Using vignettes in educational research: a framework for vignette construction

In this paper, we investigate using vignettes in educational research, particularly for eliciting value-laden constructs such as teacher beliefs and understandings and how these influence teacher practices. Drawing on research where vignettes have been used as the central instrument for data collection, we argue that methodological consistency is achieved when the research aims, methodologies and vignette methods are aligned, and this helps satisfy internal validity and supports the findings. To assist with achieving methodological consistency we introduce and discuss a vignette framework that identifies three key elements for vignette construction (conception, design, and administration), supplemented by characteristics for each element and descriptions. We then illustrate the framework by using an empirical study from mathematics education where two purposefully formulated vignettes were used to elicit diverse teacher beliefs and practices for promoting student engagement. This illustration shows that using vignettes in educational research can be particularly effective for gaining insights into interpretations and concerns that teachers may have about particular phenomena, such as student engagement in mathematics. We propose that carefully formulated vignettes aligned with the phenomena being investigated can help capture participants' beliefs leading to a more nuanced understanding of the phenomena.