Ethics, Culture and Leadership in Education

Increasingly, teachers globally are being asked to enter domains outside of their scope and professional training and this raises ethical questions. While many educators willingly execute these additional duties the truth is a significant number of such duties raise ethical and legal questions. The term educational ethics denotes the sub-field of applied ethics which incorporates debate about the scope, purposes and theories of professional ethics in teaching and the moral work of teachers. Educational ethics is a field which considers ethical problems and dilemmas specific to the complexities of education, with a view to assisting educators, educational policy-makers and school communities to clarify these context-specific problems and make ethical recommendations for their resolution. The fact that ethics has many nuances is not a reason for the teacher to throw ethics through the door. The ethical dimension of teaching is ever-present and as part of teachers’ professional ethics, it often remains unspoken and thus elusive. (Britzman, 2010; Puroila & Haho, 2017). Another area of concern where the silence is deafening is that of teaching out-of-field. Teaching out-of-field’ is a phenomenon where teachers are assigned to teach subjects for which they have inadequate training and qualifications (Ingersoll 1999; Hobbs 2013). Teaching out- of- field refers to teaching subjects, grade levels or school types without the necessary qualifications, certification or specialization. The out-of-field phenomenon arises because of systemic teacher shortages, unequal and biased distribution of teachers, timetabling issues in schools, and the type of teacher education system where teachers are trained as specialists and not as generalists. Among the challenges of teaching out-of-field is the need for teachers to learn new content, which requires not only time and effort during their teaching requirements but also a profound knowledge of learning strategies. In this sociopolitical space of schools the teacher is rendered powerless. This culture of powerlessness translates also to students which then morph into a wider societal issue. Unfortunately, not enough attention and training is given to this very important area of the teaching and learning journey, that of educational ethics. This is problematic and must be addressed especially since the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill is once again in the news. The Jamaica Teaching Council Bill is expected to professionalize, regulate and elevate the profession. Its objectives are to establish the JTC as a statutory body; regulate the entry, conduct and professional development of teachers; maintain registers of teachers, role of instructors and enforce standards of teacher competence and ethics; and promote teaching as a respected profession and accountable discipline, aligned with Jamaica’s education transformation agenda. Education is a lifelong process encompassing the holistic development of learners in intellectual, emotional, social, and moral dimensions. Teaching is more than transferring knowledge; it is about shaping human beings. Every decision an educator makes whether from curriculum choices to classroom management reflects his or her values. Educators act as moral compasses. The teacher-student relationship is dynanmic and value-laden, involving questioning, listening, evaluating, and modelling ethical behaviour. This makes teaching inherently moral. Ethics and Culture. When you think of your favourite teacher, it is not often that you consider whether he or she was ethical. Yet professional ethics as well as the legal responsibilities of teachers are central in defining how students view their favourite teacher. Ethics provides a foundation for what teachers should do in their roles and responsibilities as an educator. Given that teaching involves diverse perspectives, it is imperative that we examine the association between ethics and culture. Culture, broadly speaking encompasses the shared values, beliefs and practices that define a group. On the other hand, ethics deals with moral principles that guide us in determining what is right and wrong. Ethics therefore is our internal moral compass that assists us to make decisions aligned with our values. What one culture views as acceptable, another might out rightly reject. It is important to acknowledge that cultural norms are not static. They evolve over time, influenced by numerous factors such as globalization, technological, religious and social movements. This dynamism can result in shifts in ethical values which can be viewed as progress or challenges. It is critical to also examine the culture of the school in any discussion on ethics and culture. The school culture is an evolutionary process. School culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, and attitudes, both written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions. The term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students and teachers, or the degree to which a school embraces and celebrates racial, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural diversity. A school culture results from both conscious and unconscious perspectives, values, interactions, and practices, and it is heavily shaped by a school’s particular institutional history. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other staff members all contribute to their school’s culture, as do other influences such as the community in which the school is located, the policies that govern how it operates, or the principles upon which the school was founded. It is through the type of school leadership that the culture of the school will emerge. Leadership is critical to the culture of a school. The culture of the school should be led by transformational, spiritual and instructional leadership. Masum Murtaza, in his article, “Ethics in Teaching: Philosophical Foundations and Pedagogical Imperatives”, states that teachers may be asked to act as counselors, social workers, or even healthcare monitors without proper training. Without proper expertise, teachers might unintentionally give misguided advice or fail to recognize serious issues (e.g., mental health crises, abuse). Teachers may face legal consequences if they act outside their certified role and something goes wrong. As educators many of us can relate to Murtaza’s article. Locally, we have been rather fortunate, perhaps even lucky that some parents have not challenged teachers acting outside of their certified and professional role in a court of law. More research is required to examine the implications of teaching out- of- field in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and how this practice can and does influence students’ career choices. Are we doing the students a disservice by continuing the practice of teaching out- of- field? How is this practice beneficial to both the students and teachers? What about the other stakeholders in global education systems? Rest assured, one day the luck will run out and there will be some litigation. Who then will stand with the teacher? Ethics in teaching should never be compromised. In the words of Aldo Leopold, ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching, even when doing the wrong thing is legal. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©