Navigating the Disrupted Field: Researching Education in Indonesia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Research during the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated various challenges for data collection and fieldwork. In Indonesia, the pandemic has become a magnifier of long-prevalent inequalities, especially in the education sector. This paper reflects upon the authors’ online and offline field research journeys. We illustrate our strategies of navigating both online and offline methods in a disrupted field. We demonstrate how we overcame dilemmas and carefully assessed the conditions and particularities of our interlocutors to determine our online or offline data collection approach and tools. Taking into account the various emotional, social and economic difficulties faced by our participants, we seek to highlight the importance of constant reflection and multi­layered ethical considerations when researching with vulnerable participants, particularly in a disrupted field setting marked by intersecting hazards.