Research ethics

In studies involving human participants, the primary focus of the researcher should be to
protect the wellbeing and interests of the participants (Mills, 2014). The researcher had to
adhere to the following ethical considerations:

Confidentiality

The researcher had to ensure the confidentiality, anonymity and privacy of the participants
by explaining to them through written confirmation that under no circumstances will the
researcher reveal the name of the school, teachers, students and other staff. The researcher
also ensured that any disclosure of personal information is for research purposes only and
will only be used with participant’s consent. The researcher ensured the data was de-
identified. The two schools were labelled as ‘School A’ and ‘School B’ and the teachers
involved were identified as ‘Teacher 1’, ‘Teacher 2’ etc.

Care

The researcher ensured that the conditions in which the participants were involved in made
them feel comfortable and safe. The researcher conducted the focus group in one of the
classrooms in School A, thus ensuring the teachers were in a familiar and relaxed setting.
The researcher also checked that questions used in the survey and focus group contained
appropriate language and were culturally sensitive. The researcher assured the participants
that they were under no pressure to answer all the questions and may pass on any question
if they deemed it uncomfortable to answer. The researcher announced to any participant that
if they feel at risk or uncomfortable at all during the research they may withdraw at any time.

Sensitivity

The researcher took into account the sensitivity of certain situations. The researcher had to
understand and be sensitive that some participants will not be able to provide answers. In
this case, the researcher only asked the questions once the participant had read the
questions and gave their permission. If the participant involved could not answer a question,
the researcher would not pressure them into responding.

Duty of Care

The only data collection which involved students was the participant observation of teachers
in the classroom. In this instance, the duty of care is given to the teacher in the room. The
researcher made sure that they were never left alone with the students. However, seeing as
the researcher was operating on a Department site with children, they have mandatory
reporting obligations to notify the school principal any suspicion of harm or risk of harm to a
student.

Permission

In order for the researcher to conduct research on government schools they had to first get
clearance from the Department of Education. The researcher applied for clearance by
reading the policy and filling out the appropriate forms. Once that was accepted and cleared,
the researcher was allowed to commence the study. Next, the researcher contacted the
schools to arrange a meeting with the principal. The researcher provided the principals with
a background information sheet which included the topic of the research, research question,
the aim, the procedure, sample size, duration and time and how it benefits the school (See
Appendix G). Once the principals had read the sheet and given their written permission, the
researcher was to conduct the research at the schools.

Informed Consent

The researcher also provided an informed consent to the parents of the students who would
be in the classroom during the participant observation. An information sheet similar to the
one given to the principal was given to the parents (Appendix H). The researcher ensured
that this note was given as a hard copy, sent on email and a note about it in the school
newsletter so the parents were guaranteed to get it. Once the researcher received all the
consent forms, they were copied and filed and research could commence.
Appendix G – Letter to the Principals

Dear Principal,

This letter is to inform you of the research I plan to conduct at your school. The research topic is on
how schools are fostering educational innovation. The research question that will be addressed is
How do the two policy approaches, the marketplace approach and the Finnish approach, compare in
fostering educational innovation in primary public schooling? The aim of the research is to see how
your school implements pedagogical practices that promote and foster innovative education. I
intend to conduct this research over a period of 16 weeks. I plan to approach this research using
three different techniques: online survey, focus groups and participant observations. For the online
survey and focus group, I will need 10 teachers to participate. They will be required to answer
questions relating to innovative practices used in the school and innovative practices they
implement. I will send out the survey via email once permission for the research has been granted.
Regarding the focus group, I plan to arrange that for after school on Wednesday of Week 9 of the
research. I plan to run it for about 90 minutes. Following this, I hope to come once a week for 3
weeks for an hour and a half to observe three teachers in their classroom. Once all the research has
been collected and analysed, I will provide you with a report on my findings. If you feel a breach in
conduct, you may withdraw the school at any time.

Innovation is becoming an increasingly popular in the field of education and is vital for meeting the
demands of this globalised world. This research will help identify where your school stands with
innovation and even provide new pedagogical practices for your school to implement. By becoming
innovation-savvy, your school will be well on its way for preparing students with the necessary skills
and knowledge to succeed in the 21st century.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Trisha Huizenga

I __John Johnston__, give my permission for Trisha Huizenga to conduct her research at my school
from _15 April 2018_ to _11 June 2018_.

Date:__10 April 2018__ Signature:______ JJ_________

Appendix H – Letter to Parents

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I am currently conducting a research task at your child’s school on how it fosters innovative
education. Innovative education refers to bringing in changes to the way children are taught such
use of technology, peer collaboration, student-centred learning etc. As part of the research, I will be
observing teachers in the classroom and how they are implementing innovative practices. This letter
is to request your permission for the researcher to observe how your child reacts to the teacher’s
innovative practices and to observe their work sample. The data collected will only be used for
research purposes and under no circumstance will the name of your child be revealed. The will be
one observation session which will run for approximately 90 minutes. Innovation plays a massive
role in equipping children with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in this ever-changing
world; therefore, it is important that it is brought to your attention.

Thank-you for your consideration.

Regards,

Trisha Huizenga

I ___Barbara Strahan____ give permission for my child, __India Strahan___ and her work to be
observed for research purposes from _15th May_ to_ 30th May 2018_.

Date:__8th May 2018__ Signature:_______BS_________