The Crossroads of Real-World Contingency in Qualitative Research: Challenges, Lessons and Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic and other major contextual circumstances, including the aftermath of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong between 2019 and 2020, underline the necessity to reconsider contingency for qualitative researchers with local and transnational interests. These circumstances of contingency are complex and multi-layered. This article describes the experience of designing and conducting in-person field research on inclusive pedagogical practice with teachers in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilised a multiple case study approach and adopted teacher interviews and lesson observations as primary sources of evidence. The article demonstrates that maintaining contextual sensitivity and methodological flexibility, as well as appreciating the contingent and ongoing nature of qualitative inquiry, are essential to upholding research rigour. The article concludes by discussing the need to recognise contingency as fundamental to real-world qualitative research. It argues that weaving contingency into the design and conduct of qualitative studies is therefore pivotal to capturing worthwhile evidence and contributing to robust knowledge.