Classroom Ethics (Essay Sample)

Classroom Ethics
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Classroom Ethics
The engagement between teachers and students in class is closely bounded by ethical codes, obligations, virtues, and principles. These ethics cultivate conventions of respect, civility, order, and promote professionalism. The questions in the survey highlight the ethical responsibilities and dilemmas that educators face as they interact with students and other faculty members. They also point out the load of ethical pitfalls that students and their educators may fall into if they are not cautious (Tabachnick et al., 2001). Surprisingly, most of the educators rarely reported any cases of sexual harassment.
One may think it would be easier for them to speak about such issues since they are adults and have extensive knowledge of the psychology of social trauma. Some of the questions showed no discernible pattern. For example, the question about teaching under the influence. Some of the teachers owned to it but considered it unethical, while others did not indulge but considered it ethical (Burroughs, 2021)
Some of the questions were quite controversial, such as asking the educators if they considered other races intellectually inferior or how often they deliberately or repeated sexual comments in their teachings or lectures (Tabchnick et al., 2001). There is no good answer to this considering the choice criteria, which is rarely, sometimes, always, or never. Any answer to any of those questions would be considered highly unethical unless the answer is “never,” which is not always the correct answer in this case. Moreover, another ethical dilemma that stood out was about tutoring students privately at a fee. This puts other students that are not involved in the program at a disadvantage but is it unethical to offer your services at a fee to help students who want to know more or be better? (Cahn, 2018)
The study clearly shows that specific ethical codes may not apply to all educators, and the ethical standards raised in the study are meant to create awareness and improve accountability. Elements of ethics that jumped out from this study were the observation that some behaviors are almost universal. Some responses recorded 90% percent in similar responses. This shows that some aspects of ethics are being taught, and some are being neglected. One of the questions was about educators teaching on materials they have not mastered, and most of them were liable to that behavior (K, 2018s). The explanation was that sometimes you had to do that to keep up with the evolving rate of information explosion.
Additionally, rare behaviors were acknowledged by only 1% of the respondents, and it was sexual harassment (Tabachnick et al., 1991). These incidents were rarely reported because the explanation of sexual harassment and the survey question did not create room for many admissions. Strangely enough, educators admitted to being sexually attracted to the students, but they never admitted to being sexually involved with them. Another rare issue was teaching under the influence of illegal drugs such as cocaine and teaching in class that other races were intellectually inferior, though the few educators admitted that these instances happen.
In the study of ethics, there was an element of controversy. 50% of these controversial items fell under the category of sexual issues. For instance, having fantasies about students and vice versa, engaging in sexual relationships with a faculty member of the same rank as you, and becoming sexually involved with a student after finishing your course and graduating. These questions are ambiguous, and only subjective ethics can be used to solve some of them, and usually, people would choose answers that favor them (Sockett, 2019). Furthermore, people sometimes have no control of their wandering thoughts, but they can control their actions to prevent unethical behaviors. Another factor is that sexual relationships between two faculty members are judged differently from that of a faculty member and a student.
There was also the element of difficult behaviors in the study of ethics. I have never encountered any aspect of ethics since you choose to do what is universally acceptable, so there is always a right way to do something. However, in this ethics study, the situation is not black and white. For example, the question of teaching in environments that lack ethnic diversity or class while under stress hence failing to be effective, or teaching in a class so crowded that the teaching is ineffective (van Esch et al., 2021). The difficult items fell under external, internal barriers to effective teaching, as one can deduce from the above.
Out of the 1,000 questionnaires handed out in the survey, only 483 were returned. Four hundred eighty-two provided usable data on their sex, age, primary teaching status, and whether they are tenured. Only 469 respondents revealed their sex, and 253 out of that number were women although, equal questionnaires were distributed among the men and women (Tabachnick et al., 2001). Questions regarding sex and age of the educators found out that men were more likely to report being sexually attracted to students than women. Also, a larger proportion of men were likely to report having sexual fantasies with their students than men. On that note, it does not matter how many men acknowledged their sex since they were more open to the survey than the women.
Of the 63 behaviors that were selected, 27 behaviors were about using profanities in class. Educators who were over 50 years of age reported never using profane comments in their lectures. This might be because of the conservative nature of getting older than educators under 36 or above but less than 50 years of age who admitted to using profanities in their class (Tabachnick et al., 2001). The use of profanities in class depends on the familiarity of the educator with the students and their ethical code. Also, the use of drugs decreased with age; 40% of teachers reported this behavior decreasing by 32% percent as they approached 50. This shows that as the educators grow older, they are more conscious of their health than when they were younger.
Some of the responses were quite controversial. For example, I found it odd that some teachers would embrace teaching under the influence of illegal drugs. This is clearly against any professional ethics and stipulates ignorance of the teaching discipline (K, 2018). There is no way a teacher or a professor can deliver wholesomely to the students if they are under the influence of a stimulant. I would not indulge in any illegal drugs or alcohol if I were entrusted with the future of the young generations, given that young people are easily impressionable. It is the responsibility of every educator to mold and shape the minds of their students to help them reach their full potential. It is their only responsibility.
Another issue is bending the rules for se