Ethical Considerations in Pedagogical Research
Things to consider when investigating your own teaching practice
When you want to investigate or research your own teaching practice, you need to make certain ethical considerations. This is especially important if you plan to disseminate your results, for example, by presenting them at a scientific conference or in an article. It may also be relevant when you "only" want to use the results to develop a teaching component, a course, or a programme. The data you collect may consist of, for example, examination material (assignments or exam answers), interviews with students or student-produced material.
It is important to remember that students are in a position of dependence on university teachers who, through the examination, engage in the exercise of public authority, and thus, one needs to make sure that students do not feel pressured to participate. If you want to use information from students for research or development of teaching, it means that students also act as informants. They therefore need to give informed consent to their participation and their privacy needs to be protected. Should the material contain sensitive information, an ethical review must be carried out before data is collected. Data storage always needs to be done in a secure manner.
Ethical Considerations
Consider the following suggestions when investigating your own teaching practice:
- Discuss with your Director of Studies and Head of Department.
- Ensure informed consent from all participants.
- Communicate the purpose and scope of the study to participants.
- Protect the confidentiality of student data.
- Avoid collecting sensitive data without ethical review.
- Use data only after the course has ended to prevent bias.
- Store all collected data securely and in compliance with GDPR.
- Reflect on potential power dynamics and avoid coercion.
- Distinguish between course development & systematic research.
- Seek ethical advice for projects involving sensitive information.
- Document consent and information sharing procedures.
The text above is inspired by the guide 'Att undersöka och utveckla den egna undervisningen på ett etiskt medvetet sätt' by Maria Weurlander and Veronica Flodin at Stockholm University (2024). English translation forthcoming.