Teachers perception of unethical practices and management option among mission schools in delta state
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The main goal of the early Christian missionaries was to educate the indigenous in order to convert them to Christianity. A good Christian was thought to need knowledge of the Bible, the capacity to sing hymns, recite catechisms, and the ability to communicate both verbally and in writing. Several missionary organizations formed during this time, each with its own political, economic, and theological inclinations, pushing as hard as they could to build as many schools as they could. It’s worth noting that each missionary organization ran its own educational system and funded its own educational endeavor. Mission schools have now spread throughout the United States like wildfire (Nwaze, 2010). Mission schools, like any other school in Nigeria, suffer a slew of issues that have harmed its main goals. Mission schools must deal with a variety of administration choices as well as unethical activities. Differences in the duties and responsibilities of instructors within the school system may increase the potential for conflict in these circumstances. As a result, there is little discussion of the ethics that underpin the decisions that must be made in these tough circumstances. Unethical behaviors often result from choices that need value judgments about what is the proper or best thing to do in a certain circumstance. According to Campbell (2008), doing the “right thing” seems simple enough most of the time, but when an ethically challenging circumstance occurs, it may lead people to question their ethics in practice. He went on to say that education is fundamentally a moral endeavor, with administrators, teachers, and the whole school community dealing with difficult ethical issues on a daily basis. According to Kohlberg (2010), moral thinking is not a necessary prerequisite for ethical behavior. Teachers are often expected to do the “right thing,” and as a result, ethics and moral concepts may simply become part of the concealed curriculum. This implies that the ideas behind teachers’ actions are so deeply entrenched in practice that they are seldom addressed, analyzed, or debated. However, Lyons (2006) correctly stated that the majority of teachers expressed difficulties in addressing real-life unethical problems that they encountered in the course of their everyday operations inside the school system. However, as highlighted by Leke (2009), unethical behaviors at mission schools include absenteeism on the part of instructors and students, cheating during examinations, poor clothing, drug usage, lying and lateness to school and lectures, and leaking test questions. These immoral methods agitate instructors and students’ brains, interfering with their learning and that of their classmates (Aduma, & Auwal, 2007). The quality of education for parents is determined by what influences their children, namely the school environment based on learner character development. Learning and work ethics are important determinants of educational quality. Schools that have a high rate of unethical behavior cannot create disciplined and quality graduates. Based on the criteria by which we evaluate human behavior, this lowers the worth of our educational goods. To put it another way, moral principles, such as boosting what is considered to be good and minimizing or avoiding what is seen to be evil, are taught from a young age at home and at school. Not only do mission schools face unethical activities inside the institution, but they also face managerial problems. There are a slew of problems that mission schools and school administrators must deal with (principals and teachers). These difficulties, according to Sidhu (2007), include an increase in the number of students, a lack of credibility, inadequate facilities, political instability, a lack of collaboration, non-performance, a lack of commitment, obsolete expertise, waste, and poor planning. Similarly, management problems may be a result of the changing society in which the mission school now finds itself. Today’s civilization is in a constant state of flux, with one change leading to the next. The public sphere has grown more perplexed, divided, and dissatisfied (Grimmett & Echols 2010). This is due to the fact that the fast speed of change has impacted all institutions, including mission schools. The culture of students and instructors in educational institutions has evolved significantly, affecting their attitudes toward teaching and learning, respectively (Nwaka, 2010). Learning, skills, attitudes, instructional materials, equipment, and techniques from the past are rapidly becoming outdated, irrelevant, or insufficient. Education has been seen as the sole tool of salvation while the community undergoes these fast transformations. The researcher believes that education, as the basis of all societies and internationally competitive economy, is the most efficient method for a society to address today’s and tomorrow’s problems.
1.2 Statement of the problem
A mission school that is well regarded by the government, the host community, and parents has been plagued by unethical activities and management problems. These difficulties have caused parents to lose faith in their children who attend mission schools throughout Nigeria, particularly in Delta state. The impact of unethical activities on school management, school environment, school graduates’ quality, and public opinion on mission schools is widely documented. This has a detrimental impact on mission schools’ social worth on a local, national, and worldwide level. These are some of the factors that contribute to a perceived decline in teacher quality of teaching and student academic performance. Increased dropout rates, as well as inter-school mobility between local governments, states, and nations, are seen as unethical activities in Delta State mission schools. Scholars are also aware of the consequences of waste in education as a result of corruption due to unethical activities, after large financial, human, and material expenditures in mission schools. However, one topic that has been bothering the researcher is how do mission school instructors see unethical behaviors and management problems in their school system. As a result, the study’s issue is instructors’ perceptions of unethical behaviors and management choices in Delta State mission schools.
1.3 Objective of the study
The primary objective of the study is as follows
- To examine the unethical practices in Delta state mission schools as perceived by teachers?
- To examine the causes of unethical practices in Delta State mission schools?
- To find out the consequences of unethical practices in Delta State mission schools?
- to investigate the management disciplinary options for unethical practices in Delta State mission schools?
1.4 Research hypotheses
H01: there are no consequences of unethical practices in Delta State mission schools
H02: there are no management disciplinary options for unethical practices in Delta State mission schools
1.5 Significance of the study
The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:
l This study will examine Teachers perception of Unethical Practices and Management Option among Mission Schools in Delta State
l The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations, ministry of education and academia.
1.7 Scope of the study
This study will examine Teachers perception of Unethical Practices and Management Option among Mission Schools in Delta State. Hence , will be delimited to selected mission schools in Asaba.
1.8 Limitation of the study
This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:
just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data
Financial constraint , was faced by the researcher ,in getting relevant materials and in printing and collation of questionnaires
Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher
1.9 Definition of terms
Unethical practice: an action that falls outside of what is considered right or proper for a person, a profession or an industry.
Management: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
Mission school:a religious school originally developed and run by Christian missionaries.
REFERENCES
Aduma, P. S. and Auwal, A. (2007). A Survey ofBehavioural Problems and Management Strategy in Secondary Schools in Akwanga Local GovernmentArea. Lapai Journal of Arts and Education, 1(2):117-127
Campbell, G. H. (2008). Nature and influence ofvalues in principal decision making. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Toronto.
Grimmett, P. P. and Echols, F. H. (2010). Teacherand administrator shortages in changing times.Canadian Journal of Education 25(4). Pp 328-343
Kohlberg, L. (2010), “The psychology of moraldevelopment: essays on moral development” (vol.10 San Francisco: Harper and Row
Leke, O. (2009). Ethics and Conflict Management inNigerian Universities. International Journal of Social and Policy Issues 6 (1and2):98-110.
Lyons, N. (2006). Dilemmas of knowing: Ethical andepistemological dimensions of teacher’s work and development. Harvard Educational Review, 60,159-181
Nwaka, N. G. (2010) Secondary SchoolAdministration in Anambra State Today: Challenges and the Way Forward, an International MultiDisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia.
Sidhu, K. S. (2007). School organization andadministration. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers PVT,Ltd
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