HOW TO USE THIS FORM

HOW TO USE THIS FORM

This form should be used by students/participants on School of Education taught courses (undergraduate or postgraduate) who will be conducting research for an assignment or who are undertaking dissertations.

You should complete this form following discussion with your module tutor or dissertation supervisor, as applicable. Discussion with your module tutor/dissertation supervisor may be in person, via Skype or phone, or via email. (In some cases, this may be part of the process of tutor feedback on a proposal.)

Please read the whole form before starting to complete it.

You must complete Sections A and C. If your research involves participants, you must also complete Section B.

For some questions, you will need to write responses providing details of your research or how you have considered ethical issues. For others, you will need to give a YES or NO response. You may write N/A (not applicable) if appropriate, but you must explain why.

Section D is to be completed by your module tutor/dissertation supervisor and, if applicable, a second reviewer.

When you have completed Sections A, B (if applicable) and C, please email the form to your module tutor/dissertation supervisor, using your University email account, or submit via Moodle, as required.

For all research involving participants, please remember to attach the following:

draft information sheet to be provided to prospective participants

draft consent form to be used with prospective participants.

SECTION A – ALL RESEARCH

This section applies to all dissertations and all assignments for which ethical approval is required (whether data-generating, using existing data or literature-based).

Name University ID Number University email address Course Module Title of module assignment / dissertation How can teachers use modern technology to improve performance of students in writing and how does it influence students’ perception to learning?Module tutor /

dissertation supervisor Date Project details

Please provide a brief description of the research project and its aims. Research Project Description:

The research project is about the use of modern technology such as computerization and audio-visual applications by teachers in class to improve the performance of students. With current developing technology, students are used to solving academic issues using technological methods and tools. Therefore, teachers are incorporating technological methods of learning in class, which is believed to make work easier and enhance understanding.

Also, the change from the analog methods to use of modern technology influences students. It may positively or negatively affect the student’s perception to learning in school.

The research aims to:

Find out how the technological methods improve students’ performances.

Understand how the application of modern technology impacts students’ attitudes towards learning.

What types of data will be generated/used and how will this be obtained (e.g. observation, interview, questionnaire, document analysis, systematic literature review, use of publicly available data, auto-ethnography)? Data generated:

The research will generate qualitative data in that the respondents will give their views and opinions based on the experiences they have in use of modern technology in class.

The qualitative data will be obtained through:

performing interviews

Use of questionnaires

The questions in both methods will include their opinion on use of technology in class, how it has impacted their ways of teaching and learning, and the results of using technology, both positive and negative.

However, the respondents may support their information by providing quantitative data such as of academic students results, that show modern technology improves performance.

To obtain the data from the students’ academic results, document analysis will be used to gain the required information that help in the research.

Also, systematic literature review gives data from other researches conducted on the same subject on modern technology use in classes. Understanding the literature basis provides a foundation on the data to acquire from respondents.

In which country/countries will the research take place?

If any of your research is to be conducted outside the UK you will need to follow local ethical requirements. If applicable, please confirm your understanding of these local requirements. The research will take place in England, involving respondents who are teachers and students from the high schools and colleges in England.

To ensure adhering to the ethical requirements, the research will:

Be designed and reviewed and undertaken with integrity and transparency.

Ensure confidentiality of information and concealing of identity of participants if needed.

Ensure independence is clear and there is no conflict of interest.

Will the research take place in an educational institution (e.g. a school or university), counselling service or other organisation?

Data generating activities involving other organisations may only be carried out with the agreement of the head of the organisation, or an authorised representative, and after adequate notice has been given.

If applicable, please indicate how evidence of written permission (e.g. letter or email) will be provided to your module tutor/dissertation supervisor. The research will take place in educational institutions, high school and universities. This will involve a sample of teachers and students of the institutions using modern technology for their class activities.

Before applying the data collection methods, I will inform the organization of the school, to inform of the research, its objective and purpose. Also, to inform on the specific days that the activities will take place.

The information will be through email, and will attach the email in the research process, under preparation before providing the results of the dissertation.

Please confirm the following

Ethical guidelines

I have read the relevant sections of the Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics (2019) of the University of Nottingham and discussed this with my module tutor/dissertation supervisor

I have read the relevant professional association guidelines (delete as applicable) and discussed these with my module tutor/dissertation supervisor:

British Educational Research Association’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (BERA, 2018)

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (BACP, 2018)

Guidelines of another relevant professional association (state which here):

______________________________________________________

YES

Data protection

I am aware of my responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018)

I will issue participants with an appropriate GDPR privacy notice YES

If your research involves human participants (people with whom you will be generating data or whose data you will be using), please continue to Section B.

If you will not be conducting research with participants, please go straight to Section C.

SECTION B – RESEARCH INVOLVING PARTICIPANTS

You must complete this section if your research involves human participants or their data. If, after discussion with your tutor or dissertation supervisor, you are not able to respond YES to any set of statements, please comment on this in Section C.

Research participants

Please identify the type of research participants, indicating their ages if under 18. The research participants will include:

Three teachers from two high schools in England

Five students from the two high schools in England between the ages of 14 and 17.

Three teachers from three colleges in England

Five students from the three colleges.

How will they be selected and approached? Selection of the participants will be through random sampling from the schools, based on classes and teachers and students who have applied the modern technological tools in class activities.

After the authorities of the schools have given their consent, the participants will be approached individually to be informed on the research objectives, their confidentiality and the information required from them.

Please confirm the following

Information for research participants

I will fully explain the purpose and procedures of the research, and the potential benefits and costs of participating (e.g. the amount of their time involved) to prospective research participants at the outset. With child participants, this will be explained in an age appropriate manner.

I will reveal my full identity to potential participants.

I will inform prospective participants that data generated will be treated in the strictest confidence and will only be reported in anonymised form, but that I will be forced to consider disclosure of certain information where there are strong grounds for believing that not doing so will result in harm to research participants or others, or (the continuation of) illegal activity.

I have attached a draft of the information sheet for participants. YES

Obtaining voluntary informed consent

I will ask all potential participants to give explicit, normally written, voluntary informed consent to participating in the research. Where written consent is given, the participant and I will retain separate copies.

In addition to the consent of the individuals concerned, I will seek the signed consent of a parent, guardian or ‘responsible other’ to sanction the participation of children (i.e. persons under 16 years of age) or vulnerable adults (BERA, 2018, pp. 14-15). Children will also be facilitated to give fully informed consent, as appropriate for their age and maturity. (For counselling programmes only: Gillick competency testing guidelines may be applied with participants under 16 years old in some circumstances, if agreed by your module tutor/dissertation supervisor.)

I will not place undue pressure on individuals or institutions to participate in research activities.

My treatment of potential research participants will in no way be prejudiced if they choose not to participate in the project.

I will provide participants with my contact details (including university email address), and those of my module tutor/dissertation supervisor, in order that they are able to make contact in relation to any aspect of the research, should they wish to do so.

I will inform participants will that they may freely withdraw from the project at any time without risk or prejudice.

I will inform participants that my research has received ethical approval from the University of Nottingham, and will provide contact details in case of any complaint.

I have attached a draft of the consent form for participants (and/or for any others consenting on behalf of participants). YES

Confidentiality

I will take all necessary steps to protect the privacy and ensure the anonymity and non-traceability of participants and/or other individuals for whom confidentiality would be expected, for example, by using pseudonyms, for both individual and institutional participants, in any written reports of the research and other forms of dissemination. YES

Sensitive issues

I will be sensitive to differences relating to age, culture, disability, race, gender, religion and sexual orientation amongst research participants, when planning, conducting and reporting on the research.

I will not collect personal data, for example relating to age, gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexuality, unless this is directly relevant to the research aims.

If the study involves collecting personal data or the discussion of sensitive issues such as mental health issues or sexual activity, I have discussed this in detail with my module tutor/dissertation supervisor and understand that this makes my project higher risk. YES

Storage and access to research data

I will not store names or any other personal data (if collected) for longer than necessary.

I will safeguard participants’ identity in stored research data through encryption, pseudonymisation and full anonymisation, as applicable to the particular research study.

I will keep data generated by the research (e.g. transcripts of research interviews) securely until the completion of my studies or, if publication is intended, for a period of seven years.

I will use data purely for the purposes of the research project (including dissemination of findings).

No-one other than myself, my module tutor/dissertation supervisor or examiners will have access to any of the data generated.

I will inform research participants that they have the right of access to their data, but not to that of others.

Where possible, I will provide research participants with a summary of research findings and an opportunity for debriefing after taking part in the research.

I will reflect ethical principles and discuss considerations, as appropriate, in my assignment (whether in written or presentation format) or dissertation. YES

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) – for UK-based research only

A DBS check is only required if your research takes place in the UK and will involve you being left alone with children and/or vulnerable adults. You do not need an additional DBS check if you already hold one for the setting in which you will be undertaking your research.

Do you need a new DBS check for this research?

If you already hold a check for the research setting, please provide your DBS number here:

____________________________

N/A

Please continue to Section C.

SECTION C – SUMMARY OF ETHICAL ISSUES AND DECLARATION

You must complete this section.

Summary of ethical issues and risks

Please identify the ethical issues and potential risks associated with this research, in terms of data generation, the research setting and any work with participants, including any risks to yourself (e.g. from lone working or identification of sensitive issues).

Remember that all research carries some risk of physical or emotional harm to those involved, even if this is minimal. Consider your responses in Sections A and B, and the discussion with your module tutor/dissertation supervisor. If you were unable to respond YES to any set of statements in Section B, please explain why as part of your response. The potential ethical issues:

Participants failure to trust in interviewees objectivity

Dishonesty of participants when providing information

Unwillingness of the population to participate in the research.

Risks:

Failure to get required information for completion of the research

Lack of convenient time for participants and interviewee to undertake the activities.

Explain how you will take steps to mitigate these risks. Ways of mitigation

Guarantee the participants of confidentiality so that they can trust and be confident to provide information.

I will use the participants convenient time.

Provide information of the research objective and purpose, for the participants to understand and know that their identities are protected.

Please confirm the following

Declaration

I understand that I may not start my research, including the recruitment of any participants or data generation, until I have received ethical approval.

I agree to work within the protocol that I have outlined and to abide by the School of Education policy on research ethics and the University of Nottingham Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics (2019) throughout the research and in any reporting of this.

If I make any changes to my research that change my answers to any of the questions above, I will submit a new ethical approval form to my module tutor/dissertation supervisor. YES

SECTION D – REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Reviewers should send the form from University email accounts in lieu of signatures

Module tutor/dissertation supervisor

Name Date I have discussed the proposed research outlined on this form with the student and I am satisfied that the work will be carried out with due regard to ethical protocol and any research participants’ interests. YES

NO

All dissertations and any research considered to be outside the School of Education criteria for expedited review must be approved by a second reviewer. Is second review required? YES

NO

For research requiring second review

Course Leader/ second reviewer

Name Date I have reviewed the proposed research outlined on this form and I am satisfied that the work will be carried out with due regard to ethical protocol and any research participants’ interests. YES

NO

Revised 10/04/2019p