Teaching Ethics

1

• Teaching Ethics

2
Overview

• Why Ethics?
• Embedding Ethics in the Curriculum
• Establishing and Communicating Departmental
  Principles
• Modelling Good Practice

3
Why Ethics?

• Psychology as a professional course
• Ethics as central to psychological practice
• Adding a historical perspective to teaching
• Showing how ethics are negotiated and develop in
  response to public concern
• Development of a critical approach to research
  methods
• A forum for developing reflective practice
• Experiences as a participant should shape
  approaches taken as a researcher.
• Legal context
• Students as vulnerable to complaint

4
Embedding Ethics

• In what ways have you / would you embed the
  teaching of ethics principles in your teaching to
  date?
• Some areas to consider
• Research methods
• Level 1 Classic Theory Teaching (e.g. Milgram)
• Dissertation lectures / project planning
• Dissertation tutorials
• Placements / work experience / PDP portfolios
• Applied Psychology modules

5
Embedding Ethics

• Some approaches
• Mock ethics committees
• Builds familiarity with guidelines, ethics
  paperwork used in department, develops awareness
  of a participant and committee perspective before
  the adoption of a researcher perspective, makes a
  good group activity
• Mock ethics applications
• Builds familiarity with guidelines, ethics
  paperwork, raises awareness of time needed for
  the preparation of paperwork, can be used as an
  individual assessment
• Quizzes / Scenario-based QA
• Well suited to assess understanding of ethics or
  to offer a structured approach for students who
  need it
• Lectures / essays based around ethical evaluation
  of work
• Research participation schemes
• Could link with PDP portfolio

6
Departmental Principles

• What is the ethical review process like in your
  department?
• How well does it match what staff and
  postgraduates are expected to do for their
  research?
• How are ethical principles communicated to
  students?

7
Ethics Handbook

• Contains
• Overview of process
• Copies of all paperwork (application form
  feedback form)
• Explanations of what is required in each section
  and why
• Examples of information sheets, consent forms,
  gatekeeper contact letters, parental consent
  letters
• Guidance on working with vulnerable groups
• Information on data protection responsibilities
• Information re use of psychometric tests
• Information re University requirements /
  restrictions
• Supplemented by WebCT site with further resources
  and activities

8
Modelling Good Practice

• How does / how can your department model ethical
  good practice to students?
• Research participation scheme
• Both participation in it and how it is run
• Making staff research visible to students
• Participation in research
• Students acting as RAs for staff research
• Research seminar series to include discussion of
  ethics in area
• Sharing ethics related experiences in the context
  of teaching

9
Some References
Alderson, P. Morrow, V. (2004). Ethics, Social
Research and Consulting with Children and Young
People. Essex Barnardos. Barrett, M. (2006).
Practical and ethical issues in planning
research. In G.M. Breakwell, S. Hammond, C.
Fife-Shaw and J.A. Smith (Eds.) Research Methods
in Psychology 3rd Edition. London
Sage. Sieber, J.E. (1992). Planning Ethically
Responsible Research. Newbury Park Sage. Wood,
C. (2005). Data protection issues in educational
research. In K. Sheehy, M. Nind, J. Rix and K.
Simmons (Eds.) Ethics and Research in Inclusive
Education. London RoutledgeFalmer. Wood, C.,
Giles, D. Percy, C. (forthcoming). The
Psychology Dissertation Handbook Becoming a
Researcher. Harlow Pearson.