Interviewing students with special needs: Developing ethical considerations and interviewing protocols

Abstract

Interviewing students with special needs (SSNs) comes with a unique set of ethical and practical challenges that require highly specialised skills and interviewing protocols. Our objectives were to identify the most appropriate tools for collecting data from SSNs, key differences in interviewing students with and without special needs, and ethical and practical challenges during it. The ultimate goal was to develop ethical considerations and interviewing protocols for SSNs (ECIP4SSN). It was done through a two-step Delphi method, collecting data from 11 special education experts from 11 different countries. The experts believed the tools should be selected based on the study's nature; however, many of them preferred the interviews. They believed that interviewing special students is challenging due to their special needs. Challenges pertaining to consent, hyperactivity, emotional distress, and wrong and irrelevant answers were among the top challenges mentioned by them. Final ECIP4SSN consisted of the key ethical considerations and interviewing protocols i.e. obtaining the background information and support, training and preparations, consent, data collection, building rapport, emotional support, confidentiality, and anonymity, using supporting tools, language, methods of asking questions and validating responses. The ECIP4SSN will guide the university teachers, students and researchers in interviewing special students.