How can we support teachers in undertaking ethical school-based research? Angela Brown – Brooke Weston Teaching School Alliance email: abrown@brookeweston.org Alison Fox – University of Leicester School of Education email: af173@le.ac.uk Both Brief context Is it worth phrasing this title as a question? www.brookewestonteachingschool.org

Sarah’s Story Lesson Study: What effect does the delivery of the lesson have on the enjoyment and engagement of pupils? When should we interview? Is it outside ‘normal practice’ Informed consent? Parents? Opt in or opt out? Are we too risk averse? Dissemination – wider community or just for the school / teacher? Anonymity – how far do we go?

Part1: policy Part 2 checklist Part 3: overview sheet AF

These processes have brought advantages to the Alliance that we wouldn’t have got from teachers merely being given a copy of ethical guidelines, such as from BERA (which we did review and consider how it might apply for our purposes)…. AB Could tailor documents to be accessible to teachers Could have confidence that covered ethical principles comprehensively Was empowering and illuminating for individuals to think through to dissemination how their study might affect participants This thinking affected who and how they involved participants and collected data (ie whole research design) Alliance have a rich awareness of the inquiry taking place and can offer support/advice when collective responsibility in decision-making helpful.

What are the benefits for colleagues and the TSA? Mechanism for the TSA to empower teachers and value their inquiries Opportunity for support of teachers in thinking through the whole process Thinking through to dissemination raises ethical questions that often affect how teachers undertake their inquiry Opportunity for R&D committee to review inquiries and identify dilemmas Allow generation of a collective view which can balance potential benefits against risks Include points delegates have raised. NB I removed the point about effective data collection tools not because it wasn’t a good point and something which would be discussed with teachers but because it wasn’t directly relevant to the ethical principles.

Outcomes Schools increasingly value inquiry as a form of CPD (with strengthened connections between CPD and R+D committees) Sharing plans with parents: A letter to Yr7 parents Informed consent requests when felt necessary Advertising inquiry news and outcomes on web-site and raising profile Publication: Brown, A. and Fox, A. (2013) Thinking ethically to support practitioner research, Professional Development Today, 16(1): 52-58. An additional slide – but needed perhaps for the summing up????? Year 7 parent letter will explain that the school is an inquiry-valuing school, collecting its own data for school improvement and including inquiry as part of the CPD of its staff.