Ethics are an important aspect to be considered when carrying out educational research.

This

examination is going to be based on the considerations to be taken into account when carrying

out educational research. The writer shall start by defining key terms; ethics and educational

research. Secondly he shall examine the five ethical principles to be considered when carrying

out educational research. The writer shall examine how the following principles are to be

considered when carrying out educational research, informed consent, protection of participants

from harm, avoiding deceptive practices, protecting confidentiality and anonymity and the

withdrawal by a participant from an investigation. Lastly, he shall give conclusive remarks.

Lodico et al (2010) defined educational research as a variety of methods, in which individuals

evaluate differing aspects of education including: student learning, teaching methods, and

teacher training and classroom dynamics. Therefore research plays a pivotal role in the

improvement and development of education and learning. However, researchers have to abide to

certain ethical principles in their researches.

Alderson (1995) suggested that ethics refers to the correct rules of conduct necessary when

carrying out research. This therefore implies that researchers have to strive to seek participant

informed consent, protect participants from harm, must avoid deceptive practices and must

protect participant confidentiality and anonymity. Seiber (1993, p14) defined ethics as a set of

moral principles and rules of conduct. Researchers need to remember that they have a duty to

respect the rights and dignity of research participants, (Lewis et al, 2000). This means that

researchers must abide by certain moral principles and rules of conduct. However, moral issues

rarely yield a simple, unambiguous, right or wrong answer. It is therefore often a matter of

judgment whether the research is justified or not. For example, it might be that a study causes

psychological or physical discomfort to participants, maybe they suffer pain or perhaps even

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come to serious harm. On the other hand the investigation could lead to discoveries that benefit

the participants themselves or even have the potential to increase the sum of human happiness.

Who is to weigh up these costs and benefits? Who is to judge whether the ends justify the

means? If a researcher is ever in doubt as to whether research is ethical or not it is worthwhile

remembering that if there is a conflict of interest between the participants and the researcher, it is

the interests of the subjects that should take priority.

Informed consent means that the prospective research participants must be fully informed about

the procedures and risks involved in research and must give their consent to participate,

(Hudgson and Bruckman, 2004). With the exception of those instances of covert observations

where it is not feasible to let everyone that is being observed know what you are doing,

educational research participants should have the right to withdraw from the research process.

Whenever possible researchers should obtain the consent of participants. Participants should

understand that they are taking part in an educational research and what the research requires of

them. Such information may include the purpose of the research, the methods being used, and the

purpose of the research, as well as associated demands, discomforts, inconveniences and the

risks that the participants may face. In practice this means it is not sufficient to simply get

participants to say Yes. Educational research participants also need to know what it is that they

are agreeing to, (Markham, 2012). In other words researcher should, so far as is practicable

explain what is involved in advance and obtain the informed consent of participants. However, it

is not considered ethical to ask grade four learners sensitive questions without the consent of

their parents to question them.

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The principle of voluntary participation requires that participants are not coerced into

participating in research. Before the study begins the researcher must outline to the participants

what the research is about, and then ask their permission to take part, (Christensen and James,

2000). An adult who is eighteen year and above is capable of giving permission to participate in

a study can provide consent. Parents/legal guardians of minors can also provide consent to allow

their children to participate in an educational study. In order that consent be informed, consent

forms may need to be accompanied by an information sheet for participants setting out

information about the proposed educational study in simple language along with details about the

investigators and how they can be contacted.

However, it is not always possible to gain informed consent, (Alderson, 1995). This is acceptable

as long as what happens to the participants is something that could easily happen them in

everyday life. For example, if the research involves observing learners in a bus queue, those

learners may be observed by anyone when they are in the queue.

Hudgeson and Bruckman (2004) asserts that researchers have a moral obligation to protect

participants from harm. These authors go on to explain that ethical standards require that

researchers not put participants in a situation where they might be at risk of harm as a result of

participation. For example in an educational research investigating the relationship between the

learners background and his/her level of academic performance, the researcher must be when

asking about childrens feelings and experiences. Some of the learners past experiences may be

emotionally unsuitable and recalling them may result in psychological harm to the learner.

Educational researchers must ensure that those taking part in research will not be caused distress.

These research participants must be protected from physical and mental harm. For example

asking high school learners to fill in a questionnaire about their sexual practices, experience and

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preferences is deemed unethical. Such questions may result in psychological harm on the

learners and researchers need to ensure that they carefully handle such matters and must avoid

such practices whenever possible. This is to ensure that the researcher not embarrass, frighten,

offend participants. Normally, the risk of harm must not be greater than in ordinary life, i.e.

participants should not be exposed to risks greater than or additional to those encountered in their

normal lifestyles. The researcher should always strive to protect the rights of the research

participants.

The educational researcher must also ensure that if vulnerable groups such as the elderly,

disabled and children are to be used in an educational research, they must receive special care.

For example, if studying children, make sure their participation brief as they get tired easily and

have a limited attention span. An educational researcher may attach electricity sensors to the

heads of learners when say, they might be investigating the average intelligence and brain

activity of an A-level learner. This can make learners extremely uncomfortable and raise ethical

concerns. Such practices may cause harm to the learners and hence is an unethical practice.

Deceptive practices occur when participants are misled or wrongly informed about the aims of

the research, (Rest and Narvaez, 1994). Types of deception include deliberate misleading, for

example using confederates, staged manipulations in field settings, deceptive instructions;

deception by omission, such as failure to disclose full information about the study, or creating

ambiguity.

The educational researcher should avoid deceiving participants about the nature of the research

unless there is no alternative- and even then this would need to be judged acceptable by an

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independent expert. However, there are some types of research that cannot be carried out without

some element of deception.

Participants must be deceived as little as possible, and any deception must not cause distress,

(McKee, 2009). Researchers can determine whether participants are likely to be distressed when

deception are likely to be distressed when deception is closed, by consulting culturally relevant

groups. If the participant is likely to object or be distressed once they discover the true nature of

the research at debriefing, then the study is unacceptable.

If you have gained participants informed consent by deception, then they will have agreed to

take part without actually knowing what they were consenting to, (Morrow and Richards, 1996).

The true nature of the research should be revealed at the earliest possible opportunity, or at least

during debriefing.

However Rest and Narvaez(1994) argue that deception can never be justified and object to this

practice as it violates an individuals right to choose to participate; is a questionable basis on

which to build a discipline; and leads to distrust of research in the community.

Confidentiality is about assuring participants that identified information will not be made

available to anyone who is not directly involved in the study, (Adair, 2001). The stricter

standard of confidentiality is the principle of anonymity. This is essentially means that the

participant will remain anonymous throughout the study, even to the researchers themselves.

Participants, and the data gained from them must be kept anonymous unless they give them full

consent. Lewis and Lindsay (2000) asserted that no name must be used in a research report. This

is vital as research is built on a foundation of trust.

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Tribe and Morissey (2005) suggested that protecting the anonymity and confidentiality of

research participants is another important component of research ethics. After all, participants

will typically only be willing to volunteer information, especially information of a private or

sensitive nature, it the researcher agrees to hold such information in confidence. Research

participants can hurt if research data is not treated confidentially, whether in terms of the storage

of data, its analysis, or during the publication process

What do we do if we find something which should be disclosed (e.g. criminal act)? Researchers

have no legal obligation to disclose criminal acts and have to determine which the most

important consideration is: their duty to the participant vs. duty to the wider community.

Ultimately, decisions to disclose information will to be set in the context of the aims of the

research.

Tyson and Elcock (2011) suggested that participants in a research should be able to leave a study

at any time if they feel uncomfortable. They should also be allowed to withdraw their data. They

should be told at the start of the study that they have the right to withdraw. They should not have

pressure placed upon them to continue if they do not want to, (Ketchener, 2000). Participants

may feel they shouldnt withdraw as this may spoil the study. Many participants are paid or

receive course credits, they may worry they wont get this if they withdraw. Furthermore,

participants should have the right to withdraw from the research process. Even at the end of the

study the participant has a final opportunity to withdraw the data they have provided for the

research.

Conclusively, educational researchers should abide with ethical principals in research so that

they respect the interviewees and do not face legal action. However, there are times in which the

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researcher may not be sure on whether they are breaking educational research principles or not.

In such situations the safest way would be to refrain from practicing principles they are not sure

of.

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References

Alderson, P. (1995). Listening to children. Children, Ethics and Social Research. London:

Barnardos

Morrow, V. and Richards, M. (1996). The ethics of social research with children: an overview.

Children and Society 10: 90-105.

Ketchener, K.S. (2000). Foundations of Ethical Practice, Research and Teaching in Psychology.

Laurane Eribeum associates.

Tribe,.R. and Morissey, J. (2005). Handbook of professional and Ethical Practice for

Psychologists, Cousellers and Psychotherapists. Brumer-Routledge.

Christensen, P. and James, A. (2000). Research with children: perspectives and practices.

London, Falmer press.

Lewis, A. and Lindsay, G. (2000). Researching childrens perspectives. Buckingham, Open

University Press.

McKee, H. A. and Porter, J.E. (2009). The Ethics of Internet Research: A Rhetorical, Case-based

Process, New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

Adair, J.G. (2001). Ethics of Psychological Research: New Policies; Continuing Issues; New

Concerns. Canadian Psychology, Vol.42, No 1.

Tyson, P., Jones, D. and Elcock, J. (2011). Psychology in Social Context: Issues and Debates.

Willey-Bladewell.

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Markham, A. (2012). Fabrication as ethical practice: Qualitative inquiry in ambiguous internet

contexts, Information, Communication and society, 5(3), 334-353.

Rest, J.R and Narvaez, D. (1994). Moral Development in the Professions: Psychology and

Applied Ethics. Lawrence Erlbam Associates.

Hudgson, J.M. and Bruckman, A. (2004). Go away: Participant objections to being studied and

the ethics of chat room research. Information Society, 20(20), 127-139.

Seibe, J. (1993). The ethics and politics of sensitive research: in Renzelli, C. and Lee, R.M.

researching sensitive topic, London: Sage.

Lodico, M.G., Spaulding, D.T. and Voegtle, K.H. (2010). Methods in Educational Research:

From Theory to Practice. Wiley.

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