REFLECTION 5: ISSUES OF ETHICS IN MY PRACTICE

Ethics are defined as the learned behaviours shaped by a range of societal influences such 

as school, work, community, family, church, the arts, culture and sports. Our individual 

interpretation of ethics helps shape our ideas about justice, morality and virtue. Ethics 

underpin the motivations, decisions and actions that make up our practice as educators.

Ethical considerations are vital when using ICT and online platforms. With an increasing use of digital technology in teaching and learning, it is as important for teachers to use online environments effectively and appropriately as it is for students (PPTA, n.d.).

As teachers in Aotearoa the conduct expected of us is laid out in the Education Council’s (2017) handbook ‘Our Code Our Standards’. The Council states “as teachers, we respect our trusted position in society and recognise the influence we have on learners, their understanding of the world and the future”. This is reflected in the Code of Professional Responsibility, which indicates our commitment to:

• The teaching profession
• Learners
• Families and whanau
• Society

and the values which underpin the code:

• Whakamana: empowering all learners to reach their highest potential by providing high-quality teaching and leadership.
• Manaakitanga: creating a welcoming, caring and creative learning environment that treats everyone with respect and dignity.
• Pono: showing integrity by acting in ways that are fair, honest, ethical and just.
• Whanaungatanga: engaging in positive and collaborative relationships with our learners, their families and whānau, our colleagues and the wider community.

There is a responsibility on teachers to be positive role models. This is especially so regarding teachers and social media. The Education Council (n.d.) has produced guidelines specific to this. It defines social media as “web-based and mobile-based technologies which facilitate interactive communication between organisations, communities and individuals”. The Council states “teachers who model good social media use will grow learners who apply positive, respectful values in their interactions on social media platforms” and provides clear guidelines and resources which cover safe and ethical use. For example:

Henderson, Auld and Johnson (2014), in looking at the ethics of teaching with social media, highlight the common ethical dilemmas that teachers need to consider when using social media in teaching – consent, confidentiality, boundaries, and recognising and responding to illicit use. These are also catered for at my workplace, Buller High School, in our Professional Boundaries Policy, which has a section on appropriate teacher online behaviour. Although we also have a cybersafety agreement at BHS for students and staff, I think there is much greater scope for a more explicit digital citizenship structure for both groups.

An ethical dilemma I have faced or might face in the future in my practice linked to digital or online access or activity is the use of public Facebook forums in my capacity as a teacher at BHS. I do not use social media at all for social use but I am a member of 3 closed-membership curriculum groups for NZ teachers of Junior Social Studies, History and Scholarship History. I have used Hall’s (2001) set of questions to guide my reflection process.

• What is the ethical issue – that each time I engage in these Facebook forums, I do so not as an individual but as a teacher employed by BHS
• Stakeholders – my department (Humanities), Senior Management, Board of Trustees, my colleagues
• Restrictions to my actions – my posts and contributions are not only my own but are the ‘property’ of BHS, therefore, I am governed by the terms of my employment, which are covered by the school’s Professional Boundaries Policy and the Education Council’s Code and Standards.
• Courses of action and solution – as I have a responsibility to BHS as much as to the integrity of my curriculum, it is important that I always think before I ‘speak’ (post); following the Education Council’s ‘Before you share’ is also a good tenet to follow. I also regularly check my Facebook privacy and security settings.   

The dilemma I have described is new to me as I am new to the social media world … just like the students I teach, safeguarding myself, my school and my profession is vital.

Reference List:

Education Council of Aotearoa. (n.d.). Our Code Our Standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Education Council of Aotearoa. (2017). Our Code Our Standards Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/sites/default/files/Our%20Code%20Our%20Standards%20web%20booklet%20FINAL.pdf Education Council, Wellington

Education Council of Aotearoa. (2017). Teachers and Social Media. Retrieved from https://teachersandsocialmedia.co.nz

Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers

Henderson, M., Auld, G., & Johnson, N. F. (2014). Ethics of Teaching with Social Media. Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA. Retrieved from http://acec2014.acce.edu.au/sites/2014/files/attachments/HendersonAuldJohnson_EthicalDilemmas_ACEC_2014_0.pdf