'Sites for mutual learning? The ethics and impacts of North-South study visits' Fran Martin & Helen Griffiths Workshop May 16 th 2011 University of Plymouth

Ethical issues in participatory research Intercultural / cross cultural issues considered from beginning Surprise has been intra-cultural issues Provide three examples: – How can the researcher ethically position herself in relation to participants? Issues of an insider / outsider. – How does one respond to a serious ethical issue that is uncovered by the research? – What does it mean to be a participant in participatory research? Role and responsibilities of researchers and researched; ‘duty of care’ within framework of asking and being open about ‘tricky’ issues.

How can the researcher ethically position herself in relation to participants? Issues of an insider / outsider. Challenges of dual roles of researcher and educator Insider – outsider Indigenous insider, indigenous outsider (Cotner, 2000) Positioning theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999)

How to respond to a serious ethical issue that is uncovered by the research? Memoranda of Understanding and ethical consent Researching student teacher learning in context of children’s homes Moral or legal ethical issue? Responding in accord with participatory nature of research design

What does it mean to be a participant in participatory research? Relationships between researcher and research participants central to researchers’ claims to knowledge (Tom & Herbert, 2002) Power differentials – locus of control Private / public Insiders – outsiders / professional – personal relationship High stakes Paradox of friendship – we are both more and less vulnerable

Ethical issues in participatory, collaborative research Bera Ethical Guidelines for Educational research (2004) Voluntary informed consent Responsibilities towards vulnerable young people Detriment to participants Privacy Responsibility to funding body and own organisation Methods fit for purpose – ethical engagement with participants, four organisations across three countries

Researching the impact of North-South study visits Q1 What do teachers from both North and South learn about development and global issues from their involvement in study visits? Q2 What are the key factors that prompt any changes in knowledge and beliefs? Q3 How does this learning inform their practice over time?

Q1 & Q2: Methodology Participatory and ethnographic approach Biographical questionnaires, exchanges, course activities, research diaries, participant observation notes, course evaluations, recordings of reflective sessions etc. Pre-study visit, during study visit and post- study visit interviews with 5 participants from each course (n=10) Analysis of all data using Nvivo to identify key themes and issues

Teachers’ changing knowledge and understandings of development & global issues Recognising different forms of development: “the developed world needs to stop holding itself out as a model for emerging nations to emulate” (Melanie, end of course evaluation, Gambia study visit) Developing more complex understandings of issues such as sustainable development and climate change Representation & ways of seeing: challenging stereotypes But... for some their experience reinforced existing views about ‘developing’ countries e.g. focus on deprivation & poverty: “It’s just reinforcing what I’ve already seen or what I’ve already taught about” (Nigel, study visit interview, Gambia study visit) “I was astounded at the degree of poverty in the tribes... I just couldn’t believe that people were living like this in this day and age” (Rachel, Insights activity, India study visit)

Other impacts Career direction Confidence Learning about self/identity Importance of context (e.g. prior life experiences) Obstacles & frustrations: school life driven by external pressures; colleagues working to different agendas; time and space- getting sucked back into day-day

The role of displacement spaces in participants’ learning Some discomfort necessary in order to gain new insights/ understandings (Brock et al. 2006) Being open to challenge Displacement can be physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual The learning pit- if pushed too far out of comfort zone can lead to a sense of hopelessness/ paralysis e.g. ‘I don’t know what I think about anything anymore’ Community of practice: Supportive, critically reflective, non-judgmental environment ‘Trustful relationships’ (Taylor, 2007) Group as a key factor that enabled learning

Q3: How to measure long-term impact? Lack of data on whether impacts/transformations are enduring Phase 3 longitudinal data: Questionnaire to past participants (for Tide~ since 2001, n=52; for CCCU since 2004, n=73) Explore changes in knowledges, attitudes and behaviours Impact participants’ learning has had on their: a) Professional practice (classroom or otherwise) b) Colleagues’ practice c) Organisations’ practice d) Other organisations’ practice e) Personal life f) Career and/ or aspirations Whether impact(s) been short- or long-term Follow up interviews with smaller sample Challenge: what impacts are related to study visit experiences and what is a product of normal development of the individual (Taylor, 2007)

References BERA (2004) Revised ethical guidelines for educational research. Nottingham, Bera. Brock, C. et al. (2006) Negotiating displacement spaces, Curriculum Inquiry, 36(1): Cotner, T. L. (2000, April) ‘Participant observation inside out: Becoming insider and outside in a familiar research setting. In Getting Good at Qualitative Research. Symposium conducted at the Annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, Louisiana. Harré, R. & van Langenhove, L. (1999). Positioning theory. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Taylor (2007) An update of transformative learning theory: a critical review of the empirical research ( ), International Journal of Lifelong Education, 26(2): Tom, A. and Herbert, C. (2002) ‘The “Near Miss”: A story of relationship’, in Qualitative Inquiry, October 8: