Research Study Consent & Assent Form
What Students Believe About Their Success and Failure: A Study of Attribution in the Secondary Instrumental Large Ensemble Classroom
| Protocol Title | "What Students Believe About Their Success and Failure: A Study of Attribution in the Secondary Instrumental Large Ensemble Classroom" |
| IRB Protocol Number | 8478E |
| Principal Investigator | Jason Nitsch |
| Description of Study Population | Minor High School Instrumental Music Students aged 12–18 (approx.) – Grades 9–12. |
| Consent Form Valid Date | June 30, 2026 |
| Study Expiration Date | June 29, 2029 |
| Version Date | 5.28.26 |
The purpose of this research study is to determine how students perceive their own successful or unsuccessful experiences in their musical activities.
Participants who take part in this research study will be in this research study for 1 day for 5–8 minutes.
Participants taking part in this study will be given an online questionnaire to complete regarding their own opinions about what affects their musical outcomes. The entire process should take no more than 5–8 minutes on average, and you will not be asked to prepare anything ahead of time. The study can be completed on any personal or school-issued electronic device.
As individuals, there is no risk involved in completing the study. The questionnaires are all completed individually, the responses stored anonymously, and no identifying information about any individual collected. Your participation will not affect your experience, placement, or academic grade in your course in any way. This study is asking only for your opinions, and there are no correct or incorrect answers, only your answers.
There are no direct benefits to participating students. It is hoped that through the completion of this study that future music educators and secondary instrumental music students may be able to experience enhanced instructional and assessment techniques derived from the study conclusions.
Please read this form carefully. The purpose of this form is to provide you with important information about taking part in a research study. If you have any questions about the research or any portion of this form, please ask us. Taking part in this research study is up to you. If you decide to take part in this research study, we will ask you to sign this form. We will give you a copy of the signed form.
The person in charge of this study is Jason Nitsch (Student Researcher), Jim Imhoff (co-researcher/faculty advisor), and Karin Hendricks (co-researcher). Jason Nitsch can be reached at jnitsch@bu.edu, Karin Hendricks can be reached at khen@bu.edu, and Jim Imhoff can be reached at jimhoff@msn.com. We will refer to them as the "researchers" throughout this form.
Participation in research is voluntary, which means that it is something for which you volunteer. It is your choice to participate in the study, or not to participate. If you choose to participate now, you may change your mind and stop participating later. If you decide not to participate, that decision will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
The purpose of this study is to determine how students perceive their own successful or unsuccessful experiences in their musical activities.
We are asking you/your child to take part in this study because you/your child are/is enrolled in your school's instrumental music program and in between grades 9 and 12.
About 100 subjects will take part in this research study at Boston University for one day for approximately 5–8 total minutes.
There is no funding for this project.
We expect that you will be in this research study for 5–8 minutes.
If you agree to take part in this study, we will ask you to sign the consent form before we conduct any study procedures.
Study participants will be given a questionnaire to complete regarding their own opinions about what affects their musical outcomes.
Questionnaire/Survey Risks
As individuals, there is no risk involved in completing the study. The questionnaires are all completed individually, the responses stored anonymously, and no identifying information about any individual collected. Your participation will not affect your experience, placement, or academic grade in your course in any way. This study is asking only for your opinions, and there are no correct or incorrect answers, only your answers.
Loss of Confidentiality
The main risk of allowing us to use and store your information for research is a potential loss of privacy. All data collected from this study will remain private. No personally individually identifiable data or information about the study participants, including e-mails, student ID numbers, phone numbers, addresses, etc., will be collected at any time. No information that could identify any individual will appear in any report, summary, or conclusions derived from the study data.
There are no direct benefits to participating students. It is hoped that through the completion of this study that future music educators and secondary instrumental music students may be able to experience enhanced instructional and assessment techniques derived from the study conclusions.
Taking part in this study is your choice. You are free not to take part or to withdraw at any time for any reason. No matter what you decide, there will be no penalty. If you decide to withdraw from this study, the information that you have already provided will remain in the data set and be kept confidential.
We will keep the records of this study confidential by limiting the number of individuals who have access to the data responses to only the PI and study staff. We will make every effort to keep your records confidential. However, there are times when federal or state law requires the disclosure of your records.
The following people or groups may review your study records for purposes such as quality control or safety:
- The Researcher and any member of their research team
- The Institutional Review Board at Boston University. The Institutional Review Board is a group of people who review human research studies for safety and protection of people who take part in the studies.
- The sponsor or funding agency for this study
- Federal and state agencies that oversee or review research
- Central University Offices
The study data will be stored electronically via an online storage platform that only the researchers have access to.
The results of this research study may be published or used for teaching. We will not include identifiable information on data that are used for these purposes.
We will not pay you for taking part in this study.
Please e-mail us with any concerns or questions about the research, or any research-related problems:
- Jason Nitsch – PI/Student Researcher – jnitsch@bu.edu
- Karin Hendricks – khen@bu.edu
- Jim Imhoff – Co-Investigator/Faculty Advisor – jimhoff@msn.com
If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or if you have any complaints or concerns and want to speak with someone independent of the research team, you may contact the Boston University Charles River Campus IRB at 617-358-6115.
I have read the information in this consent form including risks and possible benefits. I have been given the chance to ask questions. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in the study.
I have read and understood the information provided above. I have had the opportunity to ask questions and have received satisfactory answers. I voluntarily give permission for my child to participate in this study.
The study has been explained to me in a way that I can understand. I have had the opportunity to ask questions. I understand that participation is voluntary and that I may stop participating at any time without penalty. I agree to participate in this study.
Complete at least one section above (Parent/Guardian Permission, Child Assent, or both), then click the button below. A signed PDF will be generated for each completed section and saved automatically.