RECAP – name the type of sampling The researcher_______the population in the sampling frame by class, age, gender ect. The sample is then created in the same proportions. E.g if 40% of the population are males, the sample would also have 40% males. Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample, e.g picking names out of a hat Using sample frame, names are selected at fixed points. E.g every 10th name or every 25th name. This is similar to stratified, but instead of choosing the samples for each category randomly, the researchers look for the right number of people for each category. E.g 500 men and 500 women to find Stratified, random, systematic, quota, The researcher contacts a number of key individuals who are then asked to suggest to others who may be willing to participate. This involves choosing from those individuals who are easiest to access, e.g asking passers-by in the street

Research Methods Lesson 4 Research Methods Interviews Objective: Understand the differences between structured and unstructured interviews Be able to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the different types of interviews Be able to apply your understanding of interviews to the study of education

Lesson Objectives Describe the different types of interviews Explain the main advantages and disadvantages with each of these

ANSWERS Stratified, random, systematic, quota, Snowball opportunity

Interviews Interviews are similar to questionnaires however; while questionnaires are completed by the respondent (self-completion) interviews involve a social interaction between the interviewer and respondent. This can pose a number of difficulties; the danger is that the interviewee may be responding not to the questions themselves but the social situation in which they are asked. This can affect the validity (interviewees may not tell the truth) and reliability (interviewees may respond differently depending on the researcher and the setting) of interviews.

Social desirability People generally want to seek the approval of others, interviewees therefore may wish to appear socially desirable and so provide answers that present themselves in a favourable light rather than always telling the truth. Define social desirability bias…

Ethical issues Interviewees may feel under pressure to answer questions or give particular answers, it is therefore important that they are made clear of their right to withdraw or to not answer a question if they wish not to. Confidentiality should also be guaranteed.

Artificiality Interviews are not like normal conversations; even unstructured interviews are ‘artificial’ in that one side takes the initiative and asks the questions while the other person simply responds. It could therefore be questioned whether any information gained under such conditions is valid.

Interviewer bias The interviewer may ask leading questions; (e.g. “wouldn’t you agree that…) – more of an issue in unstructured interviews. Interviewers may influence the respondent’s answers by their facial expression, body language, or tone of voice. The interviewer may form expectations about the interviewee on the basis of their age, class, personality, etc. i.e. – the interviewer may stereotype or label them as a certain ‘type’.

Cultural differences If the interviewer comes from a different culture or subculture to the interviewee then there may be misunderstandings over the meaning of words or phrases. It may also mean that interviewers are unable to tell when they are being lied to or misinterpret body language. Cultural differences could also make it difficult to establish rapport with an interviewee as the interviewer may unknowingly ask questions of a sensitive/personal nature.

Complete the advantages and disadvantages table using the textbook 4 types of interview Structured unstructured Semi-structured Group interview TASK Complete the advantages and disadvantages table using the textbook

structured Advantages Disadvantages Practical… Straightforward and inexpensive Cover large amounts of people with limited resources (quick and cheap to administer) Suitable for gathering factual info e.g a persons age or job Results are easily quantified because they use close-ended questions with coded answers Suitable for hypothesis testing Structured interviews have a higher response rate than questionnaires, therefore more representative and can generalise Reliable easy to replicate More costly than posting or emailing questionnaires People willing to take part in interviews may be untypical (e.g a certain type of person will volunteer to take part) – unrepresentative Often produce a false picture of the subjects they are trying to study (validity) Often use close –ended questions that restrict interviewees from choosing pre-set questions (validity) Little freedom to explain questions or clarify misunderstandings (validity) Interaction may influence interaction (validity) inflexibility

Un- structured Advantages Disadvantages Allows interviewer to develop rapport, enables interviewee to open up more Useful for researching sensitive topics Due to having no set questions, unstructured interviews allow the interviewee more opportunity to speak about things they think are important Un-structured makes it easier for interviewer and interviewee to check each other’s meaning Highly flexible, can formulate new hypotheses Better for subjects if it is unclear yet Take a long time to conduct, limiting the numbers that can be carried out, meaning a small sample (practical) Training also needs to be more thorough, adding to costing of conducting unstructured interviews (practical) Interpersonal skills – need to have good interpersonal skill so they can establish the rapport that is essential (practical) Less likely to be representative Not reliable because they aren’t standardised Open ended questions – can’t be pre coded