Bringing Vignette-Based Interviews to the Forefront: A Framework for an Underused Qualitative Research Method in Education

Qualitative research in educational leadership has traditionally relied on methods such as interviews and focus groups, often overlooking alternative approaches that can generate deeper interpretive insight. Among these, vignette-based methods remain notably underutilized and under-theorized in education, despite their demonstrated potential in disciplines such as health and social sciences, where they have been effectively used to explore complex, sensitive, and context-dependent phenomena. This absence is particularly pronounced in educational research, where there is a lack of systematic, structured guidance on how to design and implement vignettes with methodological rigor. This article responds to that gap by drawing together methodological insights from across disciplines—including health, social sciences, and education—to develop a structured, adaptable framework for the effective use of vignette-based methods in qualitative educational research. While applicable to a wide range of educational inquiries, this contribution is particularly salient for researchers in educational leadership, where issues of power, identity, professional agency, and ethical decision-making are central and often difficult to access through direct questioning alone. To ground this contribution empirically, we present a case study from a vignette-based qualitative investigation in educational leadership, illustrating how well-constructed vignettes enabled participants to articulate complex understandings of leadership roles and institutional dynamics. The proposed framework offers educational researchers a reflexive, context-sensitive approach to designing and using vignettes as a primary method of data generation—supporting richer, more nuanced inquiry into the multilayered realities of educational practice and leadership.