COVID-19 compromise or inclusive alternative? Reimagining qualitative interviews using Microsoft Teams in Jamaican educational research.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Rethinking Qualitative Research in Virtual Spaces: Ethics, Inclusion, and Methodological Adaptation

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional qualitative research, prompting a shift to virtual interviews using tools like Microsoft Teams. While often seen as a temporary crisis adaptation, this paper argues for the continued value of video-based interviews beyond emergency contexts. Drawing on an international PhD project involving a Jamaican researcher in the UK interviewing Jamaican participants post-pandemic, the paper explores ethical, methodological, and epistemological considerations in virtual research. It highlights issues such as informed consent, anonymity, digital security, and performativity, while showcasing the potential for participant autonomy, inclusivity, and voice. Ultimately, it repositions virtual interviews not as secondary to face-to-face interaction, but as a powerful, flexible, and ethical method of qualitative inquiry.

Author

• Delta Wright, Edge Hill University