Decolonising education research: towards pluriversal ethical perspectives

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This panel chaired by Alison Fox, Bukola Oyinloye and Natalie Tegama brings educational researchers together seeking approaches to ethical enquiry which place the research context centrally. The panel reflect on the ways researcher positionalities and values inform their approaches to international research, embracing pluriversality to negotiate more equitable ethical approaches. This ethical reflexivity (Gewirtz and Cribb, 2006; 2008) involves each researcher in taking a critical review of influences on them as an individual and on their host institutions situated in the Global North (Dados and Connell, 2012).

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Paper 1: Exploring ethics education and support for culturally and linguistically diverse research in Australia

Speaker(s): Rachel Burke, Alison Fox, Sally Baker, Margaret Kettle, Tebeje Molle Mekonnen and Bonita Marie Cabiles

Keywords: Decolonising research, decolonising ethics, educational research, critical reflexivity, ethical frameworks  

 

Abstract: Speakers report on research exploring connections between university commitments to pluriversality and the values and perspectives evident in institutional approaches to research ethics education using a critical discourse analysis of documents from 10 Australian universities. 

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Paper 2: Applying ethical frameworks across cultures: examples from Nigeria and Kenya

Speaker(s): Bukola Oyinloye and Kris Stutchbury

 

Abstract: Doctoral research by Bukola Oyinloye and Kris Stutchbury demonstrate the applicability of a deliberative ethical framework covering deontological, consequentialist, ecological and relational considerations (Stutchbury and Fox, 2009). Kris employed the framework in a study focused on teacher educators in one Kenyan University. Bukola used the framework in research in rural Nigerian communities to develop a contextually-appropriate moral-ethical framework.

 

Paper 3:  Understanding ethical issues in researching Islam in educational leadership

Speaker(s): Asima Iqbal

 

Abstract: Asima reflects on her doctoral research which investigated how (and if) Muslim headteachers in both England and Pakistan perceived the role of Islam in their leadership position. Asima focuses on the challenges she faced in Pakistan and explores alternative interpretations of her experiences.

 

Paper 4: Exploring a participant-culture led approach to ethical research in Kenya

Speaker(s): Natalie Tegama

 

Abstract: Presented by Natalie Tegama, an early-career African researcher based in the global North conducting research in Africa on health education. Natalie explores the ethics of the contexts she will encounter in her planned doctoral research, seeking to respect the multiplicity of tribes and moral codes of those who reside there (Mundia and Martinez, 2020).

 

Paper 5: Towards ethical South-North education research partnerships

Speaker(s): Rafael Mitchell and a partner representative from the Transforming Education for Sustainable Futures network.

 

Abstract: Rafael outlines the network’s principles and strategies to engender meaningful and equitable relationships and considers the prospects of decolonising research through ‘strong internationalisation’ (Appadurai 1999, p.237).