A Qualitative Study on Ethics in Collaborative Learning among Students

Merely emphasizing collaborative learning does not lead to its realization in higher education. Therefore, ethics in the collaborative learning of students, as the mediating link for achieving collaborative learning in higher education, gains significance; because collaborative learning is based on ethical principles that ensure the effectiveness of collaborative learning. We conducted a review of the research background in two phases. Consequently, the research was conducted using a multi-methods approach for applied purposes. We posed two questions: for the first question, we employed a systematic review method, and for the second question_related to the research field and complementing the first question_we utilized a focus group method. The systematic review followed Wright et al.'s seven-step methodology. From a screening of 3,290 articles, 27 selected papers were analyzed with open and exploratory coding (resulting in over 1,000 initial codes), categorized into four main themes and 13 sub-themes. In the focus group, we interviewed six graduate and doctoral students from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Tehran. The responses to the second question were classified into 43 sub-themes and 12 main themes. In the review section, we provided a comprehensive perspective on the definition of ethics in collaborative learning, encompassing definitions, theoretical foundations, relationships, challenges, and strategies for ethics in collaborative learning. Findings from the focus group examined ethics in collaborative learning from the viewpoint of educational sciences students (as this aspect received less attention in the reviewed articles). The results of the second question showed that students emphasized the sharing of knowledge and the absence of scientific stinginess.