Ethical dilemmas in education: a case study of challenges faced by secondary school leaders in Kenya

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to question the usefulness of Euro-Western concepts of principled ethical behaviour for school leaders in non-Euro-Western countries by examining the dilemmas faced by Kenyan educational leaders. Design/methodology/approach A single, multi-site case study methodological approach was used, and data gathered by means of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders: school principals, boards of governors, heads of department, school bursars and parents. Findings Findings highlighted the importance of contextual variables in influencing leaders’ decisions, indicative of the tension between liberal and communitarian ethical approaches. Although similar dilemmas were encountered to those working in euro-western contexts, Kenyan educational leaders faced the additional challenge of working with cultural values of Ubuntu: care for the whole community, harmonious working relationships, loyalty to one’s kin and respect of seniority. Furthermore, the problems they encountered were often life-threatening resulting from poverty, and HIV/Aids. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on ethics in educational leadership by proposing that the adoption of euro-western ethical standards and perspectives in non-Euro-Western countries is problematic, unless mitigated by a dialogic approach.

The Role of Organizational Justice Perceived by Teachers on the Ethical Dilemmas They Experience

“…Erdoğan (2019) observed that school directors and teachers face ethical dilemmas at a moderate level, not excessively high or low. Oduol and Cornforth (2019) found that secondary school administrators often encounter ethical dilemmas. Ehrich et al (2011) examined that it is inevitable for teachers, whose professions are primarily based on moral values, to experience ethical dilemmas.…”

School leadership and post-conflict education: How can their roles in developing inclusive practices in post-conflict schooling be understood and conceptualized?

“…Despite the overlap, unmasking and stimulating indigenous particularities – for example, mutuality and reciprocity – could inspire organic connections between school and communities, allowing teachers to diversify pupils’ experiences in response to their complex social, academic and cultural lives. Conversely, to comply with the new governance regimes that require results-based management (MOE, 2012b; Oduol, 2014) alongside demands for globalization infiltrating through the government–NGO partnership, evidence from the headteacher suggested that the space for infusing aspects of local heritage was narrowing down. While incorporating ideas from global communities may not necessarily be unhelpful, uncritical adoption of globalized ideas has been found to produce unnecessary ethical issues in Kenya (Oduol, 2014) or to lead to more conflicts in post-conflict communities (Davies, 2010).…”

“…These were not only enacted as a ritual, but as a way of ensuring community consensus and committing oneself to community good (Malunga, 2006). However, while such morals were ‘consensually drawn beliefs, standards, and principles about good conduct taken as obligatory’ among all community members (Oduol, 2014: 14), Choti (2009) and Oduol (2014) studies in Kenya reported how political/government interference in schools created ethical dilemmas for school leadership and jeopardized any attempt at inculcating shared principles about good conduct. This implies that when government/political dysfunctionalities infiltrate into schools, school leaders’ quest for community-sensitive practices stands threatened.…”

Employing teachers with disabilities: A multifaceted prism of school principals’ ethical dilemmas

“…Other studies indicated that the ethical dilemmas that stemmed from the interests of the school community were particularly complex (Cranston et al, 2006). When the consequences of the ethical decision are likely to effect the whole community and not only one individual, there is greater pressure on the principal (Crawford, 2017; Oduol and Cornforth, 2019).…”