Abstract
Scholars conducting research in classrooms face a myriad of ethical issues somewhat unique to the educational setting. While the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46) generally provides that educational research be classified as exempt from review by Institutional Review Boards, those same regulations provide a host of special conditions under which classroom research must not be considered exempt. Depending on the study, classroom research may also involve issues of power and coercion (especially when the researcher is also the instructor); deception (when part or all of the nature of a study must be hidden from the subjects to avoid a bias in the results); anonymity and/or confidentiality; and compensation (including equivalent alternate assignments, when appropriate). Additional rules designed to protect the confidentiality of student information (FERPA), as well as what kinds of data might be collected and the processes used to collect that data (PPRA) also exist and must be followed. Scholars conducting research in classrooms need to navigate all of these issues as a routine part of their research activities.
Recommended Citation
Hecht, Jeffrey B.
(2005)
"The IRB and Classroom Research,"
Mid-Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 18:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/mwer/vol18/iss1/6
