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NAEYC Code Of Ethics

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According to Belmont, three fundamental ethical principles are essentials when conducting research with children: Ethics as protection that emphasize on respect for persons; Ethics of care that emphasize on the beneficence; and Ethics of justice (Fombad, 2005; Matutina, 2009).
Ethics as protection is recognizing child participants’ vulnerability and respecting their autonomy. Their vulnerability is shown on different aspects, such as rationality, maturity, language development, and intelligence. So researchers need to pay close attentions to all different aspects. Ethics of care require researchers to minimize the risks, safeguard children from any harm, and assure children’s welfare and wellbeing.
In addition, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2005) position statement and its Code of Ethical Conduct provide clear guidelines for people who deal with ethical dilemmas in early childhood education. The first principle mentioned in NAEYC code of Ethical Conduct is that the research should not do harm to children. “This principle has precedence over all others” (NAEYC, 2005). Researchers have to carefully examine any potential risks or harms …show more content…

Some researchers may invite parents participate in the research. However, in this case, sometimes children’s response may not be their real thoughts because they may be affected by adults. Researchers may face dilemmas whether to communicate children’s responses to their parents if the child participants told them not to. As a result, researchers need to maintain a shared power and build trust with parents and children. This can ensure both parents and children’s rights to express their willingness, their considerations, and their preferences. Researchers also need to examine, validate, and respect parents and children’s unique perspectives and cultural

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