ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDSTHE RESEARCH COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS PARTICIPANTS

HISTORY

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE AREA

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS USERS

Most countries are progressing with quantitative development in the education sector.



After the completion of the research work, the researcher must prepare a "technical research report" for the research community (professors, administrators, school principals, and others in this area)

"Participants" in educational research are all the people who are involved in the research process directly and indirectly.

If the research results are not adequately disseminated, the entire community is destined to face the consequences (SERA, 2005).

Interest in ethical consideration is the recent origin.

There is an urgency need to have a code of conduct that improves the quality of education.

Certain areas where educational research has
gone wrong:

Various acts like

Society no longer regards it as an instrument, which can bring change.

Research in the field of education has lost credibility.

The term ethics‟ refers to moral principles of guiding conduct.

duplication

manipulation

Plagiarism..etc..

1.Subjected to too much research i.e

  1. Carried out by incompetent researchers

3.Nobody bothers about dissemination of results. Etc

1979

1992

1992.

1997

Research activities have been carried out since 1965.

The basic purpose of defining ethical code of conduct is simply a „commitment to honesty‟

People were unaware about the ethical considerations in educational research.

American Educational Research Association developed ethical standards of educational researches.

British Educational Research Association (BERA)

Published guidelines for members to comment upon and finally adopted as „BERA Ethical Guidelines‟

These guidelines were revised in 2003

Were finally endorsed with minor amendment in 2004.

BERA AERA, Scottish
Educational Research Association

Published its code of conduct for educational research

Change in Educational legislation in 2000

SERA updated its code of conduct and issued guidelines in 2005.

Don´t have any association exclusively devoted to education

Educational research is conducted in highly complex context, with a moral purpose of improving quality of life in the society

This report should include sufficient on "how the data were collected, measured, analyzed, and interpreted" for proper professional evaluation, reanalysis, and reinterpretation.

Avoid the humiliation of the community through bad practices and dishonesties

Special caution should be exercised when drafting the report and it should be complete.

"The sense of good practice" should prevail throughout the study.

The report must not have language defamatory to any practice, person, or institution.

The limitations of the study should be clearly mentioned.

Recognize the contribution of people who have contributed

The sample chosen must have the reasons that the authorities can provide.

When mentioning authorship, all criteria must be met.

Use a method appropriate to your research

Educational researchers must protect the integrity and reputation of educational research.

Research data is an individual contribution to the richness of group knowledge

The educational researcher must respect the community spirit of "critical analysis and constructive criticism"

The researcher has a responsibility towards the area, in
which he or she is going to conduct research.

A researcher should keep in mind the following considerations.

  1. The researcher should assess the appropriateness of the selected are in wide spectrum.
  1. There are certain areas, which have been sufficiently explored
  1. Completion of every research work requires a lot of time, money and resources.

Considerations should be kept in mind.

Sometimes researchers use incentives to encourage participation

Participants are entitled for knowing the results of the research.

Participants are free to withdraw at any stage.

The participants have the right to maintain privacy.

Participant must be in a position or old enough to understand. In case of minors, permission should be sought from parents.

The relationship between the researcher and participant should be based on the basic value of honesty.

The participants in the research may be passively engaged in research activity.

Voluntary informed consent means that participants must have the prior knowledge of the work, expected of them.

Should work "within an ethic of respect" for all the people involved in the research process.

The following are the considerations for users.

Raw data belong to the researcher.

Every researcher is free to interpret his or her findings but his freedom is restricted.

Dockrell (7) suggests that researchers should participate in the interpretations, ensuring that any conclusions are in accordance with the nature of results.

Different reports are to be prepared for different users. Language should not hurt the feeling of some.

Research findings are rarely prescriptive.

While disclosing the results, honesty should be the key word for any process.

Research results should be written in the language of customers.

Limitation of research should be disclosed simultaneously.

is the duty of the researcher to ensure that he or she is rightly understood.

While reporting the results, certain parameters should be followed such as:

There are two types of clients: (a) teachers and
school administrator and (b) policy makers.

The results should not be reported as the final voice.

The report should not be in sensational manner.

Words, which are undignified, defamatory or unprofessional, should not be used while quoting the other author.