Towards an understanding of the place of ethics in school based action research in the United Kingdom.

Bowker, Anne and Brindley, Sue (2013) Towards an understanding of the place of ethics in school based action research in the United Kingdom. Educational Action Research, 21 (3). pp. 289-306. ISSN 1747-5074

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Abstract

As school-based action research has taken a higher profile in UK schools, the place of ethics warrants particular attention. This paper draws on evidence from a taught online Master of Education course collated via chat room discussion where 53 researching teachers were asked to explore policy within their own institution regarding school-based action research ethics. None of these teachers identified the existence of any such policies but described instead current practices. We analysed their reported school-based action research practices and discovered three major categories of response: the unexamined use of gatekeepers; the unsupported use of existing ethics guidelines (such as those of the British Educational Research Association); and the conflation of legal and ethical demands by schools. We raise questions relating to the relationship between ethics and education and call for all those involved in school-based action research to take part in developing action research ethical policy in school.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: ethics, school-based research, gatekeepers, ethical guidelines, legal requirements, chat rooms
Subjects: L Education > L Education (General)
L Education > LC Special aspects of education
Divisions: Faculty of Arts, Business & Applied Social Science > Department of Young People & Education
Depositing User: Kristina Hearnden
Date Deposited: 30 Nov 2015 08:24
Last Modified: 30 Nov 2015 08:24
URI: https://oars.uos.ac.uk/id/eprint/113

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