article · Open Research Europe
This qualitative study examines how research ethics is taught, understood, and applied within medical and health sciences education at the University of Rwanda. Drawing on interviews with nineteen students and seventeen faculty members, the investigation reveals that while students value research ethics, their educational experiences remain largely fragmented, procedural, and difficult. Significant hurdles include overcrowded classrooms, scarce learning materials, inconsistent mentorship, and limited faculty confidence in delivering ethics training. Academic deadlines, institutional delays, and funding constraints also restrict student preparedness. When conducting field research, students face practical dilemmas such as obtaining informed consent from populations unaware of their rights, resolving participant compensation misunderstandings, and balancing community expectations. The study concludes that ethics training must move beyond formal theory by integrating ongoing mentorship, practical research engagement, and improved institutional review procedures.
Protecting research participants depends on the ability of researchers to navigate ethical dilemmas in real settings. Identifying weaknesses in current medical education helps universities reform training programmes. When institutions improve ethics teaching and supervision, future healthcare professionals and clinical investigators are better prepared to conduct responsible, respectful, and legally sound research within their communities.
The findings could inform the design of specialised ethics training modules, curriculum design services, or institutional compliance programmes for universities and clinical trial organisations. Prospective users include higher education administrators, research ethics committees, and medical training institutes. As an exploratory qualitative study, the work represents early-stage baseline evidence that would require translation into structured educational or operational frameworks before practical implementation.
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Background Research ethics and ethical research practice are essential for protecting research participants. However, opportunities for practical ethics learning are often limited, making it difficult to apply ethical principles in real-world research. This study explored students’ and faculty’s experiences and perspectives on ethical research conduct and learning in Rwandan medical and health sciences education. Methods An exploratory qualitative design was employed, using in-depth interviews with nineteen students and seventeen faculty staff between March and September 2024 at a medical and health sciences college of the University of Rwanda. Data were analysed and three themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis: research ethics learning context, superficial understanding of research ethics concepts and principles, and barriers to translating knowledge of research ethics into practice. The constructivist and phenomenological frameworks were used to interpret the findings. Results While students recognized the importance of research ethics, their learning experiences were fragmented, procedural, and often burdensome. Challenges included overcrowded classes, inconsistent guidance, limited exposure to ethics materials, and lecturers’ lack of confidence in teaching ethics. Institutional inefficiencies, financial constraints, and pressures to meet academic timelines further hindered students’ preparedness for ethical research. In practice, students navigated complex situations, including populations unfamiliar with their rights, students and community expectations, and misunderstandings related to compensation for research participants, which complicated consent and blurred ethical boundaries. Conclusions The findings suggest that meaningful ethics learning occurs when ethical reasoning is embedded in day-to-day research practice and supported by mentorship, dialogue, and opportunities for real-world research engagement. Considering these results, the University of Rwanda can strengthen supervision, streamline review, ethical approval and ethical follow-up processes, and foster an environment that rewards ethical reflection. Aligning ethics education with students lived realities and experiences, and the structural constraints identified can help develop reflective, resilient practitioners equipped to navigate the complex ethical demands.
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DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.24125.1
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