I wanted to be mindful and respect the principles set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) ethical guidelines, to ensure that my research process was valid. BERA emphasises that its the ‘spirit of the guidelines’ that matters most, particularly in protecting those who are involved in, or affected by the research (BERA, 2018). it is my responsibility as the researcher to ensure that the research is to the correct ethical standards for the participants (students) involved.
I am aware of the power dynamics within my own teaching context. When I issued an open call to the full BA Fashion Contour cohort, I made sure it was clear that participation was entirely voluntary, and it was separate from assessment, or progression. ‘The researcher needs to identify such power imbalances and counterbalance their effects by ensuring that it’s clear to all parties that participation is entirely voluntary.’ (SRA 2021, p.7). I communicated that choosing not to participate would have no negative consequences in the briefing at the start of the focus group. This approach reflects BERA’s emphasis on trust, researcher responsibility, and an ethic of care within educational research relationships (BERA, 2018).
Informed consent was treated as an ongoing process, not a one-off formality. Participants were informed about the purpose of the research, how their feedback would be used, and their right to withdraw at any stage without explanation (see blog post ‘Focus group – preparations’)
Responses were anonymised during analysis to protect the participants privacy, naming them ‘participant 1’, ‘participant 2’, etc. BERA highlights the importance of recognising structural inequalities; ‘Individuals should be treated fairly, sensitively, and with dignity and freedom from prejudice, in recognition of both their rights and their differences arising from age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, nationality, cultural identity, partnership status, faith, disability, political belief or any other significant characteristic.’ (BERA , 2018, p. 11).
30% of students studying BA Fashion Contour have declared disabilities. It is my responsibility to ensure that the research process and the supporting documents did not unintentionally exclude or disadvantage participants. I referenced and worked to the British Dyslexia Association’s ‘Dyslexia Style Guide’ to inform my decisions around layout, language and visual clarity in the redesigned handouts. This was also followed when designing the presentation delivered during the focus group. (British Dyslexia Association, 2023). While these guidelines are framed as accessibility support, I understand them as an ethical commitment, reducing barriers for all students.
When analysing and reporting back on findings, I am conscious of not overstating findings. I treated participant responses as situated and contextual. The findings are shaped by experience, confidence (as all participants were year 2 students), and retrospective reflection. I acknowledge the limitations of a small, self selected sample, important in maintaining ethical integrity and trustworthiness throughout the research process. ‘Researchers must, however, be very careful in making generalizations from focus groups because the sample size typically is too small and the participants are usually not randomly selected from any known population.’ (Johnson & Christensen, 2004, P.327)E
Ensuring to take an ethical approach protects participants, but also strengthened the quality and credibility of my research. By sculpting a focus group exercise in which students could contribute openly without fear of judgement, it reinforced trust between researcher and participant. This ensures that student voices meaningfully inform changes to my teaching practice.
References
BERA (2018) Ethical guidelines for educational research. 4th ed. London: British Educational Research Association.
British Dyslexia Association (2023) Dyslexia Style Guide 2023. Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/employers/creating-a-dyslexia-friendly-workplace/dyslexia-style-guide or: https://cdn.bdadyslexia.org.uk/uploads/documents/Advice/style-guide/BDA-Style-Guide-2023.pdf?v=1680514568 (Accessed: 13 July 2025).
Johnson, B., & Christensen L. (2004). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.