff have been appointed head of department. During shows, usually the students are allowed to watch the performance and simply go back stage 2 dances before their piece. The new member of staff has changed this rule and the students must now remain backstage throughout the entire show. Although I understand and sympathise with the students that they will not get to see the other dances or support their friends, as the usually take much enjoyment from,  it is my duty to respect my head of department and support the decision made.  It is also my role when students come to me with complaints to explain that the decision is to allow the show to run more professionally and advise that this is how a show would run in the professional world. It is a very fine line as the students will always reply “But we are only in school Miss”. Whether or not I agree, I must remain supportive to my department and the decisions made.

In contrast to deontology is the developed theory of JS Mill (1861) in which moral obligation produces the greatest good for the greatest number. Published in his Utilitarianism is the concept of the means justifying the ends which sharply contrasts to Kant who argues from a categorical imperative stance that moral rules are unconditional. Often discussed in media and ethical studies is the analogy of ‘kill one person to save ten’. Although an extreme example concerning life and death, I am able to connect certain features of the analogy to my workplace. If a student is persistently disruptive throughout the lesson, the teacher’s decision to remove the child from the class temporarily to allow the other children to learn in an encouraging, settled  and stable environment, could be justifiable. Despite the fact the removal of the child may sacrifice their own learning, surely it is permissible to remove them rather than sacrifice every child’s learning. With roots in utilitarianism, consequentialism engulfs the notion of the greatest happiness for the greatest number and is found in the writings of Jeremy Bentham and JS Mill.   

“Virtue ethics emphasizes the character of the moral agent rather than the rules or the consequences and what actions taken reveal about one’s character”. Here reader 5 illustrates that it is how moral dilemmas are approached not the moral conclusions reached that differentiates the consequentialist, deontologist and virtue ethicist viewpoint. It is visible in the school environment that the character of a person determines how they act. Despite let’s say, two year 3 teachers have been given the same syllabus/curriculum, the teaching techniques they use are extremely diverse and the ideas a teacher has to deliver a class very individual. The teacher is the moral agent here and it is their character which has the biggest influences on their own decisions and in turn the practice of their students. Consequently, the approach of being virtually ethical seems significant.

Plato’s notion on comparative ethics depicts that what is considered wrong/right is influenced by the passage of time. Social changes have rendered certain types of conduct and brought a rethink in previously unacceptable behaviour becoming acceptable. For instance, use of the cane in education and physical punishment or attitudes towards physical correction in a ballet class for example. Moral relativism supports this view that there are no universal moral norms. What is right or good in one society or time may not be the same in another. The majority of educational settings within Western culture, in particular within the UK itself, share the same or similar ethical expectations however worldwide establishments may differ quite dramatically. Often seen in the media is the ‘harsh’ and severe training young gymnasts are put through in China. There have been some gruelling images released which in this country would instantly be considered a form of abuse.  Children’s growing and developing bodies overstretched and contorted in ways which cause a risk to the child’s health, development and could cause life time injuries. Often these gymnasts retire around the age of 20 because of the physical strain put on their bodies. On the other hand, it is still a problem in the UK whereby dancers and gymnasts are competitively working to be the best and compete with the high expectations. Although I do believe in the UK it is slightly more regulated and organisations have to demonstrate they are promoting safe practice and are working in line with policies set in place to protect children from harm.

In the inquiry planning stage I must follow ethical practice incorporating personal, professional and organisational ethics. I should consider broader ethical implications that may be related. Through my inquiry I endeavour to improve my professional practice and in turn advance the learning experience for my students. I am hoping that by carrying out this inquiry these improvements will come hand in hand; I will ultimately become a better teacher and thus enrich my student’s educational experience.

My plan must clarify the concerns about the treatment of the people from whom I will gather data, state the confidentiality of the data, ensure the data collected is suitable and relevant,  advise that feedback will be provided to the participants and ensure the work is available for critical review.

Who are my participants? – Dance students of mixed age range, gender and ability.

How have you chosen the participants? – I am able to access their lesson as a ‘trainee’ teacher and assistant. I am also able to observe particular classes.
Why were the participants chosen? – My inquiry will look into the issues dancers face and the support available. The participants will be chosen to provide differentiation between ages, ability, and student/teacher status.
How will you contact the participants?- All contact will take place within the lesson/school environment.
How will you make sure that your participants can leave the inquiry if they desire to do so?- I will make it clear to the participant before we begin that they can decide to leave the inquiry process at any point. Although they will still participate in the class I will not use any data/results which include that individual.
Do the participants have your contact details?  - No, I do not believe it is appropriate or necessary
Are you storing the participant’s data safely? – The data will be stored digitally and will remain confidential. There must be no risk of accessibility to the data by an outsider or shared with other parties. I will also think about appropriate disposal of the data.

My duty is to present findings accurately as possible. The data should characterize the views and attitudes of the participants and not necessarily of the researcher. I will not manipulate data or leave any anomalies out but instead incorporate them into my research and discuss any problems faced. The process of inquiry and way in which you present your findings can affect your power as researcher. According to May (2001) codes of ethics assumes that if principles are applied universally the research will be ethically valid.


When analysing ethical problems, the umbrella of moral philosophy shelters three processes:

Metaethics - Analysing the meaning and nature of moral terms, judgements and arguments.

      Theoretical Normative Ethics- This involves making judgements and developing theories. It includes three elements; Moral axiology (good and evil), Virtue ethics (moral excellence in character) and Theory of moral obligation (types of actions which are morally permissible)

Applied Ethics- How moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations.

To discuss an ethical problem, we can use descriptive ethics which provides an objective description of the reasons behind moral choices and values in society. It simply ‘states; rather than ‘examines’.

Otherwise we can use normative ethics which examines the norms or principles that people use when making moral choices (Questions of duty). It also raises deontological questions about the ‘values’ expressed. Those axiological questions go further than descriptive ethics by questioning whether an action is right or not.

Like me, there will be other people in my profession that share similar characteristics however depending on how much my occupation manifests these characteristics declares the profession or not. The reader suggests professions must have 3 features to classify. I can see I fit into this framework as I have had extensive dance training which involved significant intellectual components such as recognised qualifications and professional certification. I have then contributed to service of society through teaching dance education and sharing a way of learning. I have maintained my professionalism by keeping regular checks on my licence to practice such as my public liability insurance and DBS and the policies which affect the way I practice such as changes in curriculum, updated syllabi and first aid developments.

I am able to maintain the autonomy of my work simply through networking with other qualified teachers and those who may be in a more authoritative position who again fit into the framework of profession. In relation to reader 5, my qualifications and experience allow me to qualify as a teacher under the Professional Practitioner description, where my income is usually commissioned or contracted.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that ethics pervades all parts of our lives as I have just discussed on my blog. It is essential we understand, apply and promote ethical practice.

References:

Course reader 5, Professional ethics, Middlesex University