ETHICAL ISSUES IN ETHICAL ISSUES IN CLASSROOM RESEARCHCLASSROOM RESEARCH

Ceyda ÖZŞİMŞEK TUNCİL

Ethical issues in classroom

research include being honest and fair with the participants in researh projects and meeting proffesional standards for how the study will be carried out. At the outset of the study informed consent must be taken.

Informed consentInformed consentInformed consent, as the name

suggests, refers to informing the participants and obtaining formal written consent which should be granted at the initiation of the study and codified in signed consent forms. The provision of informed consent also includes the knowledge that participation is voluntary and that participants can withdraw from the study at any time.

Two problems about Two problems about Informed consent Informed consent 1.Obtaining informed consent may

prompt participants to change their behaviour and thus invalidate results.

11. The process of informed consent may not be fully understood by the participants, in which case, the documents about the study should be translated to participants’ first language or explained very clearly.

Some ethical Some ethical considerationsconsiderationsObserve protocol: Take care to ensure that

the relevant people,committees and authorities have been consulted,informed and the necessary permission and approval has been obtained.

In the case of children , permission to conduct the study should always be sought from some person who has sufficient authority

Involve participants: Encourage others who have a stake in the improvement you envisage to shape the form of the work

Negoiate with those affected: Not everybody will want to be directly involved;your work should take account of the responsibilities and wishes of others

Report progress:Keep the work visible and remain open to suggestions so that unforeseen and unseen ramifications can be taken account of :collegues must have an opportunity to lodge a protest to you.

Obtain explicit authorization before you observe: For the purposes of recording the activities of professional collegues or others.

Obtain explicit authorization before you examine files, correspondence or other documentation: Take copies only if specific authority to do is obtained.

Negotiate desciptions of people’s work: Always allow those dercribed to challenge your accounts on the grounds of fairness, relevance and accuracy.

Negotiate accounts of others’ point of view: Always allow those involved in interviews, meetings and written exchanges to require amendments which enhance fairness, relevanve and accuracy.

Obtain explicit authorization before using quotations: Verbatim transcripts, attributed observations, excepts of audio and video recordings, judgements, conclusions or recommendations in reports

Negotiate reports for various levels of release: Different audiences demand different kinds of reports.

Accept responsibility for maintaining confidentality.

Retain the right to report your work:Make your principles binding and

known: All of the people involved in your research must agree to the principles before the work begins: others must be aware of their rights in the process.

ReferencesReferences Hopkins, D. (2002) A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom

Research. Berkshire: Open University Press Nunan, D., Bailey, K. (2008). Exploring Second

Language Classroom Research – A Comprehensive Guide

Zeni,Jane A Guide to ethical issues and action research http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650799800200053

 http://nurse.wu.ac.th/download/Articles/%A4%C3%D1%E9%A7%B7%D5%E87/Behi_and_Nolan-Ethical_Issues_in_Research.pdf

http://www.uncp.edu/home/marson/ethical_issues.html