2.3.5 Unstructured interviews (UI)

Question 1

What are unstructured interviews (UIs)?

Answer 1

• Do not follow a standardised format.
  Interviewer has freedoms to vary the interview.

Question 2

What are advantages of UIs?

Answer 2

Rapport & sensitivity:
-The informality allows a rapport to be built which can be particularly useful if the research is conducted about a sensitive subject.
Checking understanding:
-The interviewer & interviewee can check each others understandings & ask follow up questions.
Flexibility:
-The researcher can formulate new ideas, themes, questions & hypotheses & put them to test as they arise during the course of the interview.

Question 3

What are disadvantages of UIs?

Answer 3

• Practical problems:
  They are in-depth so take a long time to conduct & this limits the number that can be carried out.
  Quantification:
• The open questions means data cannot be quantified.
• They are not useful for establishing cause & effect as a result of this.

Question 4

How can the interview as a social interaction have an impact?

Answer 4

• Interviewer bias meaning they may consciously/unconsciously influence the answers.
• There can be a status & power inequality especially with children & adults & men & women.
• People may answer in accordance to seeking approval from the interviewer which damaged the validity.

Question 5

What are advantages of group interviews?

Answer 5

• Representative as there are multiple people contributing.
• Some people may feel more comfortable if they have a relationship with those in the group.
  -Less pressure on one person.
• Piggyback effect which is when people agree on someone’s response.

Question 6

What are disadvantages of group interviews?

Answer 6

• False agreement may occur.
• People may seek social approval from peers so answer dishonesty.
• One person may dominate the group.
• Harder to manage & get everyone’s answers.

Question 7

What are advantages of using UIs in education research?

Answer 7

Power & status inequality:
- The informality can establish rapports easier which can be useful when dealing with sensitive topics.
Practical issues:
-Some pupil may be reluctant to talk so UIs allow them to have space & time to work out their responses.

Question 8

What are disadvantages of using UIs in education research? As

Answer 8

Practical issues:
- Young people have a shorted attention span so may find long UIs too demanding.
- Interviewer training:
- Young people require more training than interviewing adults.
Social desirability:
- Children are more likely than adults to change an answer if the question is repeated as they think it must’ve been wrong.