According to Cohen et al (2000), educational research using should consider protecting and respecting individuals.
The current study occurred outside the United Kingdom (UK) in the State of Kuwait but the researcher adhered to the same ethical standards as research in the UK (British Educational Research Association (BERA), 2011). The sets of guidelines were under the following themes:
Responsibilities to Participants, such as concern to; voluntary informed consent; privacy; detriment arising from participation in research; children, vulnerable young people and vulnerable adults; right to withdraw; and openness and disclosure.
Responsibilities to Sponsors of Research, such as methods and publication.
Responsibilities to the Community of Educational Researchers, such as misconduct and authorship.
Responsibilities to Educational Professionals, Policy Makers and the General Public, such as publicising the results and communicating their findings, and the practical significance of their
Instruments Cronbach’s Alpha Number of items Cronbach’s Alpha Number of items
Pre Attitude Questionnaire learning science at school 0.797 11 0.871 17 studying science in the future 0.778 6 Post Attitude Questionnaire learning science at school 0.774 11 0.859 17 studying science in the future 0.788 6 Usability of Computer Simulation Programs
opinion about the
program 0.796 6
0.844 32
experiences with
using the program 0.730 12
learning science
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research, in a clear, straightforward fashion and in language judged appropriate for the intended audience.
Thus, before the experiment was carried out, the following procedure was followed:
1. Supervisor at Durham University, United Kingdom, issued a letter stating the aim of the study, time for data gathering and the level of participating schools (See Appendix 19). This letter was sent to the Kuwait Cultural office in London. The Kuwait Cultural office issued another letter which was addressed to the PhD student sponsor of The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Then PAAET was sent the letter to the College of Basic Education, at the Kuwait Cultural office in London to approve the experiment in Kuwait (See Appendix 20). 2. Based on the supervisor’s letter, the Dean of the College of Basic Education sent another letter
to Assistant Undersecretary for General Education in the Ministry of Education asking for permission to enter the primary schools and apply the experimental method in Grade 5 for the science subject (See Appendix 21).
3. The Assistant Undersecretary for General Education in the Ministry of Education sent these letters to the General Supervisor of Science. The General Supervisor of Science requested information about: What the researcher wanted to do? What kind of tools (program) the researcher would be using in the study? Would the experiment conflict with the academic annual plan for the science syllabus? To answer these questions, a meeting was arranged between the General Supervisor of Science and the researcher. After extensive debate, answers were arrived at. As well as this, a form was presented that stated that the researcher would keep all papers confidential and take note of the ethical issue in educational research. Following Cohen, et al. (2000) the researcher took into account:
- The participants’ consent to participate freely and with conviction.
- Their right and freedom to withdraw at any time or not to complete particular items in the questionnaire.
- The benefit they may get from the research, the guarantees that the research will cause them no harm.
- The guarantees of confidentiality; and the anonymity and non-traceability of the research).
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- Punctuality of measurement tools as well as the time of the interviews.
After that, the General Supervisor of Science sent his approval to the Assistant Undersecretary for General Education (See Appendix 22).
4. Based on the General Supervisor of Science’s approval to conduct the experiment, the final step was that the Assistant Undersecretary for General Education sent a letter to all the directors of general education in the six districts in State of Kuwait (Al-Asema, Hawalli, Al-Farwaniya, Al- Jahra- Al-Ahmade and Mubarak Al-Kabeer ), to ask them to facilitate the functions of the researcher in the elementary schools for students of Grade 5 in the science subject (See Appendix 22).
5. As mentioned previously, the computer lab is monitored by the Computer Department and not the Science Department. Therefore, it was necessary to send a letter to them to ask permission for the science teachers to use the computer laboratory for this study. Agreement was given from the heads of computer department in eight primary schools, and the science teachers coordinated with computer teachers at least two days before experimentation.
6. To solve the problem of computer software, as was mentioned in above paragraph (4.3.1.1.2), an update from Windows 2003 to Windows 2007 was needed, to run the ICSS. A meeting with the Administrator in the Information and Computer Centre (ICC) in the Ministry of Education was conducted, to inform them of the specifications of the ICSS and the need to change the software in the computer laboratory from Windows 2003 to Windows 2007. In addition, to add some software (e.g. sound card) to run ICSS. The approval was given after the researcher presented the aims of the study and its contribution developing methods of teaching science. A technician was sent to the eight primary schools to download all the software needed for the current study.