Ethics in Education Network

Ethics in Education

Ethics is a critical concept in education, with growing significance nationally and globally, as a discipline to be taught and as a philosophical determinant of practice for educators and policymakers. As we navigate global challenges of climate change, poverty, war, Artificial Intelligence and social injustice, we are compelled to consider what is plausible, moral, and permissible, according to ethical codes to which we hold ourselves accountable. If we render current generations responsible for a sustainable global future, we must consider how moral and ethical responsibility is understood, practiced and taught across our education systems.

Aims and Focus of the Network

The aim of this new network, established in January 2024, is to develop and enhance understanding and application of ethics in education, through exploration of the theory/research/practice intersections around:

  • Teaching ethics
  • Global challenges: educational responses for ethical futures
  • Ethical procedures in research
  • Ethical dilemmas of 21st century educational leadership
  • Ethics in assessment practices
  • Ethics of AI in education
  • Ethics for school practitioners

Ethics is interdisciplinary, intersecting the work of other networks, with specific connections to Leadership, Poverty, Teacher Education, Inclusion and Technology, that we look forward to exploring. We invite all those with a concern for ethics in education to join this network and contribute to deeper understanding of ethical concepts and their application during current and future educational challenges.

Please contact Alison Mitchell or Aileen Kennedy for details on how to join and engage with the network. We particularly welcome researchers or practitioners from underrepresented groups in Scottish Education, including BAME and LGBTQ+ SERA members.

Profiles of Network Convenors

1.      Ms Alison Mitchell (University of Glasgow School of Education)

2.      Professor Aileen Kennedy (University of Glasgow School of Education)

SERA Ethics Network activities during 2024

1)     Ethics in Education Launch Event on 12th June 2024. Our launch took place on Wednesday 12th June 2024. This was a hybrid event hosted on Zoom and in person at the University of Glasgow’s School of Education.

We had a panel of four educationalists at the launch, offering contextual perspectives on ethics in education:

Professor Bruce Adamson: School of Law, University of Glasgow
Seonaidh Black: Headteacher at Bannerman High School in Glasgow
Dr Sharon Hunter: Lecturer in Education at the University of Strathclyde
Vikki Robertson: Standards Education Officer at the General Teaching Council for Scotland

Further information from the launch can be found in our short article in the SERA 50th Anniversary Researching Education Edition (2).

2)     The Ethics of Assessment in Education event took place on Zoom on 3rd October 2024 and focussed firstly on provocations from UGEAN colleagues:

  • What is the moral justification for educational assessment?
  • What moral challenges are made to educational assessment and are they persuasive?
  • What moral principles should govern assessment practice?

Discussion followed to address the key questions below. You can access some of the responses here.

  1. What are the moral or ethical implications in:
    • the proposed future of assessment and qualifications in Scotland, and
    • the Cabinet Secretary’s initial response to the proposals?
  2. As a SERA research community, how do we contribute to a future of assessment and qualifications that is ethical and equitable?

3)     SERA November Conference: 27th – 29th November 2024

  • Network Presentation (networks’ sharing event). The presentation will be posted here after the event.
  • Round Table led by members of the network, focusing on contemporary challenges for researching ethics in education.

Network Publications

As a new network, we propose to collaborate together and across SERA networks to write, publish and present in the field of Ethics in Education. Our first publication was an article for the special edition of the Researching Education Bulletin, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of SERA and can be found here.

Mitchell, A. and Kennedy, A. (2024) Exploring ethical imperatives in partnership: the development of a SERA Network. SERA Researching Education Bulletin Anniversary Edition 2. pp. 13-20

Contact us

Please contact Alison Mitchell or Aileen Kennedy for further details on how to join and engage with the network. We particularly welcome researchers and practitioners from underrepresented groups in Scottish Education, including BAME and LGBTQ+ SERA members.

We have now moved our social media presence to the Bluesky🦋 platform and can be found here.

Please also join our mailing list here.