Ethics‐in‐practice in fragile contexts: Research in education for displaced persons, refugees and asylum seekers

Abstract

The rising numbers of forcibly displaced peoples on the move globally, and the challenges with providing access to education, reflect the shifting and complex times that we live in. Even though there has been a proliferation in educational research in the context of forced migration, in line with the increasing number of forced migrants, there has not been a commensurate focus on unpicking the increasingly complex ethical conditions within which researchers and participants operate. To examine this issue, the article provides three narrated accounts by researchers in this field and explores the interaction of researcher and author‐researcher voice to critically appraise their research experience and identify critical reflections of understanding of ethics‐in‐practice in fragile contexts. These narratives are framed by the CERD (consequential, ecological, relational and deontological) ethical appraisal framework, which explores ethical thinking through four ethical lenses. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of ethics‐in‐practice as a central dimension in educational research. The implications of this work show how a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to ethical appraisal is inappropriate for socially just educational research. This work also illustrates the importance of attending to relationships and voice of the forcibly displaced, both of which are often lacking in educational research in fragile contexts.

How do higher degree research students and supervisors navigate ethics‐in‐practice for educational research in sensitive or ‘fragile’ contexts?

“…As with other research from fragile contexts (e.g., Fox et al, 2020;Shanks & Paulson, 2022), the participants in our study noted that some ethical complexities cannot be anticipated.…”

“…The past decade has seen increased attention paid to the ethical complexities of research undertaken in what Fox et al. (2020) describe as ‘fragile contexts’, or settings where participants have experiences of past or ongoing trauma, marginalisation and socio‐political precarity 1 . In this paper, we focus on research in the fragile context of forced migration and related settings of conflict and crisis, addressing issues of mental and physical well‐being, gendered violence, sexuality and marginalisation by language or cultural isolation, which carry particular ethical considerations for researchers.…”

Ethical research landscapes in fragile and conflict-affected contexts: understanding the challenges

“…The thematic focus of research is therefore often predetermined and based on organisational mandates or the availability of funding streams that are linked to globally defined agendas. As such, the commissioning agency is understood to govern what is thought to be ‘research-worthy’ (Fox et al, 2020). The absence of local input in the agenda setting process can be exacerbated by the fact that international humanitarian actors have experienced increasing restrictions of movement within areas that are deemed insecure or prone to violence (Autesserre, 2014; Collinson et al, 2013; Smirl, 2015).…”

La formación del compromiso ético en investigación educativa: resultados de una experiencia de innovación docente en educación superior

“…Aun así, consideramos que el trabajo realizado es un buen punto de partida para iniciar la reflexión y la práctica en la asignatura de investigación educativa desde una perspectiva ética, pero es posible incorporar nuevos recursos prácticos que permitan desarrollar aquellos aspectos de la competencia que han obtenido peores resultados en la innovación introducida. Por ejemplo, el marco de evaluación ética CERD (consecuencialista, ecológico, relacional y deontológico) propuesto por Stutchbury y Fox (2009) podría ser útil para profundizar en los procesos reflexivos de la dimensión ética de la investigación educativa desde una perspectiva práctica (Fox et al, 2020;Fox y Mitchell, 2019), que sería útil para superar la visión normativa que han presentado los estudiantes encuestados, fomentar la reflexión crítica e introducir nuevos contenidos curriculares.…”