A Consideration to Two Main Ethical Issues In Educational Research, and How May These Be Addressed

Mohaned Ghazi Abed*
Assistant Professor, Program of Educational Graduate Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Periodicity:November - January'2015
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.8.3.3099

Abstract

This paper has firstly discussed the topic of Ethical Issues in Education, and has accordingly highlighted the fact that ethics are not something to deem at the commencement of a research project or fieldwork, but rather throughout the entire research process. Furthermore, two of the most important ethical issues have been given consideration - Informed Consent and involvement of children in research. The first element is informed consent, which is concerned with the question of being part of the research process, whereby the result is an informed option concerning the voluntary contribution in a research. In addition, some of the different issues raised from it and alongside suggested ways of addressing them have been discussed. The second element is the involvement of children in research. Moreover, the significance of the ethical issues regarding the right of children in research participation in order to express and report their views and experiences in more detail with regard to parental consent and confidentiality has been stated.

Keywords

Ethical Issues, Informed Consent, Parental Consent, Confidentiality.

How to Cite this Article?

Abed, M. G. (2015). A Consideration to Two Main Ethical Issues In Educational Research, and How May These Be Addressed. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 8(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.8.3.3099

References

[1]. Alderson, P. (1996). Listening to children: children, ethics, and social research. Ilford [England], Barnardos.
[2]. Alderson, P. (2004). Ethics. In: S. FRASER, V. LEWIS, S. DING, M. KELLETT, & C. ROBINSON, (eds). Doing Research with Children and Young People. London: Sage.
[3]. Alderson, P., & Goodey, C. (1998). Theories of consent. British Medical Journal. Vol. 317, pp. 1313-1315.
[4]. Alderson, P., & Morrow, V. (2004). Ethics, social research and consulting with children and young people. Ilford, Barnardo's.
[5]. Amaya-Jackson, L., Socolar, R. R. S., Hunter, W., Runyan, D. K., & Colindres, R. (2000). Directly Questioning Children and Adolescents About Maltreatment: A Review of Survey Measures Used. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Vol. 15, pp. 725-759.
[6]. Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2001). Principles of biomedical ethics. New York, N.Y., Oxford University Press.
[7]. Berger, R. M., & Patchner, M. A. (1988). Planning for Research a guide for the helping professions. Newbury Park/London, Sage Publ.
[8]. Blaxter, L., Tight, M., & Hughes, C. (2006). How to research. Third edition. Buckingham, Open University.
[9]. British Educational Research Association. (2004). Revised Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (2004). Birmingham, British Educational Research Association.
[10]. Broome, J. (1999). Ethics out of Economics. Cambridge [England], Cambridge University Press.
[11]. Bruner, J. S. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press.
[12]. Bryman, A. (2004). Social research methods. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[13]. Burgess, R. G. (1989). The Ethics of educational research. Social research and educational studies series, 8. New York, Falmer Press.
[14]. Cameron, A., Lloyd, L., Kent, N. & Anderson, P. (2004) Reseaching end of life in old age: ethical challenges. In: M. Smyth, & E. Williamson,(eds.) Researchers and their 'Subjects': Ethics, Power, Knowledge and Consent. Bristol: Policy Press.
[15]. Carmi, A. (2003). Informed consent. Haifa, Israel, Israel National Commission for UNESCO.
[16]. Carroll-Lind, J., Chapman, J., Gregory, J., & Maxwell, G. (2006). The key to the gatekeepers: Passive consent and other ethical issues surrounding the rights of children to speak on issues that concern them. Child Abuse & Neglect. Vol. 30, pp. 979-989.
[17]. Cashmore, J. (1997). Children: Non-contractual persons? In: G. DAVIS, B. SULLIVAN, & A.YEATMAN, (eds.) The new contractualism? Melbourne: MacMillan, pp. 57–70.
[18]. Chabon, S. S. (2007). Ethics education. [Rockville, Md.], American Speech-Learning-Hearing Association.
[19]. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2003). Research methods in education. London, RoutledgeFalmer.
[20]. Coomber, R. (2002). Signing your life away?: Why Research Ethics Committees (REC) shouldn't always require written confirmation that participants in research have been informed of the aims of a study and their rights the case of criminal populations. (Commentary). Sociological Research Online. Vol. 7.(1).
[21]. Dancy, J. (2004). Ethics without principles. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
[22]. Davis, J. M. (1998). Understanding the Meanings of Children: A Reflexive Process. Children & Society. Vol. 12, pp. 325.
[23]. Diekema DS. (2006). Conducting ethical research in pediatrics: a brief historical overview and review of pediatric regulations. The Journal of Pediatrics. Vol. 149, pp. 3-11.
[24]. Eckstein, S. (2003). Manual for research ethics committees. New York, Cambridge University Press.
[25]. Ensign, J. (2003). Ethical issues in qualitative health research with homeless youths. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 43, 43-50.
[26]. Fenner, D. E. W. (1999). Ethics in education. Garland studies in applied ethics, v. 6. New York, Garland Pub.
[27]. Fisher CB. (1993). Integrating science and ethics in research with high-risk children and youth. Social Policy Report / Society for Research in Child Development. 7, 1- 27.
[28]. Fisher, C. B., Higgins-D'alessandro, A., Rau, J.- M. B., Kuther, T. L., & Belanger, S. (1996). Referring and Reporting Research Participants at Risk: Views from Urban Adolescents. Child Development. Vol. 67, pp. 2086-2100.
[29]. Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2008). How to design and evaluate research in education. Boston [u.a.], McGraw-Hill.
[30]. Gray, D. E. (2004). Doing research in the real world. London, Sage Publications.
[31]. Grinyer, A. (2002) The Anonymity of Research Participants: Assumptions, Ethics and Practicalities, Social Research Update, Vol. 36. University of Surrey.
[32]. Hallett, C., & Prout, A. (2003). Hearing the voices of children: social policy for a new century. The future of childhood series. London, RoutledgeFalmer.
[33]. Hansen, D. T. (2007). Ethical visions of education: philosophy in practice. New York, NY, Teachers College Press.
[34]. Harden, J. S., Sue; Backett-Milburn, KATHRYN; Jackson, Stevi. (2000). Can't Talk, Won't Talk?: Methodological Issues in Researching Children. Sociological Research Online. Vol. 5(2)
[35]. Harris, R., & Dyson, E. (2001). Recruitment of frail older people to research: lessons learnt through experience. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Vol. 36, pp. 643-651.
[36]. Homan R. (1992). The ethics of open methods. The British Journal of Sociology. Vol. 43, pp. 321-32.
[37]. Homan, R. (1991). The ethics of social research. Aspects of modern sociology. London, Longman.
[38]. Homan, R. (2001). The Principle of Assumed Consent: The Ethics of Gatekeeping. Journal of Philosophy of Education. Vol. 35, pp. 329-343.
[39]. Hughes J, & Gutkin T. (1995). Legal and ethical issues in conducting research on alcohol and drug use with children: a reaction to Havey and Dodd. Journal of School Psychology. Vol. 33, pp. 319-326.
[40]. Humphreys, L. (1975). Tearoom trade. Impersonal sex in public places. Chicago, Aldine Publ.
[41]. Iltis, A. S. (2006). Research ethics. New York, Routledge.
[42]. Johns, B. H., Mcgrath, M. Z., & Mathur, S. R. (2008). Ethical dilemmas in education: standing up for honesty and integrity. Lanham, Md, Rowman & LIttlefield Education.
[43]. Kent, G. (1996). Shared understandings for informed consent: The relevance of psychological research on the provision of information. Social Science & Medicine. Vol. 43, pp. 1517-1523.
[44]. King, N. M. P., & Churchill, L. R. (2000). Ethical Principles Guiding Research on Child and Adolescent Subjects. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Vol. 15, pp. 710-724.
[45]. Knight, E. D., Runyan, D. K., Dubowitz, H., Brandford, C., Kotch, J., Litrownik, A., & Kodish, E. (2005). Ethics and research with children: a case-based approach. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[46]. Kopelman LM. (2006). Children as research subjects: moral disputes, regulatory guidance, and recent court decisions. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, New York. 73, 596-604.
[47]. Laine, M. D. (2000). Fieldwork, participation and practice: ethics and dilemmas in qualitative research. London ; Thousand Oaks, Calif, SAGE.
[48]. Laws, S & Mann, G (2004). So you want to involve children in research? A toolkit supporting children's meaningful and ethical participation in research relating to violence against children, Save the Children, Sweden.
[49]. Lawton J. (2001). Gaining and maintaining consent: ethical concerns raised in a study of dying patients. Qualitative Health Research. Vol. 11, pp. 693-705.
[50]. Lindsay, G., (2000). Researching children's perspectives: ethical issues. In: A. LEWIS, & G. LINDSAY, (eds). Researching children's perspectives. Buckingham: Open University Press.
[51]. Lo, B., & Field, M. J. (2009). Conflict of interest in medical research, education, and practice. Washington, D.C., National Academies Press.
[52]. Mason, J. & Urquhart, R. (2001). Developing a model for participation by children in research on decision making, Children Australia, Vol. 26(4), pp. 16-21.
[53]. Mason, J., & Falloon, J. (2001). Some Sydney children define abuse: Implications for agency in childhood. In: L. ALANEN, & B. MAYALL, (eds.) Conceptualizing child-adult relations. London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 99–113
[54]. Masson, J. (2000). Researching children's perspectives: Legal services. In: A. LEWIS, & G. LINDSAY, (eds). Researching children's perspectives. Buckingham: Open University Press. Pp, 35–45.
[55]. Fraser, S. (2004). Doing research with children and young people. London: Sage Publications.
[56]. Mauthner, M. (1997). Methodological Aspects of Collecting Data from Children: Lessons from Three Research Projects. Children & Society. 11, 16-28.
[57]. Mauthner, M., Birch, M., Jesssop, J., & Miller, T. (2002). Ethics in qualitative research. London, Sage.
[58]. Mccarthy, M. (1999). Sexuality and women with learning disabilities. London, Jessica Kingsley.
[59]. Mcnamee, M. J., & Bridges, D. (2002). The ethics of educational research. Oxford, Blackwell.
[60]. Mcniff, J., Lomax, P., & Whitehead, J. (2003). You and your action research project. London, Routledge.
[61]. Mertens, D. M., & Ginsberg, P. E. (2009). The handbook of social research ethics. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications.
[62]. Miller, F. G., & Wertheimer, A. (2010). The ethics of consent: theory and practice. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
[63]. Milne, S., Munford, R., & Sanders, J. (2001). Conversations with Children Concerning Research and Policy. Urban Policy and Research. Vol. 19, pp. 3-6.
[64]. Mulhall, A. (2003). In the field: notes on observation in qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Vol. 41, Pp. 306-313.
[65]. National Commission For The Protection Of Huamn Subjects Of Biomedical And Behavioral Research. (1978). The Belmont Report ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. [Washington, DC], Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare.
[66]. Pimple, K. D. (2008). Research ethics. Aldershot, England, Ashgate.
[67]. Pokorny, S. B., Jason, L. A., Schoeny, M. E., Townsend, S. M., & Curie, C. J. (2001). Do Participation Rates Change When Active Consent Procedures Replace Passive Consent. Evaluation Review. Vol. 25, Pp. 567-580.
[68]. Pring, R. (2000). Philosophy of educational research. London, Continuum.
[69]. Punch, M. (1998). Politics and ethics in qualitative research. In: N. DENZIN, & Y. LINCOLN, (eds.) The Landscape of Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
[70]. Punch, S. (2002). Interviewing Strategies with Young People: The secret box, stimulus material and task-based activities. Children & Society. Vol. 16, Pp. 45-56.
[71]. Roy, F. (2007). Beginners guide to informed consent. Palmerston North, N.Z., Lucy's Lines.
[72]. Guerrero-Cohen D. (2008). Obtaining informed consent and other ethical dilemmas. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 5.
[73]. Gunther DF, & Diekema DS. (2006). Attenuating growth in children with profound developmental disability: a new approach to an old dilemma. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Vol.160, pp.1013-7.
[74]. Sammons, P. (1989), Ethical Issues and Statistical Work. In: R. G. BURGESS, (ed.) The Ethics of Educational Research. Lewes: Falmer.
[75]. Save The Children Fund. (2001). Learning to listen: consulting children and young people with disabilities. Save the Children Fund.
[76]. Scraton, P. (2004). Speaking truth to power: experiencing critical research. In: M. SMYTH, & E. WILLIAMSON, (eds.) Researchers and their 'Subjects': Ethics, Power, Knowledge and Consent. Bristol: Policy Press.
[77]. Shulman, L. S. (1988). Disciplines of inquiry in education: An overview. In: R. M. JAEGER (ed.) Complementary methods for research in education. Washington: AERA, pp. 3-20.
[78]. Small, R. (2002). Codes are not enough: What philosophy can contribute to the ethics of educational research. In: M. MCNAMEE, & D. BRIDGES (eds.) The ethics of educational research. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, pp.89-110.
[79]. Smyth, M. (2004). Using participative action research with war-affected populations: lessons from research in Northern Ireland and South Africa. In: M. SMYTH, & E. WILLIAMSON, (eds.) Researchers and their 'Subjects': Ethics, Power, Knowledge and Consent. Bristol: Policy Press.
[80]. Social Research Association (2003). Ethical Guidelines [online]. [Accessed 22 January 2010]. Available from: www.the-sra.org.uk/documents/pdfs/ ethics03.pdf
[81]. Somekh, B., & Lewin, C. (2005). Research methods in the social sciences. London, SAGE Publications.
[82]. Stafford, A., Laybourn, A., Hill, M., & Walker, M. (2003). Having a Say: Children and Young People Talk about Consultation. Children and Society. Vol. 17, Pp. 361-373.
[83]. Tarleton, B., Williams, V., Palmer, N. & Gramlich, S. (2004). An equal relationship'?: people with learning difficulties getting involved with research. In: M. SMYTH, & E. WILLIAMSON, (eds.) Researchers and their 'Subjects': Ethics, Power, Knowledge and Consent. Bristol: Policy Press.
[84]. Thomas, N., & O'kane, C. (1998). The Ethics of Participatory Research with Children. Children & Society. Vol. 12, Pp. 336-48.
[85]. Tinker, A., & Coomber, V. (2004). University research ethics committees: their role, remit and conduct. London, King's College.
[86]. Tomal, D. R. (2003). Action research for educators. Lanham, Md, Scarecrow Press.
[87]. Truman, C. (2003). Ethics and the Ruling Relations of Research Production. Sociological Research Online. 8.(1).
[88]. Vernekar, S. D. P. (2010). Ethics of informed consent. Delhi, India, Academic Excellence.
[89]. Wagener, D., Sporer, A., Simmerling, M., Flome, J., AN, C., & Curry, S. (2004). Human Participants Challenges in Youth-Focused Research: Perspectives and Practices of IRB Administrators. Ethics & Behavior. Vol. 14, Pp. 335-349.
[90]. Wellington, J. J. (2000). Educational research: contemporary issues and practical approaches. London, Continuum.
[91]. Wellington, N.Z. (2005). Informed consent guidelines. Wellington, Ministry of Education, Special Education.
[92]. Wiles, R., Heath, S., Crow, G. & Charles, V. (2005). Informed Consent in Social Research: A Literature Review. ESRC National Centre for Research Methods NCRM Methods Review Papers.
[93]. Williamson, E., Goodenough, T., Kent, J., & Ashcroft, R. (2005). Conducting Research with Children: The Limits of Confidentiality and Child Protection Protocols. Children & Society. Vol. 19, Pp. 397-409.
[94]. Winch, C. (2002). Accountability and relevance in educational research. In: M. Mcnamee & D. Bridges (eds.) The ethics of educational research. Oxford: Blackwell.
[95]. Wolcott, H. F. (1995). The art of fieldwork. Walnut Creek, AltaMira Press.
[96]. Wright, S., Waters, R., Nicholls, M. (2004). Ethical considerations in service-user-led research: Strategies for Living Project. In: M. SMYTH, & E. WILLIAMSON, (eds.) Researchers and their 'Subjects': Ethics, Power, Knowledge and Consent. Bristol: Policy Press.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Online 15 15

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.