Experimenting on children - is it ethical?

A strong research tradition exists in the United States that uses experimental techniques to evaluate classroom initiatives. In the UK, there is a perceptible shift to adopt this kind of research method in the future. This workshop will seek to answer questions such as:

• Is it ethical to randomly assign pupils or schools to receive untested classroom interventions?
• What makes educational research different from medical research, where the randomised trial has been used routinely for years?
• Is it ethical for a school to refuse to be part of a trial?
• What kinds of initiatives can be trialled in this way?
• Are there better alternative methods?

Ben gained an MA in Natural Sciences followed by Postgraduate Certificate in Education. PhD in neuroscience including many applications of statistics. Since joining the NFER, Ben has worked on multi-level modelling projects including the Northern Ireland Curriculum Cohort Study and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. He has also produced new census based variables for use as an alternative to the traditional free school meals measure.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and member of British Educational Research Association, his main research interests being: Research methods and statistics, Science education, School improvement, Widening participation, Further education and Higher education.