Module 2: Task 5c - Ethics

As a teacher, I already have a secure knowledge of the day to day practical ethical practices of working within schools and with children as I previously blogged about.  I have however found that my knowledge of ethics in response to researching is rather limited and with my inquiry in mind, this is clearly an area I will need to research further to ensure professional ethical practice throughout.

Through discussion with colleagues and my BAPP tutor, I have begun to further identify where specifically I may run into difficulty when researching;

I planned to send out a paper/digital survey asking for opinions from head teachers within different schools of their professional views on whether we should be focussing attention on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths) curriculum.  After discussion, I have come to realise that this would not be ethical as, due to their professional position, head teachers may feel compelled to say STEM so as not to go against the ideals of the current National Curriculum as put in place by the Government.  Another concern by researching this way would be that head teachers may not respond for fear of their professional answers  being used against them or falling into the hands of the wrong person i.e. a parent, as this would be proof of them going against the Government's ideas on education and would possibly (worst case scenario) compromise their career.

A way around this would be to conduct face to face interviews and take field notes or use an audio recording device when conducting research.  Along with this, to ensure that their opinions could never be held against them, I could create a form that I sign and leave with each participant stating that the conversation was merely for my own university research purposes and no names/school names would be included in the inquiry essay.

Another ethical consideration is that due to the nature of my inquiry being a topic I am an advocate of, I must be very aware of not using leading questions within my research.  On this point, I also need to ensure that I am taking on board arguments on both sides, in particular arguments against as I will find it relatively easier to find viewpoints of those who are for my inquiry.

Something I did take from the reader was that I have to be aware of not using 'shock value' (see quote A below) when selecting which information to use.  For example, if an article is mainly opposition to my argument but one line is advocative, it is important to consider the whole article as evidence, rather than the line that 'suits' my research.

Quote A - BAPP Reader 5; Principle of Professional Inquirye researcher.  Sometimes there is the urge to include a quote for its shock value but if it is going against the general trend, then this should be reported as well.'

Quote A - BAPP Reader 5; Principle of Professional Inquiry (2013-14)

Overall, I feel that ethics in workplace practice is something I am well educated in, however, I am going to have to proceed with caution when delving into the realm of research at such a high level for the first time. 

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