Interviews

Question 1

What are structured interviews (formal)?

Answer 1

• a pre set list of questions are designed by researcher and asked to every person in the same standardised way

Question 2

What are the strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 2

• Standardised format: Every participant is asked the same questions, making it easy to compare responses across schools or individuals (e.g., boys vs girls)
• Quick to conduct so more people can be interviewed, especially with pre-coded questions and trained interviewers, which means more representative
• Consent is easier to obtain in formal settings like schools.
• Less intrusive than unstructured interviews, as questions are focused and predictable.
  Reliable: Same questions, same format – easy to replicate.
  Favoured by Positivists, who value standardised, quantitative data for identifying trends (e.g., truancy patterns by social class).
  Less interviewer bias than unstructured interviews, due to fixed wording and order of questions.
• less interviewer effect

Question 3

What are the limitations of structured interviews?

Answer 3

• schools may restrict researcher access to pupils or teachers due to safeguarding or time pressures.
• Limited flexibility: Interviewers can’t explore new ideas or probe responses deeply.
• Pupils may feel intimidated by formal interviews, especially with adults or researchers they don’t know.
• Teachers may give socially desirable answers (e.g., overstate support for struggling pupils) to avoid judgment.
• Power imbalance may cause discomfort, especially among younger or vulnerable students > se interviewer as a teacher in disguise
• Low validity: Responses may be superficial because questions are closed
• Interpretivists argue that this method misses the meaning behind actions, especially in complex issues like underachievement or peer pressure
• Feminist > interviewer in control not women

Question 4

What are unstructured interviews (informal)?

Answer 4

• no pre set list of questions, the interviewer can ask questions in any direction

Question 5

What are the strengths of unstructured interviews?

Answer 5

• Flexible & conversational: Questions can adapt to the interviewee’s responses. Ideal for exploring complex topics like bullying, identity, or teacher expectations.
• Can be used to build rapport with pupils or teachers, especially on sensitive issues like self-esteem or family background.
• Useful with younger children: Less formal structure can make them feel more comfortable compared to rigid questioning
• Favoured by Interpretivists: Helps understand meanings, motivations, and context behind behaviour.
• Produces qualitative data with high validity, giving insight into the pupil’s lived experience (e.g., experience of racism or labelling).
• Allows for verstehen (empathetic understanding),

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of unstructured interviews?

Answer 6

• time-consuming: Each interview is unique, so analysing and coding responses is difficult and slow.
• Hard to access schools for long interviews as teachers may be busy, pupils have a tight schedule.
• Requires skilled interviewers: To probe effectively without leading the participant or making them uncomfortable.
• Power imbalance: Especially between adult researchers and child participants; pupils may feel they must please or impress the interviewer > reduced validity
• Confidentiality concerns: If sensitive issues are revealed, the researcher may be ethically obligated
  to report them.
• Low reliability: No standardisation means responses differ from interview to interview.
• Difficult to replicate and generalise findings.
• Positivists criticise for being too subjective, unscientific, and prone to interviewer bias.
• Small samples limit representativeness – results may not apply across wider group