Teaching at private schools: A phenomenological study on ethical dilemmas

Abstract This study aims to examine in detail the ethical dilemmas faced by private school teachers. The study employed a phenomenological research design. The study group comprised 15 teachers working at private schools in a province located in the southeastern region of Turkey in the 2020-2021 academic year, who were determined by the maximum variation sampling method. A semi-structured interview form was used as the data collection instrument. Collected data were subjected to phenomenological analysis. According to the findings, ethical dilemmas faced by private school teachers can be categorized under the themes of “parents,” “students,” “school administration,” and “co-workers.” Ethical dilemmas in private schools have been found to differ in some aspects from those in public schools. Also, it was observed that teachers dealt with ethical dilemmas under the fear of losing their jobs. The results are discussed in the context of professional and workplace problems faced by private school teachers, and recommendations are presented accordingly.