Ethical Action Plan (500-750 words)*
This document is a chance for you to begin shaping your project while thinking through its ethical considerations, implications, and responsibilities. We know this might feel early in your action research journey, but this short plan is here to help pin down your ideas and work-in-progress.
Use whatever writing format that suits you – lists, bullet points, statements or paragraphs – and follow the suggested links stated alongside some of the questions for guidance.
A good starting point is the BERA Guidelines for Educational Research, fifth edition (2024) alongside the ‘Ethics Files and Resources’ on Moodle.
When you’re ready, email your draft to your allocated tutor 48 hours in advance of you first group tutorial in the week commencing 6 October 2025, so it can help guide the focus of discussions and support your project development.
Name: Kitty Eyes
Tutor: Carys Kennedy
Date: 7/11/2025
| What is the working title of your project? Also write a few sentences about the focus of your project. Supervised Studio sessions – Why do students not attend and/or potentially not understand the reasons behind why technical teams offer them What can we do as technicians to make supervised studio more accessible and approachable? As a technician who doesn’t take part in the formal teaching of the students, my only contact with them is during supervised studio time, especially in the final block of their 3rd and final year. I have noticed that I am mostly having to re-teach students skills that they learned in their first 2 years. Supervised studio is usually not very well attended unless the student physically must be in the building to make, ie using specialist equipment, using LEV for H&S. This is such a valuable time for the students to not only be asking us about their projects but also about anything else they would like to know regarding other specialist knowledge or even about careers/working in industry. I am interested in why students don’t attend and what we can do to lessen that boundary so they can get everything out of their degree as possible. Do they need more structure? Do they need to have a set topic? Do they need to have scheduled tutorials included? Do they need to include a “fun” demo to “entice” students to attend? |
| What sources will you read or reference? Share 5 to 10. Bochner, Ellis (2006) “Questionnaires” University of Sheffield (2018) “Emotionally Demanding Research: Risks to the Researcher” Lenette (2022) “Cultural Safety in Participatory Arts-based research” Scaffolding and learning: its role in nurturing new learners – Verenikina (2008) Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence – Pashler, et al. (2009) Inclusive Instructional Design for Neurodiverse Learners – Azuka, et al. (2024) Overcoming Language Barriers in Content-Area Instruction – Ashcraft (2006) |
| What action(s) are you planning to take, and are they realistic in the time you have (Sept-Dec)? I plan on making a questionnaire for our 3rd year students (and potentially 2nd years) regarding their opinions and usage regarding supervised studio. I also am going to meet with other colleagues on my team who have been running supervised studio sessions for a lot longer than I have to assess the trends in usage and ask their opinions on what we can change. Our students and my colleagues are in until the very end of term (12th Dec) so I do feel like this is doable. I am booked in lessons with 3rd year students where I can ask them to fill out the questionnaire. After reviewing the responses, this can then become a conversation with my line manager (Dec/Jan) about potential changes to sessions that hopefully can be implemented before the 3rd years begin their supervised studio sessions for their final projects (Feb/March). The questionnaire for the 3rd year students is my formal data collection, and the conversations with my colleagues will be informal data collection in comparison. |
| Who will be involved, and in what way? (e.g. colleagues, students, local community…). Note, if any of your participants will be under the age years of 18yrs, please seek further advice from your tutor. Formally – 3rd year students Informally – staff members on my own team |
| What are the health & safety concerns, and how will you prepare for them? https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/42587/health-and-safety-hub https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/45761/health-and-safety-policies-and-standards I do not have any particular H&S concerns as the bulk of the project will be collecting written data in a lesson. |
| How will you manage and protect any physical and / or digital data you collect, including the data of people involved? https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-fifth-edition-2024-online#consent https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-fifth-edition-2024-online#privacy-data-storage The questionnaires will be fully anonymous and digital, and the students will not be asked to share their opinions verbally. The completed forms and anonymous responses will be stored on my staff Onedrive. No one will be forced to answer the questionnaire if they don’t want to. |
| How will you take ethics into account in your project for participants and / or yourself? https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-fifth-edition-2024-online#responsibilities-participants https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-fifth-edition-2024-online#responsibilities-sponsors https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-fifth-edition-2024-online#responsibilities-wellbeing See Emotionally Demanding Research PDF on Moodle I am acutely aware that there are a few of our 3rd year students who feel very close to technicians and even a bit protective – I do not want them to feel as though I am “farming” them for complaints or even validation. By making the form anonymous and by verbally introducing myself and the reasons for my project to them before asking them to complete it, I hope they will feel free to write their honest answers and not feel like they need to appease me. There will be an information sheet describing the project and a consent question so students are able to give fully informed consent. I also want to make sure that I am protected from more emotional burden being placed on me, with the potential of students divulging personal information to me. As I care deeply about student engagement and experience, I will need to make sure that the questions are more detached so ensure that I don’t become a receptacle for students telling me all of their problems/issues. |
* The form itself is around 300 words, so with your additions the total length will come to a maximum of about 1,050 words.