Abstract:
The New South Wales Department of Education and Training requires all researchers who wish to undertake research in Government schools to obtain approval from the department.
Granting of approval involves an assessment of the quality of the proposed research, the appropriateness of ethical procedures and research content in relation to children, commissioning 'working with children' screening checks for researchers entering schools and balancing potential disruption to class time with research benefit.
These procedures are a response to increasing numbers of researchers wanting access to children for research, to legislative and ethical requirements, increased sensitivity to the protection of children and their learning opportunities, and to the highly variable quality and potential benefit from research projects.
Granting of approval involves an assessment of the quality of the proposed research, the appropriateness of ethical procedures and research content in relation to children, commissioning 'working with children' screening checks for researchers entering schools and balancing potential disruption to class time with research benefit.
These procedures are a response to increasing numbers of researchers wanting access to children for research, to legislative and ethical requirements, increased sensitivity to the protection of children and their learning opportunities, and to the highly variable quality and potential benefit from research projects.