Addressing Dilemmas During Classroom Observations Among Vulnerable Students With Mental Health Problems, by Using Ethical Triage Informed by Cognitive Continuum Theory

Using original data, this paper considers dilemmas that arose when conducting classroom observation in a post-16 college in England, during a research study which explored the classroom experiences of 15 adult students who had mental health problems. Ethical approval was given by the National Health Service, who considered the students to be vulnerable, hence the heightened need to ensure that their well-being was prioritised during data collection. Data collection involved narrative interviews and classroom observations but, in this paper, I concentrate solely on making explicit my reflexivity, as I worked out how best to respond to the unforeseen dilemmas that arose before and during these observations. I illustrate how I used Ethical Triage, which refers to assessing which actions should take priority when seeking to address such dilemmas, and outline how Ethical triage informed by Cognitive Continuum Theory (CCT), helped me to address the dilemmas that I encountered. These dilemmas related to gaining consent; maintaining anonymity; and prioritising the participant’s well-being over established research protocols. The significance of this paper is that first, it adds to the limited body of knowledge that focuses specifically on the dilemmas that teacher-researchers may face when carrying out classroom observations. Second, that it adds to the limited body of knowledge that focuses specifically on conducting research among vulnerable participants in educational settings. Third, that it applies CCT to a non-medical educational setting. Fourth and most importantly, that by combining Ethical Triage with CCT, it provides a practical and detailed guide of how to make ethically robust decisions when encountering dilemmas during research observations. The paper specifically aims to provide practical tools to help other teacher-researchers address any unforeseen dilemmas they may encounter during the research process, in an ethically safe way that always prioritises the well-being of the participants.