Students’ Perception of Ethical Use of Data in Educational Research among Undergraduate Students: Evidence from Yaba College of Technology in Affiliation with University of Nigeria

Abstract

In higher education, where various investigations generate substantial data and information from 
research, there is still a gap in examining the students' perspectives on the ethics that govern the 
usage of data. Despite the emerging discussions on the ethical usage of data globally, research on 
the perceptions of students in the higher education system remains limited. This gap is particularly 
noteworthy in light of the national initiative to enhance access and usage of data. This study, 
therefore, investigated students’ perception of ethical use of data in educational research among 
undergraduate students. The study adopted a descriptive research design, which is a survey type 
with quantitative approach to gather data. The target population for this study consists of   1,536 
university students of the School of Technical Education (STE) 2023/2024 academic session from 
Yaba College of Technology, in affiliation with University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Epe Campus.  The 
sample size of 224 final year students was selected using a purposive sampling method. The 
instrument for data collection in this study was a self-developed questionnaire. This study revealed 
that the average weighted mean is 3.74, which means that there is a high level of awareness of 
students regarding the ethical implications of utilising student data in educational research. This 
study also showed the average weighted mean is 3.85, indicating the perceived strategies employed 
to comply with ethical guidelines and best practices of using student data. The average weighted 
mean is 2.47 which implies that the perceived inadequacy in current regulatory framework and 
protections of data usage. It can be concluded that ethical considerations are fundamental to 
educational research involving student data. Ethical practices build trust and foster student 
willingness to participate. However, there still exist significant gaps in current frameworks and 
institutional policies. It was recommended that institutions should urgently develop and enforce 
comprehensive ethical policies governing the collection, storage, use, and sharing of student data 
for research purposes. The implication is that there is a need to improve data protection policies, 
involve students in policy formulation, and provide ethics training.