Perceived issues in ethics for adult education: A Delphi study

The purpose of the study was threefold: (1) to elicit perceived ethical issues from members of two units of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education; i.e., the Commission of Professors of Adult Education and the Commission on Adult Basic Education; (2) to seek a consensus on ethical issues in adult education from the defined Delphi panel of experts; and (3) to determine the relationship between membership in the two units of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education and the perceived significance of an ethical issue.;The Delphi technique was used which consisted of a series of three questionnaires. Round I elicited perceived ethical issues in the field of adult education from the self-identified Delphi panel. Rounds II and III, sought consensus of significance on twenty-five conceptual statements derived from the Round I responses. The respondents for the Round III questionnaire were thirty-seven members of the Commission of Professors of Adult Education and thirty-one members of the Commission on Adult Basic Education.;The statistical analysis program used was Statistics with Finesse software by James Bolding of the University of Arkansas. Each statement's responses were analyzed to determine the median, and the first and third quartiles. Additionally, a t-Test for Independent Samples was used to analyze the data to determine correlation between responses and membership in a subgroup of the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education.;The analysis indicated that all concept statements were seen as significant as an ethical issue to the field of adult education. The process of statistical analysis and rank sorting produced a general view of consensus by the Delphi panel. The t-Test for Independent Samples indicated that only in relation to three concept statements did membership in the subgroups correlate to the response given.