El Manguaré

Ethical considerations in educational research take into account the effects of the research on participants, ensuring that the researcher addresses participants‟ rights to full information on the nature and context of the study and any effects it may have on them. This means the researcher must address issues of harm and benefit (Cohen, et al., 2007). Participants in this study needed to be made aware that they may experience some emotion talking about experiences, however the goal of the research

was not to harm them in any way but to contribute to improved understanding of learning with dyslexia and transition into the first year at university. I asked permission of participants for the findings of the study to be used in further publications and conference presentations. All the participants acknowledged and supported the opportunity the research offered to increase awareness and understanding of learning with dyslexia within the New Zealand context.

Special Nature of Participants and Informed Consent

Characteristics of a broad range of students with dyslexia and the general lack of recognition and understanding of dyslexia in New Zealand indicated that special consideration needed to be given in each phase of the study. I could not assume that there would be a common knowledge of dyslexia, that students would have undergone some forms of diagnostic tests for dyslexia, or that all would have had the same characteristics or experiences. In the first instance all advertising material and information sheets were free of clutter and complicated wording to allow for ease of reading.

Informed consent means providing information on the purpose of the study, data collection process, methods and presentation, and participant‟s rights. Potential participants were given an Information Sheet (Appendix E) outlining the project and what would be required of them should they agree to participate. They were invited to discuss any issues with me if they wanted to. On agreeing to join the study participants were required to sign the Informed Consent Form (Appendix F). This was sent to them prior to the first interview for reading at their own pace. At the first interview I read this form to them, explained the project, and the participant signed the form. Prior to the first interview participants were provided with a list of possible questions to read at their own pace (Appendix B).

Privacy and Confidentiality

To protect the identity of the participants, the university and students course details have not been named. Participants chose a pseudonym from a list provided at the first interview; this was used in all information gathering, transcribing, analysis, and reporting. The pseudonym is known only to the student and the researcher. Communications with the participants do not link the pseudonym and known name.

Potential Harm to Participants

Participants were reassured that the study was not intended to harm them by evaluating or judging them in any way but that they may experience emotional discomfort when reflecting on prior experiences. The counselling support available, should they require it, was explained. I was aware of the sensitivity of the experiences being discussed and during the interviews offered opportunity for pauses as needed. Participants were treated with respect at all times from initial contact through the data gathering process, in the writing up and in all other communication.

Participants had the right to decline to participate in the study as well as the right to withdraw from the study until the commencement of the interviews. They were given the opportunity during the interviews to not answer a question or to ask for the recorder to be turned off at any time. Transcripts of interviews were made available for participants to read and correct. Participants were also given the opportunity to comment on the findings from the study.

Ethical Approval

Full consent to conduct this study was sought and permission granted by The Massey University Human Ethics Committee, Southern B Committee (Application 0930) (Appendix A).

3.9 Conclusion

In this chapter I have outlined the epistemological and methodological position which ground this research. The method chosen and the manner in which it was employed have been discussed. Limitations to the approaches and ethical considerations taken have also been identified. In the next chapter – the findings - the data collected and analysed using these methods is presented.

CHAPTER FOUR

FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings of this study that come from the participants‟ learning experiences and my experiences during the research.

Grounded theory writing preserves and presents the form and content of the analytic work. Rather than spotlighting actors or authors, grounded theory places ideas and analytic frameworks on center stage...The potential strength of grounded theory lies in its analytic power to theorize how meanings, actions, and social structures are constructed. (Charmaz, 2006, p. 151)

Converse to Charmaz‟s statement above I believe an understanding of the participant‟s contexts of learning is important in understanding the categories that emerged. This section gives a synopsis of all four students‟ learning experiences before presenting the categories that emerged from the reading and coding of the transcripts. Findings from Jane‟s experiences of first year are interwoven with the experiences of the other students at the end of each section to see if they support or differ from these categories. I thought that Jane‟s reflections may have been filtered by other more recent experiences and maturity.