Huntsley, Jennifer ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5613-5703 (2026) Navigating the Dual Roles of Researcher and Teacher- Educator​. In: The Only Way is Ethics Conference 2026, 24th March 2026, York St John University. (Unpublished)

Slideshow Navigating Dual Roles - Insider Research.pptx - Presentation Download (97kB)

Abstract

This presentation explores how I navigated my dual roles as both a researcher and a teacher-educator during my doctoral study in another
university in the north of England. As a local-knowledge case study, insider research offered opportunity for nuanced interpretation (Thomas,
2023). Insider research approaches can enhance studies situated within interpretative or constructivist frameworks (Savin-Baden & Howell Major,
2013), or those employing Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019), as insiders are able to bring rich, unique knowledge to data analysis
and interpretation (Munn-Giddings, 2021). ​

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However, BERA (2024) cautions that researching one's own students requires particular ethical care, especially where assessment procedures run
alongside data collection processes. In any study, power imbalances are inherent between researcher and researched (Ide & Beddoe, 2024).
Where a researcher holds multiple roles relative to participants, these power relations are further compounded (Ross, 2017), to the point that
participants may hold back certain truths: 'pragmatism may outweigh candour' (Mercer, 2007, p.8). Furthermore, common critiques of insider-
research are either its apparent lack of objectivity, or that researchers may over-identify with participants and adopt their perspectives (Sikes &
Potts, 2008). ​

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Given these cautions and limitations, this presentation suggests principles that may guide ethical insider research, and explores how they were
implemented in practice. These include: ​

* Distancing the researcher from the site of data collection​

* Explicit differentiation of dual roles​

* Empowering participants through active consent​

* Supporting researcher reflexivity​

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This presentation seeks to contribute to generating principles for ethical research within our own community at York St John.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Lecture)
Status:	Unpublished
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15401

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