Ethics and Education Research

Part of the popular BERA/SAGE Research Methods in Education series, this is the first book to specifically focus on the ethics of Education research. Drawn from the authors’ experiences in the UK, Australia and mainland Europe and with contributions from across the globe, this clear and accessible book includes a wide range of examples

The authors show how to:

• identify ethical issues which may arise with any research project
• gain informed consent
• provide information in the right way to participants
• present and disseminate findings in line with ethical guidelines

All researchers, irrespective of whether they are postgraduate students, practising teachers or seasoned academics, will find this book extremely valuable for its rigorous and critical discussion of theory and its strong practical focus.

Rachel Brooks is Professor of Sociology and Head of the Sociology Department at the University of Surrey, UK.

Kitty te Riele is Principal Research Fellow in the Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, at Victoria University in Australia.

Meg Maguire is Professor of Sociology of Education at King’s College London.

Rachel Brooks is Professor of Sociology and Head of the Sociology Department at the University of Surrey in the UK and co-editor of Sociological Research Online. She has carried out a wide range of research projects on different aspects of education, with a particular focus on higher education and lifelong learning. Most recently, her research has focussed on: international student mobility; the funding of higher education; and a cross-national comparison of the experiences of university students with parental responsibilities. Rachel also has a strong interest in research methods. She co-authored Researching Young People’s Lives (Sage, 2009), and co-edited Negotiating Ethical Dilemmas in Youth Research (Routledge, 2013) with Kitty te Riele.  

Kitty te Riele is Principal Research Fellow in the Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, at Victoria University in Australia. She researches educational policy and practice for disadvantaged young people, with a particular focus on alternative education initiatives. Her research has involved students, teachers and community members as participants. Kitty has supervised doctoral research students from both Australia and Hong Kong on research projects in primary, secondary and tertiary education. She has taught professional ethics for pre-service teachers and has experience as an active member of faculty and university human research ethics committees. Her most recent book Negotiating Ethical Dilemmas in Youth Research (Routledge, 2013) is co-edited with Rachel Brooks. They have also guest-edited two special issues (for Young and Youth Studies Australia) focused on research ethics.

Meg Maguire taught for many years in London schools, including a period as a headteacher. Her research interests include education policy and practice, social justice issues, the life and work of school-teachers, teacher education and the challenges of inner-city schooling. She is Professor of Sociology of Education in the Department of Education and Professional Studies at King’s College London, UK. She has extensive experience of supervising research with undergraduate, masters and doctoral students in educational studies and has a long-standing concern with ethics in research. Her most recent book How schools do Policy. Policy enactments in secondary schools (Routledge, 2012) is co-written with Stephen Ball and Annette Braun. She is lead editor for the Journal of Education Policy.