Parental Consent Form
This consent form is for you to allow your child to participate in a research study for Thomas Herrington's PhD dissertation with the University of Mississippi.
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Consent for You and Your Child to Participate in Educational Research

Study Title: Understanding how teacher involvement leads to student success in online social studies courses

 

Investigator                                                               Faculty Sponsor

Thomas M. Herrington, Ed.S.                                    Ellen Foster, Ph.D.

Department of Teacher Education                           Department of Teacher Education     

317 Guyton Hall                                                           317 Guyton Hall

University of Mississippi                                            University of Mississippi

University, MS 38677                                                  University, MS 38677

(662) 915-7350                                                            (662) 915-7350

tmherri1@olemiss.edu                                                ejfoster@olemiss.edu                                   

 

Key Information for You to Consider

·       Purpose. The purpose of this research is to explore how teacher involvement in online courses helps students succeed. 

·       Duration. It is expected that your participation will last ten to twenty minutes.

·       Activities. You will be asked to answer questions in regard to the online social studies course(s) that the student has taken and how the teacher interacted with the student.

·       Why you might not want to participate. There are no foreseeable risks or discomforts of your participation other than the time to take the questionnaire.

·       Why you might want to participate. Although there are no direct benefits for participation, participants might gain appreciation for the fact that they are helping contribute to research that will hopefully lead to better online courses and student experiences in those courses.

What you and your child will do for this study

You and your child are invited to participate in a study that will look at what makes online learning a successful experience that leads to student success.  The student’s will be provided a list of seven questions and can choose to fill out an online questionnaire or to be interviewed by the researcher on a Zoom or Google Meet meeting.  The parent/guardian questions will be in the form of a questionnaire.  Your participation in the study is not required but greatly appreciated. 

There are two sets of questions: one for the student and one for the parent/guardian. 

The students’ questions are in regard to their experience in the course.  The questions ask about the student’s experience in the online course and focus on things the teacher said or did that helped the student pass the course. 

The parent/guardian questionnaire asks more general questions that pertain to why a virtual course was chosen over the face-to-face course and if the student was able to get guidance from the parent if and when the student did not understand something in the course. 

Videotaping / Audiotaping

If selected, the Interviews are conducted using an online audio/video service, either Zoom or Google Meet.  The use of an online audio/video service allows for interviews to be transcribed; only the audio will be kept for the duration of the study. There will be no visual images captured of any of the interviewees. The audio is captured to ensure accurate notes of the student responses are taken.  Once notes are finalized, the audio will be safely discarded. 

Time required for this study

This study will take students about 15 to 20 minutes and parents 10 to 15 minutes.  Meeting times will vary based on the student’s availability.

Possible Risks or Benefits from participation

There are no anticipated risks to you from participating in the study.  If the student or parent provides a name and email address, the researcher will send the participant a $25 Amazon gift card.  You and your child also might experience satisfaction from contributing to efforts to improve online learning for future students. 

Confidentiality

All information in the study will be collected from you and your child anonymously: it will not be possible for anyone, even the researchers, to associate you with your responses or your child’s responses.

Right to Withdraw
You do not have to volunteer for this study, your child does not have to participate, and there is no penalty if either of you refuses.  If you and your child start the study and either one of you decides that you do not want to finish, just tell the researcher.  Whether or not you and your child participate or withdraw will not affect your current or future relationship with the Department of Teacher Education, or with the University, and it will not cause you to lose any benefits to which you are entitled.

Student Participants in Investigators’ Classes

Special human research subject protections apply where there is any possibility of coercion – such as for students in classes of investigators. Investigators can recruit from their classes but only by providing information on availability of studies. They can encourage you to participate, but they cannot exert any coercive pressure for you to do so. Therefore, if you experience any coercion from your instructor, you should contact the IRB via phone (662-915-7482) or email (irb@olemiss.edu) and report the specific form of coercion. You will remain anonymous in an investigation.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

Under Mississippi law, an exception to confidentiality is incidents of child abuse or neglect and threats to harm self or others.  If, in the course of my research, I develop reasonable cause to believe such an incident has occurred or there is imminent risk of harm to self or others, I am required to contact the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

IRB Approval
This study has been reviewed by The University of Mississippi’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).  The IRB has determined that this study fulfills the human research subject protections obligations required by state and federal law and University policies.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights or your child’s rights as a research participant, please contact the IRB at (662) 915-7482 or irb@olemiss.edu.

Please ask the researcher if there is anything that is not clear or if you need more information.  When all your questions have been answered, then decide if you want your child to be in the study or not.

Statement of Consent

I have read the above information.  I have been given an unsigned copy of this form.  I have had an opportunity to ask questions, and I have received answers.  I consent to participate in the study and to allow my child to participate.

Furthermore, I also affirm that the researcher explained the study to me and told me about the study’s risks as well as my right and my child’s right to refuse to participate and to withdraw, and that I am the parent/legal guardian of the child listed below.

Name of the Student: *
Name of Parent / Guardian: *
Type Parent / Guardian Name Again for Signature: *
Type / Select Today's Date: *
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