ABSTRACT
Researching into the practice of one’s own institution raises a number of ethical dilemmas. Having worked in higher education for 18 years as a practitioner-researcher, I convince myself that the research I do on students’ learning and on teachers’ teaching at university is for the greater good of improving both. But what happens if my research shows the institution where I work in a bad light, or the student, or the teacher, or the subject? How do I know I am not abusing my power as a teacher who is also a researcher? How can I examine the effects of interventions in a controlled experimental way without disadvantaging students in the process?
