Creating a climate of Ethical Behaviour in the School Research Paper

Creating a climate of Ethical Behaviour in the School - Research Paper Example The phenomenon of violence and anti-social behavior within schools cannot be regarded as a mystery, given that it has existed within the past but at a lower scale. Presently, there is a sizeable body of research that indicates that schools make a significant difference, but this has largely centered on educational outcomes instead of standards of behavior. Ethical behaviors manifest when an individual acts with fairness, impartiality, equity, and respect for the rights of others. Ethics represents the study of moral principles or values that highlight whether actions are right or wrong and outcomes. Ethical judgment shapes the behavior or course of action of individual. Some of the academic factors that necessitate students to make judgments regarding ethical judgments include contravention of violation of school regulations, cheating, selfishness, and computer ethics (Buckley, Wiese, & Harvey, 1998). As such, it is pertinent to look not just at students being ethical, but also other stakeholders such as teachers and administrators being ethical (List, Bailey, Euzent, & Martin, 2007). c) Statement of the problem Frequently, in contemporary society, students entertain the notion that it is admissible to engage in unethical behavior as long as one does not get caught. There is indeed a problem of unethical behaviour among the students in the school. ... f) Research questions What are the major causes of unethical behaviour among the students? What are the factors used to identify unethical behaviour among the students? How can ethical behaviour be promoted among the students? What can be done to ensure that students uphold and maintain ethical behaviour? g) Definitions of the terms used Literature Review In this literature review, the paper first explores elements of unethical behavior such as academic dishonesty. A discussion on ethics within the education sector should not be a one-sided discussion. Academic dishonesty among students manifests via diverse forms of cheating. This behavior presents a substantial threat to the academic integrity of institutions, as well as sufficient development of students’ academic skills given that it undermines the learning process (Robert, Hanford, Kathleen, David, & John, 1997). Students frequently face ethical questions and choices including decisions on whether to act ethically when ha ndling test, engaging in unauthorized group homework, and/or plagiarizing work from the internet. Variables connected to cognitive development and environment impact on the manner in which students make decisions and choose to act (McCabe, Butterfield, & Trevino, 2006). Some students act ethically owing to the fear of being â€Å"caught† by faculty members while others choose to act ethically based on the realization that dishonesty harms themselves, their instructors, and other students (Buckley, Wiese, & Harvey, 1998). Teachers have significant influence within the classroom environment; hence, they significantly influence student behavior. Contraventions connected to class work entail: forgery,