There are many areas of ethics but
the reader emphasises the importance of the following;
·
Personal
·
Professional
·
Organizational
I can relate to these areas within my
profession as a teaching assistant and singing teacher by linking it to my area
of inquiry. With my inquiry question being;
“What value
does the use of music and movement have when, used by teachers, carrying out a
learning activity and does this method enhance different aspects of a child’s
development within early years?”
I will use my own personal ethics
learnt from family values and society expectations to enable me to conduct a
fair, safe inquiry that will keep participants evidence safe and confidential
with full consent from all parts to participate. Choosing to do an inquiry
within a school setting I have to consider the professional ethics e.g. the
school’s code of conduct and policies. The policies and codes of conduct must
be strictly adhered to in order to protect agreed participants e.g. teachers,
colleagues and pupils.
The first case study within the
reader makes you question where do the ethical principles lie? And who is responsible?
When conducting a research inquiry you have to consider the ethical matters across
the spectrum e.g. pupil’s, head teacher, my position within the school? You
have to consider Personal, organizational and societal factors.
Virtues
The Reader touched on the importance
of ‘Virtues’ and how people view ethics. Hobbes viewed ethics as;
“A practical solution to social
harmony, and good through the vehicle of a social contract. He positioned that
in order to achieve peaceful, co-operative social order we need to adhere to a
set of moral rules”
(Hobbes (1961) Reader 5)
Theoretical Approaches
Reader 5 explained theoretical
approaches to ethics these are;
·
Consequentialism:
an act is morally right if, and only if, that act maximises the good.
·
Deontology:
only absolutely good thing is a good will hence motive behind an action
determines whether or not it is morally right, ethical action based on duty.
·
Virtue:
the character of the moral agent rather than the rules or the consequences and
what actions taken reveal about one’s character. Moral behaviour and character
as important as action.
(Reader 5 BAPP 2013/14)
Comparative Ethics
People hold differing notions of “good”.
With the growing society and expanding ethical cultures people have a different
view and value to what is “good”. Society contains differing conventions and
customs which have brought new practices and social norms. Looking at my own
professional practice the school curriculum is always updating and improving to
incorporate new strategies to benefit pupil’s learning and progress. As a
teaching assistant I have to adapt to change and embrace new techniques and
methods to conduct learning activities that will benefit pupil’s development.
“Whatever in
any city is regarded as just and admirable is just and admirable in that city
for as long as it is thought to be so”
(Plato
I can link this quote to my
professional setting e.g. teaching style, teaching strategies, behaviour strategies
etc. We adapt to the changes of society to in co-operate modern society e.g.
technology.
Professional Ethics
I have to consider the following;
·
Code
of conduct
·
Tension
within frameworks
·
Employer
expectation; Professional code/ personal ethics.
·
Attribute
to profession:
-
Need
permission from senior staff
-
Classroom
decisions
-
Learning
activity decisions
-
Follow
policies for effect practice
-
Safeguarding/
Behaviour/Health and Safety policies.
-
Adhere
to contract of employment.
Ethical Problems
·
Metaethics
·
Theoretical
normative ethics: moral axiology, virtue ethics, theory of moral obligation.
·
Applied
ethics.
Alan Durrant's Lecture on positionality
helped me understand this in more detail please see my blog on campus lecture
notes:
Alan Durrant’s blog on ethics goes
into great detail on this topic as well:
Looking at ethical theories within
Reader 5 has made me consider all the areas of ethics that link to my professional
research inquiry. This has helped me approach my inquiry considering the ‘ethos’
and morals of all participants and evidence collected.
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