Ethical Paradigms

The goals of public education are four-fold. Public education was conceived to serve the principles of economics, equity, productivity, and liberty (Brimley et al., 2019). Ethical decision-making in education requires values and actions to be aligned, consistency in this respect is a critical determinant of character and authenticity (Louis & Murphy, 2018). It is also essential to incorporate varied perspectives to develop a more complete and accurate understanding of complex issues (Radd et al., 2021). 

In light of this 'productive tension; Fullan (2020) describes a dynamic balance between precision and prescription, suggesting that the balance of competing concepts might not be a static point. The resulting integrity that results from holding this tension, could similarly support intentional and child-centered decision-making in education. 

Shapiro and Stefkovich (2021) describe ethical decision-making in education using 4 paradigms: the Ethic of Justice, the Ethic of Care, the Ethic of Critique, and th Ethics of the Profession. They maintain that the tension between and among them helps us challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, refine personal and professional understandings, and ultimately make 'better' decisions.

References

Brimley, V., Verstegen, D. A., & Knoeppel, R. C. (2019). Financing Education in a Climate of Change. Pearson Education, Incorporated.

Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a Culture of Change. John Wiley & Sons.

Louis, K. S., & Murphy, J. F. (2018). The potential of positive leadership for school improvement. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE), 2(2-3), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.2790

Radd, S. I., Generett, G. G., Gooden, M. A., & Theoharis, G. (2021). Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership. ASCD.

Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2021). Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education: Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Complex Dilemmas (5th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003022862