When planning research with human subjects in educational settings, there are additional considerations necessary to ensure the safety and welfare of student participants. Issues particular to students in grades K‐12 include gaining access to school sites and obtaining Informed Consent of parents and assent of any children who will be subjects of the research.
Things to Consider When Formulating Your IRB Submission
When a researcher submits a protocol for research in an educational setting, along with regular considerations for research with human subjects, the researcher should consider and address the following additional information in the submission:
- When conducting research as a UAlbany researcher (faculty, staff, or student), you are acting in your capacity as a member of the University community. You will need to obtain approval from the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee of the school district where your study will occur.
If you are an employee of the district where you want to do research, you will need to follow your district’s rules for reporting outside commitments and obtain approval to conduct the research as a UAlbany researcher and not an employee of the district.
- Informed Consent of children’s parents is required for research conducted with participants who are 17 or younger. Most school districts will also require parental consent for any student, regardless of age. For research that could be more than minimal risk, the researchers need to plan for obtaining the Informed Consent of all legal guardians of the child. Researchers should obtain the Informed Consent in a manner that actively engages legal guardians in the consent process. Legal guardians must also consent to any release of information about themselves or their child(ren) by the school (or its personnel) to researchers.
- Undue influence is difficult to avoid in a classroom setting in which activities are determined and implemented by adults. Research designs should include strategies to reduce this risk. For instance, clear procedures should be in place for handling students who are not participating in the study to minimize interruption to the typical school day. Although students must participate in activities designed for the whole class, researchers need to clearly identify any activities specifically implemented for the research to students and their parents. Researchers will need to coordinate with schools to ensure alternative activities are available for those choosing to not participate or to stop participating in the research.
- Describe in clear manner the differences between normal class activities and those that are classroom “research” activities (i.e., will all students be involved in the same activities, or will there be individual students singled out to do alternative research activities within a classroom?).
- When research activities are not part of the required class activities, the researcher needs to arrange to collect the data. If the researcher is also the class instructor, then the researcher should plan for a research assistant to collect the data. School personnel should not have access to any data collected specifically for the research without the consent of the children’s parents.
- Any benefits or compensation for participation should extend to the entire class, regardless of the number of students that agreed to participate. This prevents scrutiny or peer pressure on the students who decline to participate.
- When research activities involve the use of video and audio recording it is incumbent on the researchers to ensure that only those participants who have consented to participate in the study and agreed to the recording are included. Any individuals for whom consent has not been obtained need to be out of any video and audio range. In the event a researcher records a person accidentally, the researcher will need to delete the individual’s likeness from any recordings collected.
For additional information on research with human subjects, research with minors and research in K-12 settings see the IRB Procedures Manual, on our website at www.albany.edu/irb. If you have questions, you can meet with ORRC staff by contacting [email protected] for an appointment.
Past Research Compliance Hot Topics are online at: https://www.albany.edu/researcheconomic-development/researcher-guidance/regulatory-research-compliance. If you have suggestions for future Hot Topics, please do not hesitate to share your ideas.