Ethics in Educational Research on School Advisory Programs

Introduction to Ethics in Educational Research

Ethics comprises an intricate set of principles, moral standards, and institutional guidelines that regulate scientific activity. Educational and social researchers occasionally face complex challenges when they encounter a conflict between their legal and moral responsibility to protect research participants on one hand, and the need to maintain the standards, quality, and significance of their research on the other. Although a research design or its findings are not always constrained or compromised by ethical principles — and at times ethics actually enhance research quality — the tension between these demands is real. Additionally, researchers "bear a special responsibility for protecting the interests of vulnerable groups throughout the research process" (Tangen, 2014, p. 678).

Educational practitioners have long recognized the weighty value of education and the fact that its quality rests on ethical standards. The awareness of educational researchers regarding the ethical dimensions of their work is increasing steadily. The standard of research and research ethics are grounded in broad social values; they therefore encompass not only internal concerns — such as validity, quality, and responsibility for participant protection within the scientific community — but also external matters, such as the practical significance of research and its utility and relevance to policy-making. The researcher is therefore never fully removed from political and practical contexts, nor from overall ethical responsibility (Tangen, 2014, p. 679).

Research ethics can be divided into three areas: (1) ethical codes practiced within the research community; (2) the relevance and significance of educational research in society; and (3) responsibility for the protection of research participants. Key ethical values such as freedom to research, integrity, sound research practice, professional honesty, and respect for students and colleagues — qualities often regarded as central to the research process and its findings — fall under area (1). The duty to protect participants from harm, and to respect their human welfare and autonomy (including their self-determination, honesty, and liberty), are the dominant values addressed under area (2). This includes attention to potential risks as well as potential benefits for participants and their communities. Area (3) deals with the significance and scope of research for educational practice and policy-making, including its importance for specific groups such as youth and children, and thereby for the future of society (Tangen, 2014, pp. 679–680).

The current study proposes to discuss the ethical behaviour that should be followed while conducting research on the implementation of school advisory programs in middle and high schools, applying Seedhouse's (1998a) ethical grid as a framework. The premise is that thinking through the ethical dimension of research in a logical and structured way can bring a level of clarity to this field. A framework for ethical analysis is introduced, based on the work of David Seedhouse (1998a), and a methodology for its use in educational research is presented. The use of this framework is validated through examples, along with the argument that effective ethical analysis requires such an analytical tool. This framework is not merely a set of guidelines or codes of practice — it is considerably more expansive and powerful than either. It offers a precise analytical procedure to ensure that a quality research process is conducted within a moral framework. This paper discusses the moral theory underlying Seedhouse's framework and examines the limitations and design of conventional approaches adopted by other authors (Stutchbury & Fox, 2009, p. 490).