Research in Education

Research in Education

By KHO CHUNG WEI

Open Ended

Is this a good experimental study? Why do you say so?

In this topic, you will:

• Define the concept of research

• Explain the different types of research

• Describe the two approaches in research

• Discuss the different research designs

• Discuss the ethics involved when conducting research in education

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Fundamentals of Research in Education

What are research ethics?

​Ethics = principles and guidelines that help us uphold the things we value

​3 basic approaches:

• ​Deontological approach: ethical issues must be judged on the basis of some universal code

• ​Ethical skepticism: concrete and inviolate moral codes cannot be formulated but are a matter of individual conscience

• ​Utilitarianism: judgements of the ethics of a study depend on the consequences the study has for the research participants and the benefits that might arise from the study

Research ethics = ​a set of principles developed and assist researchers in conducting ethical studies (J&C, 2020)

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Fundamentals of Research in Education

Basic Ethical Principles

1. Respect for person​s:

   (i) ​individuals should be treated as autonomous agents

   (ii) ​persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection

2. Beneficence:

   (i) do not harm

   (ii) ​maximise possible benefits and minimise possible harms

3. Justice: fairness in distribution

   (i) ​an equal share

   (ii) ​according to individual needs

   (iii) ​according to individual effort

   (iv) ​according to societal contribution

   (v) according to merit​ (Belmont Report, 1979)

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Fundamentals of Research in Education

Ethical Concerns

1. Relationship between society and science

   = The extent to which societal concerns and cultural values should direct the course of research

2. Professional issues

   = The problem of research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or reporting research results)

3. Treatment of research participants:

   • The Stanford Prison Experiment

   • The Monster Study

   • ​The Milgram Experiment

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Fundamentals of Research in Education

Tutorial Tasks

1. Read the abstracts from 10 research articles and determine the research design used in the studies.

2. ​Choose the research design that interests you the most. What are the ethical issues that you should consider if you were to conduct a study using the particular design? How would you ensure that the study is ethical?

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Fundamentals of Research in Education

Open Ended

Q&A / Reflection / Issue

Please ask at least ONE question.

OR Tell us your thoughts on what you have learned these two weeks.

OR State ONE issue/difficulty that you have faced during these two weeks' lectures.

Poll

How do you feel about this week's lecture?