As my ‘Mark to Material’ workshop develops, I’ve been thinking carefully about how ethics shape every stage of the process, not just in formal terms like consent and data management, but in how the workshop itself reflects values of care, inclusion, and respect. Because this project is about challenging exclusionary norms in textile education, the ethical dimension feels embedded in its core: it’s about creating a safe, democratic space for experimentation, where no one feels judged or “wrong.”
In planning my ethical action plan, I’ve tried to think about ethics not only as something procedural, but relational. As Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2012) note, sampling and participation in educational research require sensitivity to who is included, who is excluded, and whose voices are heard. By running the workshop through CSM’s Insights programme with secondary school teachers, I’m aware that my participants are not students but educators themselves, each bringing their own contexts, responsibilities, and constraints. Ensuring that participation is voluntary, informed, and genuinely collaborative is key.
Participants will be given a clear information sheet and consent form outlining how their contributions will be used, their right to withdraw, and how data will be anonymised and stored securely. As with all Insights activities, signed consent forms and data handling will follow UAL’s ethical protocols. I’ve also considered the small but real ethical moments that happen ‘within’ the session; for example, making sure that all materials and instructions are accessible, that participants with different needs can take part comfortably, and that there’s an atmosphere of mutual respect. Lunch and materials will be provided with dietary and access needs considered, reinforcing the idea that care is part of ethical practice.
On a deeper level, I see ethics as linked to the workshop’s pedagogical aims. McNiff (2002) reminds us that action research is a form of “living inquiry” it asks us to act with integrity, reflectively and responsively, within our own practice. For me, that means being attentive to power dynamics in teaching and research, and striving for a space where play, experimentation, and imperfection are celebrated.
In ‘Mark to Material’, ethics isn’t just about protecting participants, it’s about nurturing trust, openness, and curiosity. It’s about creating the conditions for people to explore, to take risks, and to learn together.
References
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2012) “Research Methods in Education”. 7th edn. London: Routledge.
Ellis, C. and Bochner, A.P. (2006) ‘Analyzing Analytic Autoethnography: An Autopsy’, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(4), pp. 429–449.
McNiff, J. (2002) “Action Research for Professional Development: Concise Advice for New Action Researchers”. Dorset: September Books.