The Interplay of Reflexivity, Role Conflict, and Methodological Complexity in Qualitative Research with Deaf Learners in Lusaka District, Zambia

Abstract

Qualitative research with Deaf learners presents unique methodological and ethical challenges that are often overlooked in standard research training. When the researcher simultaneously occupies multiple roles such as teacher, sign language interpreter, and investigator, the interplay of reflexivity, role conflict, and methodological complexity becomes particularly pronounced. This study explores these interconnections, drawing on global methodological literature while paying specific attention to the under-researched Zambian context. Using an integrative theoretical framework combining post-qualitative inquiry, reflexive epistemology, and role theory, the article analyzes how dual or multiple roles influence data generation, interpretation, and representation. The findings reveal three major insights: firstly, reflexivity, role conflict, and methodological complexity are deeply intertwined phenomena that multiply rather than merely add to research challenges; secondly, ethical dilemmas concerning informed consent, confidentiality, and representational authority are heightened when the researcher controls the linguistic channel and holds institutional power over Deaf learners; and thirdly, while practical strategies such as structured ethical reflection, analytic generalization, and radical transparency exist, they require contextual adaptation for under-resourced settings such as Zambia. The study concludes with three recommendations: the adoption of a dual-role reflexivity protocol for researchers; the development of specific institutional and ethics committee guidelines for Deaf research in Zambia; and the establishment of a national working group on Deaf research methodology to build local capacity and knowledge. This study contributes to the growing literature on qualitative methodology by centering the often-invisible labor of interpreter-researchers and by offering context-sensitive guidance for ethical, rigorous, and reflexive research with Deaf learners in linguistically diverse and resource-constrained environments.