Reconfiguring Delphi: Reciprocity and Professional Reflection in Qualitative Research Design

This article reflects on the adaptation of the Delphi method within a qualitative, social constructivist paradigm, illustrated through a study of resilience in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Rather than using Delphi solely as a tool for generating expert consensus, the study reconfigures it as a reciprocal and dialogic process that amplifies practitioners’ situated knowledges and lived experiences. Two iterative rounds combined qualitative depth with selective quantitative tools, enabling the articulation, comparison, and refinement of diverse perspectives on resilience. Methodological decisions such as embedding participants’ contributions into subsequent rounds, incorporating flexible response formats, and sustaining iterative meaning-making fostered sustained engagement and supported reflective consideration of practice. These adaptations positioned participants as co-constructors of knowledge while generating insights relevant to professional practice. The study suggests the potential of Delphi not to impose fixed interpretations but to collaboratively generate nuanced understandings. It contributes to methodological debates by showing how Delphi can be reframed as a reciprocal process that can support professional reflection, highlighting the value of divergence, relationality, and contextual sensitivity in qualitative research design.