Ethics in the Classroom

In the teaching environment, as in life, there are many circumstances in which ethics is called into question. As an instructor, you need to be able to determine the ethical implications of both your actions and the actions of others. Even if your actions are ethical, could others perceive them as unethical? Sometimes you will have an opportunity to think about it and seek the opinions of others, but often the situation requires an immediate decision. Being able to recognize the ethical implications of a given situation based on the actions of those involved, the potential problems that arise, the impact of those problems, and the nature of the communication that took place can inform your decisions. Other issues to consider are how age and gender might influence what behaviors individuals deem as unethical.
For this Assignment, first read the Tabachnick, Keith-Spiegel, and Pope article. Then review and consider the response categories as defined in the Table 4 footnote of the article. Think about which response category most closely aligns with how you might respond to each survey item. Consider how your responses compare to that of the survey participants. Reflect on any findings from the study that surprised you. Finally, review and study the other Learning Resources assigned for this week to further explore the role of ethics in the classroom.
Assignment (5 pages, APA format)
Submit a paper describing your reaction to the ethics study developed by Tabachnick, Keith-Spiegal, and Pope (2001). Your paper should include the following:
• A brief description of your reactions to the questions posed in the ethics survey
• An explanation of any elements of the ethics study that surprised you
• An explanation of your insights regarding how responses to the ethics survey differed based on the demographic categories in the ethics study
• An explanation of how your responses to the ethics survey differed from those in the ethics study and any implications that occur to you for your future teaching experiences