Anton Pushparajah T
I am a full-time first-year Ph.D. student at the School of Education, University of Leicester. My area of research interests in language assessment is testing and assessing speaking.
Location Sri Lanka
Activity
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Thank you for providing an excellent and well-crafted course on ethics.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Couldn't get access to the paper
-
Thank you Pedro for the answer and your time.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I found the article was quite relevant and of useful to read and reflect on.
https://theconversation.com/first-do-no-harm-education-research-should-answer-to-the-same-standards-as-medicine-148904 -
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I think as it is pointed out in the audio, positioning yourself as a researcher to the research and the participants is one of the key challenges that any researcher would encounter. The challenge is whether to position himself or herself as an insider or outsider to the study or participants.
-
It's quite strange to observe why many people have not voted for the first one, in my opinion, that's one of the key factors of being the insider to the research setting which would be an added advantage to bring in insider perspective to the study.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I would like to reflect on the first point where his role as an outsider to the research setting that he was going to involved in for a considerable period of time. As a total outsider to the system, people, language, culture and educational level (literacy), let alone forget about a common language would be different. Also, by requirements of the western...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
In my personal opinion, I feel avoiding imposition starts from the stage of getting the informed consent where letting the participants know their rights and privileges they enjoy while being part of the study. I would also think of three other factors that can avoid being imposition.
1. Giving them the choice of skip any part part of the study or... -
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I have a question here, if anyone is willing to give me an answer.
How ethical is to reward your participants with gifts and other benefits as Katerina highlights here? Does it affect the outcome of the study in anyway? -
Here, my experience of working as research assistant in a project where I had to interview some of the affected people of the 30 year civil war in Sri Lanka in the 2009 post-war period. I found myself as an insider mostly but at times during the interview, I felt I was also an outsider for certain anecdotes. Representing a community which was badly affected by...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I too endorse fully what Dr. Wasyl stated in the audio. I had been approached by many or sometimes I feel as some kind of influence is enforced on your to be part of their market research at different place (supermarket, shopping complexes and street corners) and I declined purely for the purpose of inconvenient and the way I had been approached partly at...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
As it is rightly pointed out in the in the reflection prompt, there are several ways in which you should understand the context specific needs and expectations of your research participants. Reading out the situation or foreseeing/ anticipating certain issues that might arise during the data collection stage. One way of mitigating that is piloting your study...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I would like to reflect on the first point where I like to iterate the phrase used in the audio 'due diligence' to say that when a researcher represents a particular institute, she/he has to safeguard her/his name as well as the institute she/he represents while safeguard the participants. When your research deals with certain sensitive topics/areas, then the...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I totally understand purely from the perspective of the researcher where getting your project funded is sometimes very difficult provided that your project fulfills all the requirements of the funders. In addition to that, in general, financial stability of respective countries and institutes is also not favouralbe. So, they prioritise areas to which they fund...
-
Thank you so much for bringing up a wide range of issues related the above issue.
-
I would like to reflect on the third point in the reflection about gatekeeping which can be argued in terms of purely in the perspective of running of the organization where some organizations are less flexible than the others in terms of allowing researchers to collect data using their children. They consider this activity as a waste of time sometimes. On the...
-
I look the the issue in two broader perspectives, the first issue is, parents as gatekeepers need more time to decide on behalf of their children. Even though, they understand the wider benefits of the study to the society, still they wanted to look at from the perspective of their children's (psychology) before they make the final decision. Second, they worry...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
As Ahmad pointed out below, I would also choose Alice Goffman's study to seek for evidence to answer researcher's actions and some questions to be considered in those scenarios in terms of potential participant.
Indeed, Goffman's study was purely ethnography but I would also call it as a "participatory action research" where her focus was to be with the... -
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Possible benefits and beneficiaries
1. Practical (students, parents, language teachers, language testers, & policy makers)
2. Theoretical (language testing community & other researchers)
3. Methodological (research community & academia) -
The photo voice method that was used the study seems to me a powerful way of bringing out the research output and empowering the participants if the study is being carried out adhering the ethical standards. From my personal experience, I have experienced how people treat this particular vulnerable group(ex-offenders/ on probation) in the society. This section...
-
Marginalized???
-
The audio identifies the group in the study as one of the marginalized groups in the society where sometimes, either, their rights are not ensured or society does not feel that they are entitled for rights as the others in the society. The other issue is the stigma that their profession brings out prevents them to fight for what they are entitled for sometime.
-
I would endorse the way the researcher approached the entire study. Not just a mere collection of data but from the beginning to the end of the research project which highlights some of the fundamental qualities that any human being should possess while interacting with other people, especially when you're meeting them for the first time, let alone forget...
-
Simply the content that was discussed in the video was mind-blowing and made me rethink the process that should go into my research at the time of research design. As a young scholar coming from a country, though child protection laws are implemented against perpetrators still there are grey areas such as using their image and bodies in the public forums for...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
What I have learnt over the first week, research ethics or gaining research ethics is not just filling in forms and tick the check list off but it goes beyond that mere paper work. Demonstrate an understanding of your research, setting , participants, potential benefits and negative elements are some of the ingredients of fulfilling that requirements. It was a...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I would reflect on Goffman's study where the question of being virtuous is challenged in number of ways.
1. Her study with the particular participants lasted for more than 6 years and in the process she would have gained in-depth understanding about their life and certain other practices which she was also part of it. If not her study she could have acted... -
As a researcher while being on filed work to collect data in the process of building trust which is a core of the process where you need to reciprocate something which you might not do otherwise as reported by Rafael. The above practice needs to be looked at in the wider perspective of good of humanities rather than just simply looking at purely your research...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I would reflect on the third point "accept the situation, thank those concerned for their consideration of the project, make notes in a research diary and reflect these in the reporting." because at the beginning of the data collection process the researcher would get the informed written consent where the right to withdrawal is guaranteed. So, as a...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I totally agree with the argument in the article. The process of gaining ethical approval is not just fulfilling the checklist requirements but it goes beyond that where the sitting committee should realize that the researcher has developed an understanding about the study setting and documented clear rationale for her/his actions.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I would reflect on the first stage of the process as framing where I would be focusing on the research parameters and try to put the study into a setting. As a researcher, I should have the courage to acknowledge my limitation of the study while stealing neither someone's idea nor being reckless in setting up some unrealistic questions to be answered.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
As far as I am concerned the above six principles have summarized and provide guidance as to how virtuous a researcher should be. Continuous reflection on these principles would make anyone a better researcher in terms of following the ethics..
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Two elements stuck me while I was listening to the audio and they are "trust & respect". As a researcher if you develop these two core principles with your participants, the contribution that your participants would make to inform their input cannot be equated with anything. So, building positive relationship is very crucial before you start collecting any...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
As a responsible researcher, I need to think through how I could maximize the benefits to me and the others while minimize the negativity. One way of doing the former is to think about the process more than the end result of the study. What I mean by the process is carry out your research by following the guidelines of the relevant parties. On the other...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
The above reading and the visual organizer remind us about the responsibilities (stated and un-stated) that we need to adhere as researchers. Taking up responsibities and accountable for what we do is also should be emphasized here.
-
Being a researcher and a participant of various studies at times in the past, the above questions invite me to reflect on my practice. Yes, of course as a researcher one has to think beyond ones study and at the same time, as a participants, people might think in a narrow perspective about their own benefits but their participation in the study might yield...
-
The article discusses how modern utilitarianism thinks about
aggregating actions, which should aim to maximize the benefits for the majority over actions which aim rather to maximize positive benefits for individuals. As researchers, we just need to focus more on the positive outcome of the individuals. More ethical guidelines should govern individual to act... -
CERD- A new framework that I have come across. Its always good to understanding the ethical underpinning that governs ones study before one starts collecting data.
-
I personally feel that being a researcher who follows due ethical guidance in your research is taking up responsibility of your own work.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I am Anton!
In Mathew's case: safety is very important. There is life beyond one's PhD. Life imprisonment for being open to about your topic is unacceptable. -
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Given what she wanted to study, do you think Natasha could have gone about it any other way? I would reflect on the above question because she could have approached the site owners before her start of the data collection to get the approval from the site owners. In this case she let her know to the site owners after the site is been hacked.
-
One of the problems that I observe here in the case study was that he was arrested and detained due to his openness about his research topic. The relevant academic institutes reconfirmed that the research is being carried out by following the due process. So, he was not at fault. However, having worked in the region for nearly 7 years, he should have...
-
In response to the video and the resonated questions in repose to the video arise many questions and debates among the research communities and other concerned parties. On one hand her deeper association with the participants was to gain understanding about the the impact of criminal justice system that was in operation in that time. To capture the real...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
While reading the article I was reflecting on my experience as a participant of few academic studies where I was approached by the researcher to be part the study. Informed consent was given on my part before starting the data collection. I was given the choice of withdrawing from the study at any stage without prior notice. I had control over the information...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I am happy that I haven't given up although I was ill halfway through the course. Thank you everyone for sharing your ideas. It was a wonderful knowledge sharing experience.
-
@AmyJaneBarnes Thank you so much for the information.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I also look at specific journals related to the field and look for the editorial board and look for their scholarly work. I found it quite useful.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Found it very interesting and though provoking.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Thank you for the comprehensive input which made me to look at my initial research questions very seriously.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I have read about SMART goals but some of the attributes related to the acronym are new and very useful.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Reading about those two approaches was really useful to think through the process of making the research questions for my research.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
My focus is closely connected to the work I do at present where I teach English. I wanted to look at how and why do the current assessment practices fail in assessing what it should be assessed in terms of English language proficiency in the Sri Lankan universities?
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Yes, it was an eye opener but at the same time it provided with necessary information and some of them are good reminders of self evaluation. Looking forward to the challenge.
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
This is the biggest problem that everyone faces. I am wondering whether teaching assistants or research assistants positions are available at Leicester for full time PhD students?
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
As far as I am concerned, doing your PhD is one and on what you do your PhD is another. I am into the second one because it's a major commitment in your life and therefore you do something that you would like to do. For the same reason, I intend to do my PhD in language assessment which is my passion. Further, I can contribute to the field through...
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
True, by reading the above article, I was forced to re-think all the perspectives that were mentioned and reinstate them in my proposal. I am going to be constantly reminded of the question 'how am I going to make my project with an impact?'
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
Being a full time faculty member at a University, pursuing my PhD is a requirement. However, completion of a PhD would make me a complete researcher and full fledged academia
-
Anton Pushparajah T made a comment
I am Anton from Sri Lanka. I am a language tester and looking forward to start my PhD in language assessment. Glad that I am here at the right place to fine tune my proposal.
