The Journey of Ethics- April Fools skype session. (No pranks pulled)

Ethical considerations- The topic which we focused our Wednesday skype discussion on, and a topic which is relevent across all modules of the BAPP course. This seemed very appropriate as with only three of us on the call, it just so happened that each of us was in a different module which made for a very interesting session. 

It was great to reflect on how my perceptions around the topic of ethics has progressed, not just through my own critical observations, but through the process of completing each module. For example, In Module 1 I didn't really have a clue what ethics were all about! I just knew I believed things about the industry, my profession, my practice and these assumptions were cemented into my reality. The first module challenged me to question these assumptions and delve into my philosphical position. Doing so has become a little more habitual as recording my reflective journal keeps the process of questioning my thoughts at the forefront of my mind.

To summarise what was discussed between the three of us, I decided to gather my thoughts by separating my perecption of ethics between the modules I have completed so far:

And what do I predict for Module 3? Kathleen explained how ethical considerations have been very prevalent when thinking about the process of interviewing. I know that when I am formulating my interview guide for the participants, I will need to acknowledge the need for tact, professionalism, and sensitivity. This applies not only just to what I ask, but the manner in which I ask. 

I will be responsible for adhering to all the ethical procedures I declared I would follow on my MORE form. This means practically gaining informed consent from participants and meticulously storing data correctly. The ethics involved in the actual process of research is still very new to me, so I hope to become more familiar with the procedures as my study progresses. 

I also aim to begin to link my ethical considerations and the actual procedures a little more. At present, I tend to own my ethical considerations, but see the procedures and something which is imposed- possibly because I need to seek approval from the board of ethics! But in thinking about WHY these boudaries are in place, I can connect the dots and hopefully gain more understanding of ethics overall. 

Finally, I will strive to keep questioning my assumptions. Especially as the goal of my inquiry is to get a very broad overview of different perspectives- NOT to just prove my hypothisis (about the link between teaching approach and student wellbeing) is correct.

I guess that well known motto is rather fitting right about now: