Navigating the Dilemma of Making Ethical Decisions: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Abstract

This qualitative study used a descriptive design to navigate the dilemmas encountered by the Public Junior High School Teachers in Davao City Division when making ethical decisions. The participants consisted of 17 Public Junior High School Teachers selected through snowball sampling, with 10 participants engaged in in-depth interviews (IDI) and 7 participants involved in focus group discussions (FGD). Data were gathered using validated interview guides in the in-depth interview and focus group discussion. Creswell’s (2014) method of thematic analysis was used to determine the essential themes from the response of the participants. Making ethical decisions means doing the right thing, adherence to ethical standards, professional and personal integrity and navigating relationships were the themes that emerged from perceptions of participants on ethical decision-making. The strategies employed by the participants in ethical decision-making included mindful and values-driven process and reflective and critical thinking. Further, conflicting values and expectation, moral judgement, and difficulty in dealing with ethical issues were the themes that emerged from the challenges encountered by the participants in ethical decision-making. Furthermore, the themes such as: role of personal values, reflective ethical decision making, and being compassionate were the insights shared in improving ethical decision- making.