There were several ethical issues to consider prior to and while conducting the study. I will start by discussing access to participants and their acceptance to join the programme of study and move on to discuss privacy of participants and confidentiality of research findings. Teachers were informed about my research intentions, and the aims, nature and procedures of the research were made clear to them from the outset of the study (see Appendix I). They
78
were informed about the other teachers participating in the study and agreed to embark on a journey of inquiry that would require them to meet and discuss with myself as researcher, the other two teachers in the study and learners in their own classrooms. The programme and process of the study were further discussed. I furthermore illustrated aspects that I myself as researcher was bound to respect following the ethical review submitted to conduct the research. The purpose of the research and its contents were clearly listed on the informed consent forms teachers were provided with. Privacy with regards to their identification and confidentiality of findings relating to group and individual discussions and interviews was also discussed. I asked teachers for permission to record interviews held during each meeting. Their right to abstain from answering questions, to give their opinion or to withdraw statements made during individual or group discussions was made clear. Participants were ensured that all information gathered would be used solely for research purposes and treated in strict confidence. The fact that it was made clear with them that they could withdraw from the study at any time portrayed my commitment to their protection and well-being during the course of the study. They were made aware of the fact that they could contact my supervisor if they felt unhappy about any procedures which they felt were not being respected in any way. It was made clear during meetings that learners’ wellbeing was to be safeguarded at all times.
An issue of concern was the fact that teachers may find the timescale for the project intense. I allocated time to visit them myself and kept to the agreed upon monthly individual and group meetings. The exact dates for individual and group meetings were negotiated and agreed upon from meeting to meeting so as to always be able to find the most suitable time for them and respect their schedules which varied due to school activities which were not
79
always pre-planned on the school calendars of the respective schools. I respected the teachers’ hectic schedules and other commitments they had to work their way around to attend the meetings. Participants participated in the research within their normal working hours and were asked to attend meetings once a month at a school decided upon by the participants themselves. I visited the teachers myself at all other times. Permission for teachers to travel to different schools was obtained from their school principal. It was important to establish a reassuring rapport with the participating teachers since opting to take part in a research project across two consecutive scholastic years, entailed committing oneself over a long span of time. ‘[A]chieving goodwill and co-operation is especially important where the proposed research extends over a period of time’ (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2000, p. 54).
I also needed to consider my interpretation and representation of data as researcher. I decided to ask participants to comment on the parts of the report that concerned them, to check that what they said was interpreted adequately. I was well aware of my position of responsibility as head of department in relation to the colleagues I was asking to form part of the study. Within this role, I worked with them mainly as a colleague and did not in any way lay down rules that they had to abide by but rather asked them to be open about any areas they felt they needed to negotiate. I was committed to open conversations throughout the phases of the study that led to the negotiation of the process embarked upon. Through the discussion and negotiation of the various aspects of the study; ranging from the set-up of the meetings, ways of recording their experiences and of conducting their inquiry in class, I sought to balance out any form of power-relations that might have been at play between myself and the teachers as participants in the study.
80
Another issue that needed to be discussed with the participants was the issue of data storage. Participants were reassured during the first group encounter that data collected would be used solely for the purpose of this research, during which time it would be solely in my possession and will be accessed only by myself and my supervisor when required. If data were to be included in a paper to be read at a conference the participants would be reassured that it would be used subject to their consent. In the latter case their anonymity would also be guaranteed. This applied for data recorded during interviews as well as any form of written notes. Data would be destroyed once the research project terminated. This information was stated on the consent form.