MYLS Professional Ethics in Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher discovers that a student has been sharing test answers with classmates via text message. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Confiscate all students' phones immediately
- Document the incident and report it to administration according to school policy (Correct answer)
- Call each student's parents before notifying administration
- Give the students a zero and move on without further action
Correct answer: Document the incident and report it to administration according to school policy
Documenting and reporting through proper channels ensures due process and consistent policy enforcement.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the principle of 'non-maleficence' in educational ethics?
- Treating all students equally regardless of ability
- Avoiding actions that cause harm to students (Correct answer)
- Sharing student progress data with parents
- Encouraging students to reach their full potential
Correct answer: Avoiding actions that cause harm to students
Non-maleficence means avoiding actions that could harm students physically, emotionally, or academically.
Question 3: A teacher is asked by a journalist to comment on a student's academic struggles for an article on education. The teacher should:
- Share general trends without naming the student
- Decline to comment on any individual student's information (Correct answer)
- Confirm the student's struggles but not their name
- Refer the journalist to the student's parents directly
Correct answer: Decline to comment on any individual student's information
Student privacy is protected by law (FERPA) and ethical duty, requiring teachers to decline sharing individual student information.
Question 4: An educator notices a colleague consistently giving higher grades to students from affluent families. This represents a violation of which ethical principle?
- Professional development
- Academic freedom
- Equity and fairness (Correct answer)
- Collegial collaboration
Correct answer: Equity and fairness
Grading based on socioeconomic status rather than merit violates the ethical principle of equity and fairness.
Question 5: A student confides to a teacher that they witnessed their parent hit their sibling. The teacher is legally and ethically required to:
- Keep it confidential as the student shared it privately
- Report it to child protective services or administration as a mandated reporter (Correct answer)
- Advise the student to speak with a school counselor instead
- Contact the parent to discuss the situation directly
Correct answer: Report it to child protective services or administration as a mandated reporter
Teachers are mandated reporters, legally required to report suspected child abuse regardless of how they learn of it.
Question 6: Which scenario represents an appropriate use of a teacher's professional social media presence?
- Posting photos of students doing a classroom activity with their names visible
- Sharing general educational resources and professional development articles (Correct answer)
- Commenting on a student's personal social media post to offer academic help
- Accepting friend requests from current students to stay connected
Correct answer: Sharing general educational resources and professional development articles
Sharing professional resources is appropriate; directly engaging with students on personal platforms crosses professional boundaries.
Question 7: A teacher believes a school policy is unfair to students. The most ethical course of action is to:
- Ignore the policy and act according to personal judgment
- Publicly criticize the policy on social media
- Work through legitimate channels such as faculty meetings or union representation to advocate for change (Correct answer)
- Encourage students to protest the policy openly
Correct answer: Work through legitimate channels such as faculty meetings or union representation to advocate for change
Ethical professionals advocate for change through proper institutional channels rather than undermining policies unilaterally.
MYLS Professional Ethics in Education 2
A teacher discovers that a student has been sharing test answers with classmates via text message.
What is the most appropriate first step?