What is the role of ethical review in educational research involving human participants?

• A. Ensures protection of rights, welfare, consent, confidentiality, and risk minimization.
• B. Sets the classroom timetable.
• C. Selects measurement instruments.
• D. Determines the study's funding source.

Answer: (A)

Ethical review in educational research with human participants centers on protecting people involved. A committee examines how the study will respect participants’ rights and welfare, including how informed consent will be obtained, how confidentiality will be maintained, and how risks will be minimized. In practice, this means participants should understand what the study entails, what data will be collected and how it will be used, and they must know that participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw at any time without penalty. For studies involving students or minors, this often includes parental permission and the appropriate level of assent. Safeguards are put in place to protect privacy and securely handle data, and any potential risks are weighed against the benefits with plans to reduce or avoid harm.

These protections are the main purpose of ethical review; tasks like setting a timetable, choosing measurement instruments, or determining funding come from other parts of the research process and remain separate from the ethical safeguards designed to protect participants.