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Ethical Issues for Teaching AssistantsMarla Arbach, Centre for University Teaching

TA TipsVolume 1, Number 5

A publication supporting the Professional Development Program for Teaching Assistants at the University of Ottawa

Professor and Teaching Assistant: Building a Good Relationship

Best Practices for Contact with Students Outside of Class

Evaluating Student Work

Facilitating Group Discussions Effectively

TAs in the Sciences: Best Practices for Labs

Dealing with Challenging Situations in the Classroom

Online Engagement: A Guide for TAs

Accessibility and Diversity of Learning: Roles and Strategies for TAs

Other publications:

Teaching assistants are professionals and must therefore respect the ethical considerations of the teaching profession.

Even though a large part of your duties may be carried out in an informal atmosphere, as a TA, you are a professional, and you must therefore respect the ethical considerations of your profession, teaching. This mini guide will help you reflect on ethical issues related to competence, respect, confidentiality, and conflict of interest, so that you can conduct your classes and complete your duties in a way that is consistent with the best interests of your students and the institution.

One: Competence

One of the main duties of many TAs is to answer students’ question about the course material. At times, you may be faced with a question to which you do not know the answer. Do not worry; you are not supposed to be an expert in the subject ma�tter. Even professors who are experts in their field o�ften have to look up an answer to a question asked by a student. Simply acknowledge that you do

not know and then go find the answer and get back to the student with it. You may be tempted to just make up an answer, thinking that the student will not know the di�fference, but such misrepresentation is a breach of professional ethics.

ReflectionWhat will students think of me if I admit I don’t know the answer

to their question?

• He’s responsible; he wants to makesure he knows the correct answer and he’s going to get back to me.

• She doesn’t know the answer—so TAs

are human!• Isn’t he supposed to know the answer?• She must be really confident if she’s

not afraid to say she doesn’t know.

 • …

You may also find yourself in the situation where you have been asked to carry out a task for which you do not feel qualified. If your professor assigns you such a task, you should

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advise him or her immediately that you require further guidance or training in order to complete the task to an acceptable professional standard.

You should not fear being blamed for lack of experience. It is be�tter to err on the side of caution, particularly in situations that could present a danger (e.g. labs or practical examinations) than to a�ttempt—without support—a task that is outside your scope of ability.

Two: Respect

In order to maintain an environment that is conducive to student learning, you must make sure that you and the students respect each other as well as the course and the institution.

2.1 IncivilityUnacceptable student behaviour, often called “classroom incivility,” can occur in a variety of contexts but must always be dealt with promptly to avoid recurrence. If you are teaching a class or a lab, you may encounter situations where students speak to or behave toward each other in a disrespectful or intolerant manner. Students may make uncivil remarks toward you during an office hour and, occasionally, students may make inappropriate comments in writing in their assignments. In cases such as these, you must use your judgement to determine whether the behaviour has crossed the line or not. All students have the right to state their opinions, but if they do so in a way that attacks, demeans or is otherwise intolerant towards other

students or other groups of people, then their behaviour is unacceptable.

You must be careful not to use your personal standard of what is acceptable to determine what is acceptable in a classroom setting For example, a student may be sitting in the back of the class and watching movies on his or her laptop while you are teaching. Even if this does not bother you personally, you should monitor the situation to make sure that it is not disrupting other students.If you observe incivility, you have a duty to act. However, you should think carefully before deciding on a course of action. In some cases, you will need to report the student(s) in question to your professor or to the appropriate authorities.

In other cases, you can use the incident as a teachable moment. Explain why the words or behaviour could be viewed as o�ffensive by some and ask the students to come up with a solution, if applicable.

ReflectionIn class, a student made a remark that could be considered sexist.

At the time, I didn’t pick up on it, but now I realize that some of my students might have been o�ffended by it. What can I do now?

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During a team meeting, the professor remarked that most students from a certain country tend to be lazy. That sounded like a stereotype to me, but I don’t have any teaching experience and the professor has taught this course for many years. Should I let it go or tell her that her comment made me feel uncomfortable?

When I returned a student’s assignment with a low grade on it, he cursed at me. I understand that he was upset about his grade, but is that kind of language acceptable? Should I do anything?

2.2 Academic fraudIf you encounter a suspected case of academic dishonesty, such as cheating on a test or plagiarism on a wri�tten assignment, you have a duty to act. You should advise your professor of the situation immediately. He or she will advise you on how to proceed.

ReflectionWhich of the following situations could be considered academic

fraud? Which ones do I have a duty to act on?

• Including on a wri�tten assignment somesentences taken word for word from the professor or TA’s notes.

• Two students working together andhanding in virtually identical assignments.

• Copying a dictionary definition into anassignment.

• Using ideas from Wikipedia or the Internet

on an assignment.

• Leaving an exam multiple times to use thewashroom facilities and not returning promptly.

• Getting someone to edit an assignmentwri�tten in one’s second language.

 •  •  •

2.3 Sensitive IssuesIn some courses, you may be required to discuss issues that will a�ffect students deeply on an emotional level. If you plan to raise such an issue, it is advisable to let the students know beforehand, so they can prepare themselves for the coming discussion. You should invite students to share personal experiences but you should never pressure them to do so. For example, if you are discussing suicide prevention and you know that a student has lost a friend or relative to suicide, you might be tempted to ask the student to share his or her experience to enrich the discussion. However, you should avoid putting the student on the spot on this way.

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When discussing controversial issues, you should take care not to present your personal views in a way that makes students think that you are endorsing your views over other viewpoints. It is best to remain neutral so that students do not feel that they must agree with your views in order to get a good grade. You may also have to play devil’s advocate in order to get students to think about the issue from all sides.

Although all students are entitled to express their views, opinions that are clearly sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise intolerant, should be questioned and shown to be unacceptable in a way that does not attack the people expressing the opinions.

ReflectionIn a class discussion on the Canadian justice system, one

of my students said that women should not be allowed to become Family Court judges because their natural maternal instincts prevent them from being impartial in child custody cases. Even though I personally disagree with the student, should I say something anyway or let the student express their opinion?

I divided my students randomly into pairs for an in-class exercise, but then a younger student who had been paired with a mature student came up to me and asked to switch partners because she felt more comfortable working with someone her own age. Should I allow her to switch partners?

2.4 Respect for the course and the program As a TA, you have been hired to help teach the course in the way that the professor desires. Even if you disagree with the professor’s approach, it would be unethical to deviate from his or her plan. Of course, you may raise your concerns with the professor, but if he or she insists on the approach, you must carry out his or her wishes (however, if you feel the professor is doing something unethical, then you should speak to your departmental chair about the situation).

You should also be careful that disagreements you may have with the professor or the other TAs do not carry over into your teaching. The same applies to any opinions you may have about the department or program. If you have concerns about members of the department or about the way the program is designed or its policies enforced, you should voice them to the appropriate parties, such as your professor or your departmental chair, rather than expressing them in front of your students or simply disregarding policies with which you disagree.

Three: Confidentiality

TAs must always bear in mind that any information regarding student performance is confidential. You should avoid announcing student grades aloud or handing back assignments with visible grades where other students can see them; have students come and pick up their assignments in your office, if possible. If you post a grade list after exams or at the end of the semester, list the grades by student number so that no one can associate the grade with a particular student. By the same token, if you must leave assignments to

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be picked up by students, put them in sealed envelopes marked with student numbers.

You should also be careful with assignments while grading them; do not leave them where they can be seen or taken. If you encounter an assignment that you feel needs to be discussed with your professor or with other TAs, make sure that you do so where you cannot be overheard and omit identifying details if possible.

Principles of confidentiality also apply to communications which take place during your office hours. One exception to this rule would be if the issue requires a decision that you are not allowed to make. In this case you would pass the case on to your professor or departmental chair. Another exception would be if the student is in distress—in this case you would try to put him or her in contact with the services that could help.

Four: Conflict of interest

For the duration of your TA contract, your relationship with your students should be focused on the learning outcomes and academic requirements of the course. This can be difficult if you have a previous relationship with a student or if you develop a close relationship with a student while you are their TA.

It sometimes occurs that you are hired as a TA or marking tutor for a class in which your friends or relatives are enrolled. If you have a previous relationship with a student, you should advise your professor of the fact right

away, even if you don’t think it will cause any problems. Disclosure of the dual relationship helps you avoid the appearance of favouritism. The professor may decide to assign the student in question to another TA’s section or to grade the student’s work him- or herself.

You should also make sure to keep your relationship with your students on a professional level. While you want to remain friendly and approachable, you should be careful not to cross the line. If you socialize with your students outside of class, make sure to keep the conversation casual; do not solicit or divulge too much personal information and do not offer or accept gifts (even food and drink) from your students.

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ReflectionIt turns out that I’m the TA for a student that I was friends with

in high school. Do I need to tell someone about it?

One of my students asked me out on a date. I just hold office hours; I’m not responsible for any of the students’ marks. Can I go out with this person?

My sister’s husband is a professor in my faculty. Is it okay for me to apply to TA a course that he’s teaching?

Further Reading

Ce�tte publication est aussi disponible en français. www.tlss.uOttawa.ca/cut

Tous droits réservés © 2011 Centre de pédagogie universitaire

Murray, H., Gillese, E., Lennon, M., Mercer, P. & Robinson, M. (1996). Ethical Principles in University Teaching. North York, Ontario: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Available at: http://www.stlhe.ca/

pdf/EthicalPrinciplesInUniversityTeaching.pdf.