Ethical Considerations

Ethical consideration is an important part of the research endeavor that

requires researchers to consider the fundamentals of ethical research involving

human subjects in greater complexity. It is a global requirement to protect the rights

of human participants in research. It guides researchers to conduct and report

research without deception or intention to harm the respondents of the study. To

ensure the validity of the study, researcher must follow ethical standards when doing

and presenting the result of the research. Thus, it must comply with the DOST-

PHREB mandate following the institutional HCDC-REC 9 elements.

Social Value. The Department of Education’s Program in K-12 Enhanced

Curriculum aims to produce holistically developed graduates with 21st century skills.

Since the goal of the Philippine education is to produce holistic individuals, therefore,

this study which concentrates on the academic standing of the students, which might

be related to their emotional and spiritual intellect. The researcher believes that the

study is crucial to the goal of the country as well as the community. In order to help

parents, teachers, and students understand how emotional and spiritual facets affect

student's academic success, and how this can make students to be holistically

developed, this study on emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence as

predictors to the academic performance can be a basis of the Department of

Education by designing programs and projects by integrating activities that will help

students to be emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually competent.

Informed Consent/ Assent. Informed consent is a process of communication

between the respondents and the researcher. It’s one way of asking permission to

the respondents whether they will participate freely or not in the study. That the
respondent’s participation is voluntary and there is no coercion takes place. Since,

the researcher’s respondents are minors, the informed consent will be given first to

their parents or guardians, and the respondents will be given the informed assent

after the parents or guardian allowed the participation of their child. The distribution

of the informed consent/assent will be in face-to-face since the government allows

the Department of Education to conduct the face-face instruction given the fact that

the standard health protocols of the IATF are properly observed and followed. The

researcher will make sure that the respondents are aware that they are a part of a

research study and that they are fully informed about the study. For the procurement

of the informed consent/assent, only the respondents who have the signature of their

parents or guardians are allowed to participate in the research study. However, if

they wished to become one of the respondents, then they will return the informed

consent together with signature of their parents. Moreover, the respondents have the

right to withdraw their participation, and thus the researcher will respect the decision

of the respondents if they wish not to get involve in the study.

Risks, Benefits and Safety. Since the study will be done in face-to-face, there

is a possible risk in terms of the health and safety of the students. There’s a

possibility that while participating they will be infected that may lead them to

withdrawal of their participation. Thus, to avoid this from happening, the researcher

will make sure that the respondent’s safety would always be the top priority. Thus, all

throughout the research study, the researcher will strictly adhere to the standard

health protocol given by the IATF such as wearing of face masks, hand washing,

disinfecting, and physical distancing. In case of an emergency the researcher will

coordinate automatically to the parents or guardians and the researcher will contact

and ask for assistance from the LGU and the Department of Health.
 Furthermore, despite of the risk, the researcher believed that this study will be

beneficial to the respondents because this would help them assess and be aware on

their level on emotional and spiritual intelligence that may help them in improving

their academic performance. It will serve as an eye-opener to know more about their

selves, why they behave and act in that way and most especially it will serve as

stepping stone to improve their selves to be the best version of themselves.

Privacy and Confidentiality of Information. The conduct of the study will

adhere to the Republic Act 10173 - Data Privacy Act of 2012. The privacy and

confidentiality of the data collected will be upheld and no names of individuals

involved will be divulged unless needed and permitted. Thus, the researcher’s

assurance of privacy and confidentiality extends to safekeeping and disposal of

research-related data. During the conduct of the research study for the safeguarding

and storing of the related information, the collected data and questionnaires will be

safe keep to a lock folder and all the soft copy materials that are being used will be

encrypted that only the researcher will have access to. After the utilization of the

data, the soft copy materials will be kept for one month for back up purposes in case

there will be a problem after the presentation of the research study and after that it

will be deleted permanently from the computer’s drive. For the hard copy of

document, it will be shredded so that it leaves no possibility for reconstruction of

information.

Justice. Fairness among the research respondents is evident, and that their

needs must always come before the objectives of the study. The respondents are to

be chosen through cluster sampling technique based on the research needs and not

with the expediency of the researcher. Throughout the process, the inclusion

criterion will be observed such that only the level of emotional, spiritual and students’
grade will be the information needed. While for the exclusion criterion the researcher

will make sure that there will be no unfair treatment among the respondents and

also, the questions in the survey are free from biases. Moreover, through the

provisions of the informed consent, care, compensations and reimbursement will be

observed by giving letter of thanksgiving and token of appreciation. The researcher

guarantees that any benefits arising from the study will be made available to the

research respondents. The respondents’ participation is highly appreciated for it

served as a step closer for achieving change in education especially in the teaching

instruction.

Transparency. The researcher will reveal any conflict of interest such as

predetermination where the researcher makes a decision about something and there

is a risk that the respondents will think that the researcher already make it before

considering all of the evidence. If this may happen during the course of the study, it

must be addressed appropriately in a manner so that it will eradicates bias between

the researcher and the respondents. Also, the researcher will guarantee that only

correct data will be reported with full honesty. Results of the study will be declared as

true and correct and no manipulation of data was being done. Also, before the

reporting the results of the study, the respondents will be shown the data analysis for

them to check and ensure that they agree on how it was being stated. Moreover, the

researcher believes that the study is timely and relevant to the current scenario in

the Philippine educational system. If there is a chance to present the study to the

larger groups, research forums, in-service trainings to the regional, division, cluster

or in our school, then the researcher will grab the opportunity to share the findings

and the results of the study. However, this would be done with approval and will of

the research respondents. Still, all the respondents’ information were safe-kept and
would not be disclosed. Additionally, the researcher also will provide a copy of the

finished study to the graduate school, CHED, and to the schools of Cluster 7.

Qualification of the Researcher. The researcher graduated Bachelor of

Secondary Education major in Mathematics and also a Licensed Professional

Teacher. Currently, the researcher is studying Master of Arts in Education Teaching

Mathematics and enrolled in Thesis A subject and being helped and guided by the

researcher’s subject professor and Thesis adviser. The researcher also has a lot of

experiences in joining seminars, webinars, training workshops that are related on

research such as writing action research and making Strategic Intervention Material.

Adequacy of Facilities. During the conduct of the study school’s facility to be

used is the respondent’s classroom. Since face-to-face modality will be observed

during the data gathering procedure, for the safety of the respondents and the

researcher, the researcher will strictly follow the standard health protocols of the

IATF such as such as wearing of face masks, hand washing, disinfecting, and

physical distancing. The respondents will be given printed survey questionnaire and

retrieve it after the respondents’ finish answering all the questions.

Community Involvement. Finally, in preparing the research survey

questionnaire, the researcher will make sure that the statements do not reflect any

bias or discrimination against race, culture and religion. Also, to guarantee

community involvement of the respondents, when the paper will be successfully

completed, the researcher will share the result to empower teachers to conduct

further research related to the study. Also, the researcher will make sure that

whatever results of the study will be of use to improve students’ performance,

community, the department and improvement of instruction. Lastly, it will give an

opportunity to the group to give importance on the ongoing research for it will resolve

the current pressing concerns and problems in education.