1. Action Research: The Role of Interviewing

2. What is Interviewing?
A purposeful interaction between two or more people focused on information gathering by the interviewer.

3. How is this process unique?
Face to face interaction (human element)
Purposeful Sample - can choose who you want, or don’t want, to survey
More observable non-verbal information
(body language, willingness to answer)
Gives historical background - can find out relevant information from the past that effects current responses

4. Guidelines for interviewing
Thematizing - What do you want to know?
Designing - Type of Interview, developing questions, choosing respondents
Interviewing - choosing setting, conducting the interview
Transcribing - recording/organizing responses
Analysis - charting data, interpreting results
Reporting - developing conclusions, presenting info

5. Tips for the interviewer
Don’t take information personally
Choose range of participants
Be introduced to your participants
Give yourself enough time to interpret and record data
Be passive and non-controversial in questioning
Be friendly and polite

6. Structured vs. Unstructured
Semi-Structured
Unstructured
Predetermined questions and order
Impromptu questions
Coded responses
Open ended questions
Undetermined order of questions and conversations
Records the essence of the response
Interviewer records observations

7. Types of Interviews Key Informant - specifically selected responses,
Convergent vs Divergent - open-ended or closed-ended questioning
Informal Ethnographic ( 5 W’s & H)
Structured Formal - coded responses
Focus Groups - “group interviews”

8. Key Informant Rapid assessment for gathering info.
Selected respondents have good understanding of subject of study
Results used in further inquiry
Setting familiar to respondent
Usually informal
Example: Interview of community leaders to develop strategies for instructing English Language Learners within your district

9. Convergent vs. Divergent
Closed questions
( Yes/No answers)
Directed by interviewer
Easier to interpret data
Divergent
Open-ended questions
“Other questions section
Possibility of unanticipated info

10. Informal Ethnographic
Casual conversational inquiry
Who, what, when ,where, why & how
Examples:
Interview students on how the feel about working in a
group project
2. Interview parents on effects of extracurricular activities/job on schoolwork

11. Structured Formal Allows for consistent questioning of respondents
Uses convergent & divergent questions
Coded responses on checklist
Consider taping for ease of transcribing
Examples: Interviewing students after a incident on the school grounds.

12. Focus Groups
A “group interview” which tries to collect shared information
Useful when information can be helpful to all in the groups as well as the interviewer
EXAMPLE:
Group of parents to determine extent of home computer use
2. Teachers in PLC group to discuss consistent behavioral strategies across content areas

13. Advantages of Interviewing
Opportunity to establish trust
Can provide in-depth information about causes of the problem
Allows you to clarify ideas and information on a continual basis
Can easily be combined with other techniques
Allows you to obtain diverse information
Community volunteers can be involved
Avoids high cost of printing, mailing and data analysis
Can be used with all age groups, including children & elderly

14. Disadvantages of Interviewing
Biased questioning
Informants may be biased
Inadequate representation across community sample
Difficulty quantifying & organizing information
Underrepresentation of minority
Time consuming to obtain good informants and establish trust

15. Ethical Issues of Interviewing
Obtaining informed consent
Securing confidentiality
Effects of participating on respondents
( stress, changes in self-understanding)
Misrepresentation of responses when transcribing responses
Misinterpretation of data and conclusions
Consequences on the respondents when data is reported

16. OK? Who wants to answer some questions?