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RESEARCH PROJECT INFORMATION SHEET Dear Parent/Guardian,
Your child’s school is taking part in a research project in the 2016/2017 school year. The headteacher at the school has agreed that the project can take place, and the activities are being planned within normal class time. This information sheet tells you a bit about why we are doing this
research and what is involved for you and your child.
Please take your time to read the information carefully and keep this sheet. If you decide that you do NOT want your child to take part, then please sign the attached opt-out form and return it to reception at your school. If you are happy for your child to take part, you do not have to do anything.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT?
The purpose of the project is to evaluate some classroom activities. There is evidence from America that these classroom activities can improve students’ work. This research is evaluating whether the classroom
activities have the same effect in England. We are conducting this study
across several schools in South East England. WHY HAS MY CHILD BEEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE?
Your child’s school was approached to take part in the research project
and they agreed. All Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in the school will be
involved in the project. DOES MY CHILD HAVE TO TAKE PART?
Taking part in the project is completely voluntary. If you are happy for
your child to take part, then you do not have to do anything. If you
decide that you do NOT want your child to take part, then please sign and
return the attached opt-out consent slip by 10th of July 2016. Either way,
your decision will have no effect on your child’s mark, assessment or future studies.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF MY CHILD TAKES PART?
Every pupil that takes part will complete two short questionnaire (15 minutes each) in form or tutor time, one at the beginning and one at the end of the 2016/2017 school year and take part in three classroom
activities in September 2016, December 2016 and May 2017. All the
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WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF TAKING PART?
The classroom activities may improve students’ work.
WILL MY INFORMATION IN THIS PROJECT BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL?
Yes. All information given by pupils in this research would be treated confidentially, except in cases where there is specific information that indicates that the person or another specific person is experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing, significant harm. In that situation, we would communicate with the relevant contact person at the school. Your child’s responses will be collected by the University of Sussex Project Team and accessed by a research team from Durham University (the independent evaluator of the research). In the study dataset, your child will be identified only by a number in the study dataset and no names will be included. For the purpose of research, the responses will be linked with information about your child from the National Pupil Database (held by the Department for Education) and shared with the Department for Education, EEF, EEF’s data contractor FFT Education and in a fully anonymised form to the UK Data Archive. Your child’s data will be treated with the strictest confidence. We will not use your child’s name or the name of the school in any report arising from the research.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT?
The results of this project will be reported by the Education Endowment
Foundation. The report will be freely available on their website. The
results may also be written up for publication in academic journals.
WHO IS ORGANISING AND FUNDING THE RESEARCH?
The research is being conducted by members of staff in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, and independently evaluated by the
School of Education at the University of Durham. The project is being
funded by the Education Endowment Foundation.
WHO HAS APPROVED THIS RESEARCH?
The study has been approved by the University of Sussex’s Sciences and Technology Cross-Schools Research Ethics Committee and the Education Endowment Foundation.
CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like any further information about the research, please contact Dr. Matthew Easterbrook at the University of Sussex on
m.j.easterbrook@sussex.ac.uk. If you have any concerns about the way the study is conducted, you should contact the Chair of the Cross-Schools Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sussex on
crecscitec@sussex.ac.uk (project reference ER/MJE23/15). The University
of Sussex has insurance in place to cover its legal liabilities in respect of this study.
3 RESEARCH PROJECT OPT-OUT CONSENT SLIP
Please only complete if you do NOT want your child to participate in the research project
Details of the research project are included in the attached
information letter. If you are happy for your child to take part,
then you do not have to do anything. However, if you do NOT want
your child to take part in the research project, then please sign the below slip and return it to the reception area at your school by
the 10th of July 2016. If you have any questions, please contact Dr.
Matthew Easterbrook on m.j.easterbrook@sussex.ac.uk or 01273 876597.
………...
I do NOT want my child (full name)
____________________________________________ at (school) _____________________________________ in
(class/form)__________________ to take part in the research project being conducted by the University of Sussex and the University of Durham, as described in the information letter.
Parent/guardia n name: Parent/guardia n signature: Date:
(completed slips can be returned to the reception area at your school)