e-International Journal of Educational Research

Abstract

Ethics has been referred as well-based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do in terms of duties (behaviours expected of persons who occupy certain roles), principles (fundamental truths that form the basis of behaviour) and specific virtues (qualities that define what a good person is) or benefits to society (actions that produce the greatest good for the greatest number). The purpose of this study is to determine teachers' views about the extent that inspectors behave unethical in relation to teachers' ethics conceptualization. In order to gather data, the specific questions addressed were 1) what do teachers think about the extent that inspectors behave unethical in relation to teachers' ethics conceptualization? And 2) Do their views differ according to gender, specialized field, seniority and education variables?
Method: This research was conducted by both qualitative and quantitative methods. The data were gathered through an interview questionnaire developed by the researchers the items of which were derived out of a qualitative procedure. The data were gathered from teachers working in the primary schools located in the central districts of Antalya in 2011–2012 education years. In determining the sample, cluster sampling was used. The size of the sample was determined using sample-size tables and the participants were chosen by random sampling. First of all the questioner was tested by means of validity and reliability. As a result three factors were determined and named as 1) human relations, guidance and on-the job training, 2) supervision of teachers and lessons and 3) evaluation after inspection dimensions. The data were analyzed using SPSS package statistic programme. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and parametric tests such as One-Way ANOVA and t-test were used in the analysis.
Results: As a result, the findings show that teachers believed that supervisors showed low level of unethical behaviours in human relations, guidance and on-the job training dimension. On the other hand, teachers reported that they behaved unethically moderately in “teachers' and lessons' inspection” and “evaluation after inspection dimensions”. The findings also showed that their views varied according to branch, seniority and education variables. This finding implies that there is a need for further qualitative studies in order to explain the reasons.
Conclusion and Recommendations: When compared with the items included in the studies conducted in the same issue, it can be asserted that there are similar and different concepts. However, according to the results found in this study and other studies it is clear that teachers believed that inspectors behave unethically “usually” in some cases and moderately in most cases. This fact raises the question of unethical behaviours reflected by awareness or not. In order to cope with unethical behaviours in their relations there is a strong need about a common awareness of the issue.