A Resource for Knowledge/Skills Development



METHODS IN CONTEXT RESEARCH PROJECT

“Practice makes Perfect: The Interview Skills”

Brief for Teachers

This exercise will support your methods in Context and Research Methods preparation work with students for the Paper 1 examination.

Stage 1

To introduce different types of interview techniques

- Structured/ formal interviews

- Semi- structured interviews

- Unstructured/ informal interviews

You will establish what the differences are between these three techniques with your group.

Stage 2

To watch different professional TV/chat hosts and interview techniques they employ to gather information from their celebrities

The following four web pages will allow you to watch different techniques employed by Jonathon Ross, Jeremy Paxman, Piers Morgan and Andrew Marr when interviewing Lady Gaga, Russell Brand and David Cameron.

Lady Gaga - Jonathan Ross Interview Part 1 2010



Russell Brand meets Jeremy Paxman - FULL EXTENDED INTERVIEW (Part 1)



Piers Morgan's Life Stories - Russell Brand [HQ full] ~p1~



The Andrew Marr Show



The students should identify which technique(s) are being employed by each interviewer and select 2 of the interviewers to examine in more detail. The students may well identify that the interviewer uses a range of techniques and does not stick to one particular approach.

Stage 3

The Evaluative Stage

The student selects two of the interviews and, having made notes using the interview self-help sheet, completes a written summary of how successful the interview was, indicating how they have come to this judgement (using their self-help sheet and any references directly from the interview) and stating what they would have done differently if they had been the interviewer.

Stage 4

The Student Interview – “Methods in Context” and Practicing the Skill of Application.

The AS Sociology group now practice an interview technique themselves. This will be individually or in pairs depending on access to, and availability of interviewees. They are all given a topical, current educational context (issue) to research through the interview technique.

The students will be separated into:-

Group A student(s) using the structured interview

Group B student(s) using the semi-structured interview

Group C student(s) using the unstructured interview

Group D student(s) using the web based/telephone interview

They will be given articles from the BBC and The Guardian and will use this to help familiarise themselves with the debate and to draw together questions for their interview. (They may also draw from other sources on education policy covered in class lessons, or from other research).

They will be putting together an interview schedule to investigate opinion on the following question:

A-Levels: should they be modular or linear?

All students will carry out an interview that will last for a minimum of 10 minutes, that should be recorded (as appropriate) and a detailed transcript of the interview must be made. The depth and quality of their evidence may be affected by the type of interview technique they use.

Students may be allocated one of the following to interview (this will vary on your own access to and availability of interviewees).

• School headteacher

• College principal

• Member of the school/college PTA

• Member of the school/college governing body

• Local councillor

• Locally elected MP (or EMP)

• Parent of a secondary school pupil (state school)

• Parent of a secondary school pupil (private school)

• Member of the local education authority

• Family relative (adult)

• Neighbour or member of your local community

• Post 16 student (not known to you)

• Teacher/lecturer from your own institution

• Member of the local business community

• Local newspaper journalist

• Local teacher/college union representative

• *Headteacher/teacher/school representative of the exam board

• *Member of the coalition government or member of the Department for Education

* note – one of these will be a web-based interview and one a telephone interview

Stage 5

Feedback to Research Team – Evaluation

The students will return on an allocated date/time to feedback on their findings to the rest of the group. This discussion will lead to each student putting together a checklist of strengths and limitations with each of the interview techniques. You should also draw out the practical, ethical and theoretical issues that directly relate to this research method. This will then serve as a revision document for the forthcoming exam

STUDENT COPY

CLASS HANDOUT/HOMEWORK TASK

“PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: THE INTERVIEW SKILLS”

You are to be part of a research team that will use 3 different interview techniques:-

Structured/formal interviews

Semi-structured interviews

Unstructured/informal interviews

Task 1

For group discussion – Are you able to show the difference between those three interview techniques? What do you think are the main strengths and limitations of each one?

Task 2

The professional TV/chat host using the interview technique

You will watch 4 different interviews by Jonathon Ross, Jeremy Paxman, Piers Morgan and Andrew Marr. Whilst watching the interviews, you will need to make notes using the self-help task sheet on each one. From this, select 2 of the interviews and complete a written summary (minimum half page A4 on each) on how successful the interview was (use evidence from the self-help task sheet and quotes from the interviews to help you - attached) and state what you would have done differently if you had carried out the interview yourself. (Also make it clear in your summary which interview technique(s) they used).

Task 3

The ‘methods in context’ exam question and the skill of application

As a research team member you will be allocated by your sociology teacher an interview technique which you will use to collect evidence on the following current educational issue of “Free Schools”.

The following articles from the BBC and the Guardian will help you to familiarise yourself with the debate on A-Levels. You may also wish to draw on class notes or other research that you have already covered to help you further.

You will then be allocated an individual to interview and will need to draw together an interview schedule (range of questions) to collect as much information as possible on their opinion on A-Levels. The question you are hoping to answer is:

A-Levels – linear or modular?

Your interview should last a minimum of 10 minutes and you will need to decide how you are going to record your interview. A transcript of your interview will need to be made and this brought to your ‘feedback to research team’ evaluation session

Task 4

Research team – feedback session

At this session you will need to present your findings to the rest of the group. In this discussion, you need to feedback on your own findings collected from the interview and what your felt were the strengths and limitations of your own interview technique. Did you collect the range and depth of evidence which you were hoping for and how far did practical, ethical and theoretical issues impact on your results?

Task 5

Follow-up task

As part of your preparation for the forthcoming exam in unit 2, please complete the following table which will support your revision notes on interview techniques.

| |Structured interview |Semi-structured interview |Unstructured interview |

|PRACTICAL | | | |

|Strengths | | | |

|Limitations | | | |

|ETHICAL | | | |

|Strengths | | | |

|Limitations | | | |

|THEORETICAL | | | |

|Strengths | | | |

|Limitations | | | |

INTERVIEW SELF-HELP TASK SHEET

(For review of 4 interviews)

• What is the setting for the interview – does this help?

• How is the interviewee made to feel comfortable?

• What body language takes place between them?

• Does the interviewee appear relaxed and does this help to gain more detailed responses?

• How are his questions phrased? – short, lengthy, open, closed?

• Does he use a set interview schedule – set of questions, or do the questions change in response to the answers he receives?

• Is there a clear ‘direction’ with the interview and questions leading to a desired outcome?

• Is there anything that interrupts the flow of questioning? Does this have an impact on the success of the interview?

• Is there rapport and empathy which helps to bring about fresh insight into how the interviewee is?

• Do the questions allow the interviewees to express themselves in their own words and reveal their true meanings?

• How were sensitive issues dealt with in the interview? Did interviewees appear under pressure to answer?

• Was there evidence of informed consent, guaranteed confidentiality and a right not to answer?

• Do you think the interviewee was telling the truth or able to lie, exaggerate?

• Did the interviewer impose their own ideas onto the interviewee?

• Was there evidence of ‘interview bias’ where the interviewer asked leading questions?

• Was there social desirability – did the interviewee give false answers to make themselves seem more interested?

• Did you notice the interviewer having to explain a question due to a misunderstanding over the meaning of the words?

• Do we know more about the person as a result of this interview?

And finally…..

• Having watched this interview – was it successful? How have you made this judgement? What might you have done differently if you had been the interviewer?

[pic]

A-levels should be strengthened by only allowing one re-sit, replacing "modules" with end-of-year exams and increasing university involvement, says the exam watchdog, Ofqual.

Ofqual chief, Glenys Stacey, says too many re-sits by pupils can "devalue individual exams".

There are also questions over whether AS-levels should be scrapped.

The A-level reforms will mean "higher education becomes more involved", says Ms Stacey.

Ofqual is setting out proposals on changes to A-levels, which will be open for consultation for three months.

If the proposals are adopted, the first changes would be applied to A-level courses beginning in September 2013 - with pupils taking reformed exams in summer 2015.

Changes to content would be introduced from September 2014.

'Gold standard'

This "gold standard" qualification is taken by pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The exam watchdog is suggesting a shift away from a "modular" structure - and a reduction in the opportunities for pupils to keep re-taking exam components to push up their grades.

A-LEVEL REFORM PROPOSALS

• Fewer re-sits - with option of only allowing a single re-take

• Less modular structure - move towards traditional linear course, ending in summer exams

• Question mark over future of AS-levels

• If AS-levels scrapped, would return to two-year A-level, assessed by final exam

• Greater involvement from universities in designing courses

• If proposals accepted, changes introduced from courses beginning September 2013

The proposals call for an end of the January exams and puts forward the option of only allowing one re-take for AS and final A-level exams.

This would mean that there would only be one set of exams each year, in the summer term at the end of each of the two years.

Ms Stacey says this would "re-balance the emphasis of A-levels onto the learning rather than the assessment".

The role of AS-levels remains open to debate - with questions raised about whether they should continue in their current form.

Ofqual says it is "neutral" on the future of AS-levels and sets out three options - scrapping them altogether, keeping them in their current form or turning them into a standalone qualification which did not contribute to the A-level.

If AS-levels were to be scrapped, it would mean A-levels returning to a two-year course with a final set of summer exams.

Degree ready

Brian Lightman, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, called for more debate about the value of the modular structure.

"It is simplistic to say that a course done in modules is easier than one with terminal exams. Nearly all university courses are modular and I have yet to hear criticism that they aren't rigorous enough," said Mr Lightman.

Education Secretary Michael Gove wrote to Ms Stacey earlier this year, calling for universities to become more involved in A-levels, so they could better prepare students for degree courses.

The proposals set out by Ofqual say that universities should be engaged in the content and design of A-levels - and that the qualifications should have the support of at least 20 universities.

Responding to the changes, the Russell Group of leading universities said that A-levels were "broadly fit for purpose" - but the changes would be beneficial.

Wendy Piatt, the group's director general, said the culture of re-sits was fuelling "grade inflation" - and so supported limits on re-taking exams.

She also supported a move away from a modular approach to teaching and testing - saying that pupils could arrive at university still expecting to be "spoon fed".

The Russell Group has also voiced concerns about the lack of rigour in some subjects, such as maths and English.

Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the Million+ group of universities, said that the level of engagement in A-levels expected of universities would require a "co-ordinating body".

Ms Tatlow also said that the qualification would lose credibility if approval was limited to only a "small sub-set" of universities.

Neil Carberry of the CBI said that employers would also want to see their needs reflected in changes.

"The focus needs to be on making A-levels more challenging, to ensure that young people are not just better prepared for university, but are also well-equipped for work."

[pic]

The debate around the protracted public killing off of the A-level system introduced by Labour 12 years ago continues. At the National Association of Head Teachers annual conference over the May day weekend, heads outlined their objections to plans to end modular A-levels and replace the two part qualification and return to a two year linear qualification. I'm fascinated at the way that while there is concern about the detail of A-level reform, there seems to be little serious opposition to the charge that they have been "dumbed down". Those in higher education may be tempted to gloat a little over the likely demise of a system which some have been warning for years is failing to prepare students for university study, but I can see lessons and a warning for the sector in the current turn of events.

It is startling how swiftly the argument has moved in recent months. In April, Michael Gove declared his intention to give universities the task of reinstating A-level as the "gold standard" HE entrance exam. Shortly afterwards Glenys Stacey, the chief of the exams watchdog Ofqual, admitted that A-levels had been downgraded in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, which has been in the vanguard of the "dumbing down" campaign over many years.

She conceded that examiners were partly responsible for contributing to grade inflation:

"If you look at the history, we have seen persistent grade inflation for these key qualifications for at least a decade," she said. "The grade inflation we have seen is virtually impossible to justify and it has done more than anything, in my view, to undermine confidence in the value of those qualifications.

"One of the reasons why we see grade inflation, and it is a laudable reason, is that a lot of the time there are very small gains just by giving the benefit of the doubt. But the benefit of the doubt factor has an impact over time. We need to find ways to manage grade inflation."

This is a stark contrast with the Labour years when regulators and examination bodies maintained to the bitter end that there was no systematic evidence that standards had declined. Professor Robert Coe from the University of Durham was for years almost a lone voice. He compared A-level results over time with actual changes in achievement by using the International Test of Developed Abilities and found that attainment fell steadily over time.

Now that the political imperative has changed it is interesting to see how quickly the necessary evidence has been found.

Last week Ofqual published the latest in its continuing review of GCSE and A-level standards over time. Researchers examined standards in chemistry and biology A-levels between 2003 and 2008 and geography between 2001 and 2010. The Welsh exam board, WJEC was singled out for criticism for its biology A-level which had high percentage of short-structured questions, reducing the information pupils had to read and take in.

The review of A-level chemistry too found that exams had become easier.

Similarly the A-level geography review found that the removal of coursework from the qualification in 2010 - had made it "less demanding" and that the content had "softened".

Later this month will see the publication of an Ofqual international report comparing the English approach to examinations with countries such as Canada, China, the Netherlands, Finland, South Korea and New Zealand.

It is striking how little discussion there is of how market competition between schools and examination boards played their part in grade inflation. League tables encouraged teaching to the test in state schools while departmental heads were able to shop around for the board most likely to deliver favourable results. Which is where we come to the parallels with higher education and the attendant dangers.

There is already an emerging narrative about grade inflation in degrees. Figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January reveal that more than 15% of undergraduates were awarded firsts in 2011 compared to just over 12% four years earlier. The Guardian provides an excellent overview of how the proportion of top degrees has soared since the 1990s

In October, University College London announced that it was abandoning degree classification for an American style "grade point average". The provost and president of UCL Malcolm Grant told the Sunday Telegraph: "There is clearly award inflation. The public assumes there is a national exam process but there is not. Every institution determines its own proportion of grades. Perversely, award inflation has been fuelled by league tables which give points to those universities with higher proportions of the top grades."

As with schools the inflationary effects of league tables are likely to be accelerated by the creation of more of a market in HE. Students may be tempted to choose courses and universities more likely to award top degrees. There is already some indication that a more consumerist approach is leading students to be more aggressive in challenging academics who fail to mark highly enough. In 2010 the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for HE saw complaints, many about marking, rise by a third.

Strong and confident regulation is needed if the challenges of competition and consumerism are to be resisted. Instead the Higher Education Funding Council (Hefce) has just published a consultation designed to reduce the burden of inspection on many institutions with a new "risk based" approach for the Quality Assurance Agency.

Professor of higher education at Liverpool Hope University, Roger Brown, explained his concern about the vulnerability of the current quality assurance system in his lecture to the University of West London late last year.

He argues that there is a contradiction between the quality assurance system which is based on shared principles and mutual professional trust and the market where competition and supposedly informed consumer choices are expected to drive improvements.

He said: "So far from marching in line with the Brave New World of market competition, as the government claims, the quality assurance regime we currently have is seriously at odds with it. So far from enhancing quality, market competition will actually weaken our capacity to protect it, with the absurd notion of a risk-based approach merely the first harbinger, always assuming it is taken forward."

As a result Professor Brown says the government's belief that greater market forces in HE will raise academic standards is "nonsense on stilts".

Another striking parallel is how relaxed many in the sector seem to be about the accusations of dumbing down. Questions are often dismissed with the blanket assertion that all universities are rigorously assessed by the regulator or that problems will be solved by giving each student an achievement report to add context to their degree. Commenting in the Telegraph on the rising proportion of top degrees, the Universities UK president Nicola Dandridge took refuge behind improvements in A-levels: "A-level performance has also improved in recent years, so it is unsurprising that degree results would also show an improvement."

Linking degree classification so directly to A-level grade inflation may be something that UUK lives to regret.

LESSON PLAN

|Unit/Topic: EDUCATION – METHODS IN |Key Words: ‘Methods in Context’; Application skills; Evaluation; Knowledge and Understanding; PET; Interview |

|CONTEXT/RESEARCH METHODS – Minimum of 1|techniques |

|week’s lessons | |

|Context of lessons: Part of sustained focus on Application skills in relation to developing student understanding of the demands of ‘methods in context’ |

|examination questions. Also offers the opportunity to understand the different types of interviews, with their strengths and limitations |

|Learning Objectives: |Learning Outcomes: |

|Knowledge and Understanding of research methods and key concepts. |Students will generate a number of statements regarding ‘Methods in Context’|

|Application of methods in the context of education. |which can be used in answers to exam questions about interviews. |

|We Are Learning To… |By the End of the Lessons… |

|Develop the skills of application so that students will be fully prepared for|All: will have a list of the research characteristics of interviewing on |

|a Unit 2 Question O5 (methods in the context of education) on interviews. |the issue of free schools |

|Also a research methods Question 09 on interview techniques and | |

|strengths/limitations |Most: will be able to connect one or two research characteristics of issue |

| |to characteristics of method. |

| | |

| |Some: will be able to connect several such characteristics. |

|Timings |Bell Activity/Starter: All students to discuss the three main types of interview technique and explore what they think are the main|Differ-entia|

| |strengths and limitations of this method |tion |

| |Main Learning Activities (individual, pair, group, whole class). | |

| | | |

| |Review their understanding of how to carry out interviews by reviewing the interview styles of 4 Professional TV chat hosts. A | |

| |Self-help task sheet will support the exercise and each student must select 2 interviews to produce a written review on. These | |

| |findings will be presented and discussed in class | |

| | | |

| |Check student understanding of the key differences in interview techniques and how they apply to the concepts of PET/PERVERT e.g. | |

| |validity, reliability and representativeness, consent, Interpretivism, bias, etc. by students working in pairs, taking turns to | |

| |explain what each means to their partner. This will also help in the formulation of the interview questions in the main activity | |

| | | |

| |Main activities: | |

| | | |

| |To apply the Interview method to the educational issue of Free Schools. All students to be allocated an interview technique and a | |

| |person to interview as part of a research team. A supporting item on the issue of Free Schools would also be provided. They must | |

| |carry out and record their interview. An evaluation session will take place when all students feedback their findings and what they| |

| |considered to be the strengths and limitations of using this method. | |

| | | |

| |Class discuss the skills required in an application exercise. What significantly impacted on the success of their research method, | |

| |what did they actually find out about free schools? | |

| |Plenary (Consolidating and Reflecting) | |

| |Pin statements to a wall diagram and copy this into student notes: | |

| |The research characteristics of interviewing on a specific topic Free Schools with findings to the question set | |

| |Characteristics of interviews as applied to study of education, with specific reference to strengths and limitations | |

| | | |

| |Individual follow-up work/task: produce their own table that breaks down the strengths and limitations of interviews to the | |

| |Practical, Ethical and Theoretical issues of research that can be used for revision purposes | |

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