Exploring UAE Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Ethical Dilemma of Grading Bias

Abstract

Ethics are always important in any job, particularly they have great importance in education and are considered as an essential element of the teaching profession. Many studies emphasized ethical dilemmas in different sectors but there is a scarcity of literature in the education sector. Therefore, this study has explored the UAE primary school teachers’ perceptions of the ethical dilemma of grading bias. Keeping in mind the biasness of the quantitative approach, this research has used the qualitative approach to clearly analyze the views of interviewees. The results highlighted that teachers are influenced by certain factors that make them subjective and biased regarding their grading practices. The results also reveal some ways of preventing bias, such as using student peer- and self-evaluation. Finally, the teachers’ responses regarding the importance of professional ethics indicate that such ethics help them re-think, analyze, and visualize issues before making any decisions, and also control their emotions and thoughts about others. This research can be considered as a guide for researchers who are keen to analyze the ethical dilemmas in the educational sector. Moreover, the findings of the study can help the teachers in developing strategies to avoid grading or subjective bias.