Teaching with Integrity: English Teachers’ Awareness on the Ethical Practices on the Use of Online Materials

Abstract

This study focused on determining the awareness of English teachers on the ethical guidelines on the use of online materials. Specifically, the study sought to look into information on the demographic profile of the respondents as to sex, age, highest educational attainment, number of years in teaching, grade level taught and the number of hours spent using the internet per day. Significant relationship between the demographic profile and the level of awareness on the three components were also looked into. Further, crafting of intervention program that can serve as guide for teachers and students into safe and responsible use of online materials was also made possible. The study made use of descriptive-quantitative research design wherein the researcher utilizes a researcher-made survey questionnaire consisting of two parts: (1) demographic profile, (2) statements to determine awareness of teachers on the ethical guidelines on the use of online materials. The data collected were analyzed and interpreted using the following statistical tools; Frequency Count and Percentage, Mean and Standard Deviation, Pearson r, Spearman Rank Correlation, and Point Biserial Correlation. The study revealed the following findings; majority of the English teachers in San Jose, Dinagat Islands are young female who have finished only with their bachelor’s degree, and spent a minimal time online. It was also noted that the respondents are “very much aware” on the ethical practices in using online materials in terms of authenticity, textual resource, and audio-visual resource. Moreover, data of the study also revealed that the educational attainment has significant impact on the level of awareness on ethical guidelines in using online materials. Hence, an intervention program needs to be crafted and to be implemented to sustain their awareness.