1D Ethics

Final Version

Ethic

Participant-facing documents

Brief

Information Sheet

Consent Form

Intro

My Ethical Enquiry Form for the Action Research Project focuses on the impact of student self-evaluation on critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion among diverse students, aiming to create equity. The research involves UAL participants in self-evaluation activities, questionnaires, and focus groups, seeking to understand the effects of self-evaluation. It includes details on participant selection, activities, informed consent, potential risks, and mitigation strategies, along with data storage, handling, and ethical considerations, including safeguarding vulnerable participants.

In revising my Ethical Enquiry Form for the Action Research Project, I shifted my focus from peer assessment (see Know, Liberate, Transform ) to self-evaluation. This change aligns with Paulo Freire’s ideology, emphasizing learners’ engagement in dialogue and reflection. Initially, my research included peer assessment with MUIC and UAL students. However, I refocused on self-evaluation to explore its impact on students’ critical thinking, anxiety, and compassion, creating a more equitable learning environment. This approach offers deeper insights into individual self-awareness and development, and affects students’ emotional experiences and engagement levels. It also demands different data interpretation methods. This pivot in my research direction not only addresses ethical considerations but also embeds transformative educational values within UAL’s existing framework, aiming for gradual yet meaningful change.

Revisions

A key difference from the initial version is the shift from peer assessment to self-evaluation. Originally involving students from MUIC, my study now concentrates on self-evaluation (see post of Know, Liberate, Transform) This redirection in approach, from analyzing peer assessment’s impact to exploring self-evaluation effects, leads to different insights and potential conclusions:

1. Focus on Internal Processes: Self-evaluation emphasizes internal reflection and personal judgment, likely yielding insights into students’ self-awareness, self-regulation, and personal development, contrasting with peer assessment’s focus on interpersonal dynamics.
2. Anxiety and Comfort Levels: Self-evaluation can change the emotional landscape of the research. Students may experience different anxiety and comfort levels when self-assessing versus being peer-assessed, influencing their engagement and responses.
3. Critical Thinking and Compassion: Self-evaluation could enhance critical thinking as students reflect on their work, potentially increasing their compassion towards their own challenges and limitations.
4. Data Interpretation: The nature of data from self-evaluations will likely differ from peer assessment data, necessitating different analytical approaches and potentially altering conclusions about student behavior and learning outcomes.

In my research, I’ve aligned more closely with Paulo Freire’s ideology, advocating education as a practice of freedom through engaged dialogue and reflection. This change reflects my commitment to fostering individual critical reflection and self-awareness. Recognizing the limitations in changing UAL’s entire educational system, this shift aims to instill transformative educational values within the current framework, embedding critical and reflective practices for gradual, meaningful change.
The main technical changes from the initial version to the final towards a more ethically robust, inclusive, and methodologically sound research approach explore the following:

1. Expanded Research Context and Detailing: Version 7 provides more comprehensive details about the research context, objectives, and methodologies. It includes more specific information on participant selection and the activities they will engage in.
2. Enhanced Ethical Considerations: I have increased in the emphasis on ethical considerations in Version 7. This includes more detailed procedures for informed consent, data handling, and confidentiality measures.
3. Risk Assessment and Mitigation: The later version includes a more thorough assessment of potential risks to participants and the researcher, along with strategies to mitigate these risks.
4. Inclusion and Accessibility: The later version shows a greater focus on inclusivity and accessibility, particularly concerning participants with disabilities or special needs.
5. Data Storage and Security: The later version is a more detailed protocols for data storage.
6. Feedback and Revision Mechanisms: The updated version have incorporated feedback and revised certain aspects of the study design and methodology for clarity and effectiveness.

Annotated Bibliography with notes to my Ethical Enquiry Form

The “UAL Code of Practice on Educational Ethics” outlines the University of the Arts London’s commitment to promoting ethical dimensions in education. It emphasizes principles such as ethics of care, respect for persons, social justice, and beneficence. The code applies to undergraduate and postgraduate students and places responsibilities on tutors, course leaders, and program directors to promote an ethics of care. It addresses data protection, compliance, and the importance of informed consent in student projects.

UAL Code of Practice on Educational Ethics : My research aligns with UAL’s Code of Practice by prioritizing care, respect, social justice, beneficence, and data protection, thereby supporting UAL’s framework for good ethical practice.

My research approach, focusing on self-evaluation, aligns well with these principles:

1. Ethics of Care and Beneficence: My approach prioritizes the well-being and development of students, resonating with the ethics of care and beneficence advocated by UAL. This is evident in the design and methodologies employed in the research, ensuring that student participants are the primary beneficiaries.
2. Respect for Persons and Autonomy: The shift to self-evaluation in my research empowers students, reflecting UAL’s principle of respect for persons. This aspect fosters an environment where students can make autonomous decisions and engage in self-determination, in line with UAL’s emphasis on individual dignity and freedom.
3. Social Justice: By focusing on a diverse student body and emphasizing compassion, my research aligns with UAL’s principle of social justice. The study design and objectives aim to promote equality and protect vulnerable groups, adhering to UAL’s commitment to social justice, including racial justice.
4. Data Protection and Privacy: My research’s stringent data handling and confidentiality measures comply with UAL’s Data Protection Policy and GDPR regulations, ensuring the privacy and rights of participants are upheld.

My research adheres to the ethical standards set by BERA Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research , emphasizing respect, beneficence, justice, and scholarly integrity

1. Respect for Persons: Both my research and BERA’s guidelines emphasize respecting participants’ autonomy, dignity, and rights. My informed consent procedures and focus on self-evaluation align with BERA’s emphasis on respecting participants’ decisions.
2. Beneficence: My research aims to benefit participants by fostering critical thinking and self-awareness, aligning with BERA’s principle of beneficence, which focuses on maximizing benefits and minimizing harm.
3. Justice: My focus on a diverse student body reflects BERA’s commitment to justice, ensuring fair treatment and avoidance of exploitation, particularly in diverse educational settings.
4. Respect for Community and Scholarly Integrity: My research’s ethical considerations, data handling, and commitment to scholarly integrity align with BERA’s guidelines that prioritize respect for the community and scholarly research integrity.

“Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide” by Kara H. (2015) explores the intersection of creativity, ethics, and research methods in social sciences. It discusses the importance of ethical considerations throughout the research process and highlights the relationship between ethical decision-making and creative thinking. The text examines various research methodologies, including feminist, emancipatory, decolonized, and participatory approaches, emphasizing their ethical implications and challenges. It also addresses the use of technology in research, the well-being of researchers, and the dilemmas faced in mixed-methods research.

1. Participatory Research: My emphasis on self-evaluation mirrors participatory research principles, where participants are actively involved in the research process, contributing to the creation of knowledge. This aligns with the concept of co-creating knowledge, a key aspect of participatory research.
2. Ethical Considerations: The focus on informed consent, confidentiality, and consideration of participant well-being in my form aligns with the ethical guidelines in the document, which stress the importance of ethical responsibility in research.
3. Adaptability and Flexibility: My research’s adaptability to different participant needs and contexts reflects the document’s emphasis on flexibility in research design and methodology, essential in creative research methods.
4. Inclusivity and Diversity: My focus on diverse student groups and compassionate understanding aligns with the document’s emphasis on inclusivity and the acknowledgment of diverse perspectives in research.
5. Decolonial Approach: By focusing on diverse students and emphasizing the inclusion of various perspectives, my research aligns with decolonial methodologies. Decolonial research seeks to challenge dominant narratives and incorporate marginalized voices, and my approach to diversity and self-evaluation supports this objective.

Bibliography

University of Sheffield. (2018). Emotionally Demanding Research: Risks to the Researcher. Available at: MOODLE PGCERT (Accessed: 05 December 2023 – 03 February 2024).
Banks, S. (2016). ‘Everyday Ethics in Professional Life: Social Work as Ethics Work’. Ethics and Social Welfare, 10(1), pp. 35-52. DOI:10.1080/17496535.2015.1126623.
British Educational Research Association (BERA). (2018). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fourth edition. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/researchers-resources/publications/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018 (Accessed: 05 December 2023 – 03 February 2024).
H., K. (2015). Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Bristol: Policy Press. MOODLE PGCERT (Accessed: 05 December 2023 – 03 February 2024).
British Educational Research Association [BERA]. (2018). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fourth edition. London: British Educational Research Association. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/researchers-resources/publications/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018 (Accessed: 05 December 2023 – 03 February 2024).

Previous Versions