Intro to Ethics: Exercise on ‘Responsibilities’

Working from BERA’s ‘Responsibilities’

1. Responsibilities to participants
   • Consent
   • Transparency
   •  Right to withdraw
   • Incentives
   • Harm arising from participation in research
   • Privacy and data storage
   • Disclosure
2. Responsibilities to sponsors, clients
   • and stakeholders in research
   • Methods
3. Responsibilities to the community
   • of educational researchers
4. Responsibilities for publication and dissemination
   • Authorship
   • Scope and format
5. Responsibilities for researchers’
   • wellbeing and development

⟶ Select one (or two) to examine responsibility:
⟶ Question 1: What does this look like in practice?
⟶ Question 2: What does this look like in relation to my project: Exploring how student self-assessment might help with critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion for students and staff

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Responsibility selected: “Responsibilities to participants: Consent” 14

“Responsibilities to participants: Consent” refers to the ethical responsibility of researchers to obtain voluntary informed consent from participants before involving them in a research study. This means that researchers should provide clear and accurate information about the research project, including its purpose, procedures, risks and benefits, and the rights of participants. Researchers should also ensure that participants have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any concerns they may have and that they are free to decide whether or not to participate without fear of negative consequences. This is detailed in section 8 of the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research PDF file.

Question 1: What does this look like in practice?

Answer:
In practice, obtaining informed consent from participants means that researchers should provide clear and accurate information about the research project, including its purpose, procedures, risks and benefits, and the rights of participants. Researchers should also ensure that participants have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any concerns they may have and that they are free to decide whether or not to participate without fear of negative consequences. This may involve using consent forms or other written materials to document participants’ agreement to participate and verbal or nonverbal cues to ensure that participants understand the presented information.

Question 2: What does this look like concerning my project: exploring how student self-assessment might help with critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion for students and staff?

Answer:
In the context of my project, obtaining informed consent from participants may involve providing clear and accurate information about the purpose and procedures of the research, as well as the potential risks and benefits of participating. For example, I might need to explain how self-assessment will measure critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion and how the results will inform future educational practices. I also need to address any concerns that participants may have about the confidentiality of their data and ensure that they understand their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Additionally, I need to consider how to obtain consent from participants who may have limited literacy or language skills or who may be hesitant to participate due to cultural or social factors.

Practically informing students for my project on exploring the impact of self-assessment on critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion could involve the following steps:

1. Preparation: Create precise, concise, and easy-to-understand consent forms or digital documents outlining the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and participants’ rights.
2. Presentation: Hold an initial meeting or virtual session where you present the study’s details, perhaps using slides or handouts for clarity.
3. Specifics: Explain how the self-assessment will measure critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion and how the gathered data will contribute to future educational practices.
4. Questions & Concerns: Open the floor for questions and provide sufficient time for participants to clarify doubts.
5. Confidentiality: Address concerns about data privacy and reassure participants that their information will be handled confidentially.
6. Right to Withdraw: Make it clear that participation is entirely voluntary and that students can withdraw at any time without any negative consequences.
7. Exceptional Cases: For participants with limited literacy or language skills, consider translating the consent forms or offering verbal explanations. Similarly, address any cultural or social factors that might make participants hesitant.
8. Confirmation: Use written consent forms to document the agreement. Use verbal or nonverbal cues where needed to confirm that the information has been understood.
9. Follow-Up: Maintain an open channel for questions or clarifications throughout the research process.

By taking these steps, I hope to adhere to the guidelines laid down by BERA and effectively obtain informed consent for your project.

Bibliography

Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fourth edition (2018) 20 Jun 2018. BERA. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018 (Accessed: 27 September 2023). (PS: it was published on my birthday.)

Research Ethics @ UAL https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/97782/research-ethics

Educational Ethics @ UAL https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/81716/educational-ethics-policy-and-guidance-for-staff

Ethics resources folder on Moodle 2023 ARP : https://moodle.arts.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=1005709

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