Parental/Carer Global Perception towards Special/Mainstream Education
Project ID: 29469
Dear Participant,
Monash University is conducting an international project in collaboration with colleagues from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK). The members of the research team include Professor Umesh Sharma, Associate Professor Pearl Subban, Associate Professor Stuart Woodcock, Dr Claire Jackson, Dr Fiona May (Australia), Dr Jacqueline Specht (Canada), Dr Jahirul Mullick, Associate Professor Han Jiang (China), Professor Harry Kullmann (Germany), Professor Mythili Ramchand, Assistant Professor Richa Sharma, Assistant Professor Sonia Sawhney (India), Professor Paola Aiello, Dr Erika Marie Pace, Dr Emanuela Zappalà, Dr Iolanda Zollo (Italy), Professor Anders Nordahl-Hansen, Associate Professor Anders Dechsling, Marte Herrebrøden, Veslemøy Fossum Johansson, Line Britt Ulriksen (Norway), Professor Caroline Sahli Lozano, Dr Sergej Wüthrich (Switzerland), Assistant Professor Maxwell Opoku (UAE), Associate Professor Suanne Gibson, and Professor Sonia Blandford (UK).
Project explanation/aims:
This research is being undertaken to examine why parents/carers choose to enrol their child(ren) in regular or special schools. The study will also explore factors that influence parents’ decisions to move their child, if they do, from one setting to another.
What will you be asked to do?
You will be asked to complete an online survey, which consists of a series of questions and should take about 15 minutes to complete. You will also be invited to provide your email address at the end of the survey, so that we can contact you again in the future to invite you to take part in a follow up interview and/or survey. You do not have to provide your email address or take part in a follow up interview or survey if you choose not to. If you would like to take part in a follow up interview, there will be a link provided at the end of the survey which you can click on to provide your email address. Your email address will not be linked to your survey responses so that the information you provide in the survey will be anonymous.
What will you gain from participating?
By participating in this study, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the wider dialogue relating to the inclusion of students with disabilities into mainstream settings.
How will the information you give be used?
The information you provide in the survey will be confidential, anonymous and private. The identity of all participants will be protected at all times. As this study involves understanding the perspectives of parents around the world, your de-identified responses to the survey will be analysed together with responses from participants in different countries to better understand parents’ decision-making regarding their children’s education from a global perspective.
All documentation associated with this study will be kept in the research team office at Monash University, in a locked filing cabinet and on a password-protected computer and password protected research drive. All physical data will be destroyed after the requisite data storage period of five years. We will use the data to do some statistical and thematic analyses, write a report, and present these findings in scientific journal articles, and at conferences. The results of the study will be used to inform and improve how the educational needs of students with disabilities are met.
What are the potential risks of participating in this project?
There is a small chance that you may feel some discomfort in responding to the questions. If you do feel upset by these questions, you can choose to end completion of the questionnaire at any time, and seek help from a counsellor. Alternatively, you can visit the following website for details of helplines in your country: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm
What if I do not want to participate in the study?
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You have the right to refuse to participate in this study. There will be no consequences for you if you do not participate in the study. You also have the right to end your participation at any time, if you do not wish to continue. If you discontinue the survey before it is finished, your responses will be deleted and will not be used as part of our study. Once your responses are submitted, these cannot be withdrawn due to the anonymous nature of the collected data.
Results of the study
Once we have collected and analysed the data, we are likely to use this de-identified information in journal articles, book chapters and/or conference papers. We are also likely to share our findings using the Monash University publicly accessible web pages, like The Monash Lens or Monash Education Teach Space. You may access any of these sites to obtain a summary of our findings. If you would like to be informed of the research findings, please contact Professor Umesh Sharma, Tel: (03) 9905 4388, Email: umesh.sharma@monash.edu
Complaints
Should you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of the project (Project Number 29469), you are welcome to contact the Executive Officer, Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC): Executive Officer Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC) Room 111, Chancellery Building D, 26 Sports Walk, Clayton Campus Research Office Monash University VIC 3800 Tel: +61 3 9905 2052 Email: muhrec@monash.edu Fax: +61 3 9905 3831