Ethical dilemmas that school administrators and teachers experience: Reasons and coping strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify ethical dilemmas experienced by school administrators and teachers working in public middle schools, the reasons of these ethical dilemmas and the coping strategies used by administrators and teachers. In accordance with this purpose, phenomenological research design was used in this study. Criterion sampling and maximum variation sampling were chosen to determine participantsconsisting of 10 school principals, 10 assistant principals, and 10 teachers. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews prepared by the researcher. Results revealed that school principals, assistant principals, and teachers experience dilemmas in behavioral, structural, political, and systemic aspects. School principals and teachers mainly solve ethical dilemmas completely during the solution process while assistant principals mostly employ partially solving strategies. School principals and teachers commonly use the strategies of establishing a dialogue and receiving opinions in the process of solving ethical dilemmas as well as the strategy of unilateral decision making. Suggestions concerning the prevention and effective management of ethical dilemmas were offered to the Ministry of Education, provincial organizations, school administrators, teachers and researchers.