New ways of thinking about ethics in educational research and practice

Presented by Dr Mary Brydon Miller, University of Cincinnati

Abstract

Educational action research provides innovative strategies for teachers, school leaders, and university-based researchers interested in generating knowledge aimed at improving educational practice and addressing the needs of students and communities. But it also presents unique ethical challenges that must be considered when planning and carrying out an educational action research project. In this presentation we will discuss systems for understanding ethics in the context of educational action research, focusing on the use of a structured ethical reflection process designed to guide individual researchers and collaborative teams in articulating ethical principles and considering how they might inform research and professional practice.

Biography

Professor Mary Brydon-Miller, Ph.D. directs the University of Cincinnati’s Action Research Center and is Professor of Educational Studies in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services. She is a participatory action researcher who conducts work in both school and community settings. Her recent scholarship focuses on the development of new frameworks for understanding research ethics in community settings. She has written widely on action research and ethics, and has also edited a number of volumes on related subjects including the SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research, which was published in 2014. Other publications include work on participatory action research methods, feminist theory and action research, refugee resettlement, elder advocacy, disability rights, and academic writing in the social sciences.