INFORMATION AND CONSENT FORM
Project Title: Female students’ experiences in learning Geography as a major at tertiary education level: A case study of a Teacher Training College in Swaziland.
Dear Student
I, Ms. Lindiwe Ncane Magagula, under the supervision of Dr Thoko Mnisi, an academic and research staff member at UKZN, would like to invite you to participate in the research: Female students’ experiences in learning Geography as a major at tertiary education level: A case study of a Teacher Training College in Swaziland.
We are conducting research into female students experience learning Geography as a major at tertiary education level. We are particularly interested in how they get to select Geography as their major and how more girls could be enhanced to do Geography. To do this we are conducting a case study which will be carried out through having the participants fill in an unstructured questionnaire and they will also be required to attend focus group sessions where they will tell about their experiences of learning Geography as a major at tertiary education level.
125 Your participation
We are asking you whether you will respond to a semi-structured questionnaire and sit in a focus group session to tell us about your experiences of learning Geography at tertiary level. We may ask you to participate in a follow up session to clarify some issues which may arise. We anticipate that the sessions may last for one hour each. If you agree, we are also asking you to give us permission to video-record the group interviews that you will be part of. We record interviews so that we can accurately record what you say.
Please understand that your participation is voluntary and you are not being forced to take part in this research. The choice of whether to participate or not, is yours alone. If you choose not to take part, you will not be affected in any way whatsoever. If you agree to participate, you may stop participating in the research at any time and tell us that you don’t want to continue. If you do this there will also be no penalties and you will not be prejudiced in any way.
Confidentiality
The two of us are required to keep your identity confidential. Kindly note that everything you will say in the interviews will be treated in a strictly confidential manner. Any research records (e.g., our notes and interview transcripts) that identify you will be kept confidential to the extent possible by law. Such records that identify you will be available only to people working on the research, unless you give permission for other people to see the records.
126
The information you provide will not be published unless you give your specific permission by signing at the end of this consent form. We will refer to you by a code number or pseudonym (another name) in all our reports and any publications that may come out of them.
Risks/discomforts and Benefits
At the present time, we do not see any risks in your participation. The risks associated with participation in this research are no greater than those encountered in daily life.
There are no immediate benefits to you from participating in this research. However, this research will be extremely helpful to us in developing a research report on this topic that we hope will promote understanding of the issues that impact on girls learning Geography as a major in Swaziland.
If you would like to receive feedback on our research, we will record your email address on a separate sheet of paper and can send you the final report from the research when it is completed sometime after April 2015.
If you feel that you have been harmed in any way by participating in this research or have any concerns, please contact the University of KwaZulu-Natal Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics at the Govan Mbeki Centre. Their telephone numbers are: 031 260 4557 and Fax number: 031 260 4609. You may also contact the research office through Mr. Prem Mohun.
127 Questions about the research may be directed to:
Ms. Lindiwe Ncane Magagula Email: [email protected] Tel: 00268 76270038
Dr. Thoko Mnisi
Email: [email protected] Tel: +27 (0) 312607476 Mr. Prem Mohun
Email:[email protected]
Tel: 031 260 4557
CONSENT
I hereby agree to participate in research: Female students’ experiences in learning Geography as a major at tertiary level: A case study of a Teacher Training College in Swaziland. I understand that I am participating freely and without being forced in any way to do so. I also understand that I can stop participating at any point should I not want to continue and that this decision will not in any way affect me negatively.
128
I understand that this is a research project whose purpose is not necessarily to benefit me personally in the immediate or short term. I give my consent for the interviews to be video-taped and for these to be used in compiling final reports and any publications that may arise.
I understand that my participation will remain confidential.
1. I hereby agree to participate in the research:
………..
Signature of participant Date: ………
2. I hereby agree to the tape-recording of the interviews in which I participate:
………..
Signature of participant Date: ………..
129