From Associate Professor Erica Southgate
School of Education
University of Newcastle
V Building
University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308
Phone number: (02) 4921 6325
Regarding Research Project: Exploring the role of educational leaders in supporting online learning initiatives.
Document version 1.2 dated 6/12/2022
Dear potential research participant,
You are invited to participate in the research project noted above which is being conducted by researchers from the University of Newcastle.
The research is part of Megan Bennett’s doctoral studies at the University of Newcastle, supervised by Associate Professor Erica Southgate and Dr Suzanne Macqueen from the School of Education.
The information below provides more detail about the study and how you can participate, if you choose to do so.
1. What is the research study about?
The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of educational leaders in supporting online learning initiatives, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on online learning now and into the future.
2. Who is conducting the research?
This research project is being conducted by researchers from the University of Newcastle’s School of Education.
3. Who can participate in the research?
This research study is recruiting people who have a leadership role in an Australian secondary school who respond to the invitation to take part in the survey.
Examples of people who are eligible to participate include:
- Principal/Deputy Principal
- Head of School
- Faculty/KLA Coordinator
- ICT Director/Coordinator
- ICT Integrator or Digital Learning Leader
People who cannot participate include those who do not have a leadership role in an Australian secondary school.
4. What does participation involve?
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete an anonymous survey about online learning at your school, including the leadership of it, and your school’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
The survey must be completed in a single session.
The final section in the survey provides participants with the opportunity to voluntarily opt in to the second phase of the research which involves three interviews and responding to a brief survey three months after interviews 1 and 2. A link to a separate survey collecting participants’ contact details will be provided in order to maintain participants’ anonymity with this survey.
5. Do you have to take part in this research study?
No. Participation in this research study is voluntary. If you do not want to take part, you do not have to. If you decide to participate and later change your mind, you are free to withdraw from the study at any time prior to submitting your completed survey. Due to the anonymous nature of the survey, if you decide to withdraw from the project after submitting a completed survey, we cannot withdraw your responses.
6. What is the benefit of participating in this research study?
By participating in this survey, you will have the opportunity to provide helpful insights into the role of educational leaders in the field of online learning and the responses of schools to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include future implications for online learning as a result of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
7. Are there any risks involved in participating in this research?
There are no anticipated risks associated with participating in this research.
8. How will your privacy be protected?
Due to the anonymous nature of the survey, the responses you provide will not be identifiable. Participants wishing to opt in to the second phase of the research will provide their names and contact details via an optional separate survey that is linked to from the final question.
Data will be retained securely for a minimum period of 5 years from the completion of the research project. Information will be managed and stored in accordance with the University’s Research Data and Materials Management Guideline or any successor Guideline as well as any other applicable University of Newcastle policy provisions. The University’s Research Data and Materials Management Guideline is available at
https://policies.newcastle.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=72
The researchers involved in this study will be the only people who will have access to the survey results.
9. How will information collected by the research team be used?
The information we collect will contribute to Megan Bennett’s PhD thesis. The information will be collated and analysed and may also be presented in academic publications, at conferences or in articles.
Individual participants will not be identifiable in any of the outputs generated from the research project, but individual anonymous responses may be quoted.
Non-identifiable data may be shared with other parties as part of a peer-review process to verify the robustness and integrity of the study, or to contribute to further research and public knowledge.
10. What you need to do in order to participate
Read this Information Statement in its entirety and be sure you understand all of the information provided before you agree to participate.
Completion and submission of the survey will be taken as your implied consent to participate.
11. Do you need more information?
Thank you,
Erica Southgate
Associate Professor
University of Newcastle
Megan Bennett
Student Researcher
University of Newcastle
Concerns or complaints about this research
This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee, Approval No. H-2022-0372.
If you have concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or if you have a complaint about the manner in which the research is conducted, you can contact the Chief Investigator Associate Professor Erica Southgate at
erica.southgate@newcastle.edu.au
If you would prefer to contact someone independent of the research project, you can forward your concerns to:
Human Research Ethics Officer
Research and Innovation Services
University of Newcastle
University Drive
Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
Phone: (02) 4921 6333
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