Methods of Research in Education

HASMINE C. ALCODIAMS GEN. SCI. ED

JAMES L. PAGLINAWAN, PhD Education 241 Professor

THE ETHICS OF EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

INFORMED CONSENT

1. Stress

2. Pain

3. Invasion of privacy

4. If they are going to lose control over what happens (e.g.in drug research)

FrankfortNachmias and Nachmias (1992)

1. Competence

2. Voluntarism

3. Full Information

4. Comprehension

INFORMED CONSENT INVOLVES FOUR ELEMENTS

INFORMED CONSENT

Competence

Implies that responsible, mature individuals will make correct decisions if they are given the relevant information.

INFORMED CONSENT

Voluntarism

Ensuring that participants freely choose to take part (or not) in the research and guarantees that exposure to risks is undertaken knowingly and voluntarily

INFORMED CONSENT

Full information

Implies that consent is fully informed

Reasonably informed consent

INFORMED CONSENT

Comprehension

Refers to the fact that participants fully understand the nature of the research project

Guidelines for reasonably informed consent

1 . A fair explanation of the procedures to be followed and their purposes.

2. A description of the attendant discomforts and risks reasonably to be expected.

3. A description of the benefits reasonably to be expected.

Source: Institutional Guide to DHEW Policy, 1971

4 A disclosure of appropriate alternative procedures that might be advantageous to the participants.

5 An offer to answer any inquiries concerning the procedures.

6 An instruction that the person is free to withdraw consent and to discontinue participation in the project at any time without prejudice to the participant.

Guidelines for reasonably informed consent

a. the purposes, contents and procedures of

the research

b. any foreseeable risks and negative outcomes, discomfort or consequences and how they will be handle

c. benefits that might derive from the research

FACTORS

d. incentives to participate and rewards from participating

e. right to voluntary non- participation, withdrawal and rejoining the project

f. rights and obligations to confidentiality and non-

disclosure of the research participants and outcomes

g. disclosure of any alternative procedures that may be advantageous

h. opportunities for participants to ask questions about any aspect of the research

i. Signed contracts for participation

ACCESS AND ACCEPTANCE

Gaining of official permission to undertake one’s research in the target community

Negotiating access checklist

1. Clear official channels by formally requesting permission to carry out your investigation as soon as you have an agreed project outline. 

2 . Speak to the people who will be asked to co-operate.

Source : Adapted from Bell, 1991

3.Submit the project outline to the head, if you are carrying out a study in your or another educational institution.

4. Decide what you mean by anonymity and confidentiality.

5. Decide whether participants will

receive a copy of the report and/or see drafts or interview transcripts.

6. Inform participants what is to be done with

the information they provide.

7. Prepare an outline of intentions and

conditions under which the study will be carried out to hand to the participants.

8. Be honest about the purpose of the study

and about the conditions of the research.

9. Remember that people who agree to help are

doing you a favour.

10. Never assume ‘it will be all right’.

THE FIELD OF ETHICS

Ethics has been defined as ‘a matter of principled sensitivity to the rights of others, and that ‘while truth is good, respect for human dignity is better’ (Cavan1977: 810).

A.The age of those being researched;

B. Whether the subject matter of the research is a sensitive area; C. Whether the aims of the research are in any way subversive (vis-`a-vis subjects, teachers, or institution);

FACTORS

C. The extent to which the researcher and researched can participate and collaborate in planning the research;

D. How the data are to be processed, interpreted, and use

FACTORS

SOURCES OF TENSION

A. Non-maleficence, beneficence and Human

dignity

B. Absolutist and relativist ethics

C. Voices of experience

SOURCES OF TENSION

A. Using computer simulations

B. Finding a situation in which the negative effects of harm already exist

C. Applying only a very low level of potential

Approaches that can be used to avoid harming research subjects,

D. Obtaining informed consent

E. Justifying the research on the grounds that the small amount of harm caused is much less than the harm caused by the existing situation

F. Using samples rather than complete populations, so that fewer people are exposed to the harm

G. maintaining the privacy of participants through the use of aggregated or anonymised data.

The absolutist view holds that clear, set principles should guide the researchers in their work and that these should determine what ought and what ought not to be done

Absolutist And Relativist Ethics

VOICES OF EXPERIENCEWhatever the ethical stance one assumes and no matter what forethought one brings to bear on one’s work, there will always be unknown, unforeseen problems and difficulties lying in wait

(Kimmel 1988).

A. Coercing them to participate

B. Withholding information about the true nature of the research

C. Deceiving participants in other ways

D. Inducing them to commit acts diminishing their self-esteem

Ethical Dilemmas

E. violating rights of self-determination

F. Exposing participants to physical or mental stress

G. Invading their privacy

H. Withholding benefits from some participants

I. Not treating participants fairly,

Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical Dilemmas A. PrivacyB. AnonymityC. ConfidentialityD. BetrayalE. Deception