📘Definition:
An interview is a key qualitative data collection method involving direct conversation between the researcher and participants to explore their experiences, beliefs, and perceptions in depth.

Purpose:

• To gain insight into participants’ lived experiences.
• To explore motivations, values, and meanings.
• To collect rich, descriptive, and contextual data.

Types of Interviews:

1. Structured Interview – fixed questions, limited flexibility, allows comparison.

2. Semi-Structured Interview – guided but flexible; allows follow-up questions.

3. Unstructured Interview – conversational, exploratory, and open-ended.

4. Focus Group Interview – conducted with 6–10 participants facilitated by a moderator to gather group opinions, interactions, and shared perspectives.
   ✔ Encourages idea generation through discussion.
   ✔ Reveals group norms and consensus.
   ✔ Useful for exploring social dynamics and shared beliefs.

Steps:

1. Define objectives and research questions.

2. Develop interview protocol.

3. Select participants and obtain consent.

4. Conduct and record the session.

5. Transcribe and code the data.

6. Conduct thematic analysis.

Ethical Considerations:

• Informed consent.
• Confidentiality and anonymity.
• Respect for diversity and participants’ dignity.

📘Structured Interview

Definition:
A structured interview is a formal interview method where all participants are asked the same pre-determined questions in the same order. It follows a fixed format to ensure consistency and comparability of responses.

Key Features:

• Questions are standardized and fixed.
• Researcher has limited flexibility during the interview.
• Answers are often short and direct.
• Enables easy comparison across participants.

Advantages:
✅ Ensures data consistency and reliability.
✅ Reduces interviewer bias.
✅ Suitable for large-scale studies.

Disadvantages:
❌ Limits depth of understanding.
❌ Restricts exploration of new ideas.

Example Questions:

1. How many years have you been teaching?

2. What main teaching method do you use?

3. How often do you use technology in your lessons (scale 1–5)?

When to Use:

• When uniform data collection is required.
• When the aim is to identify patterns or frequencies in responses.

📘Semi-Structured Interview

Definition:
A semi-structured interview is a flexible interview method where the researcher follows a set of prepared questions but can modify, reorder, or add follow-up questions depending on participants’ responses.

It combines the consistency of structured interviews with the depth and flexibility of unstructured ones.

Key Features:

• Guided by a pre-developed question list.
• Allows probing and follow-up questions.
• Conversation flows naturally while staying on topic.
• Suitable for exploring attitudes, beliefs, and experiences.

Advantages:
✅ Balances structure with flexibility.
✅ Generates rich, in-depth qualitative data.
✅ Encourages participants to express their perspectives freely.

Disadvantages:
❌ Data analysis can be time-consuming.
❌ Requires interviewer skill to guide discussion effectively.

Example Questions:

1. Can you describe how you prepare your daily lessons?

2. What challenges do you face when using technology in class?

3. Why do you prefer that approach over others?

When to Use:

• Ideal for exploratory research.
• Common in education, psychology, and social sciences.

📘Unstructured Interview

Definition:
An unstructured interview is a highly flexible, open-ended interview method without a fixed set of questions. The researcher uses broad themes or topics and allows the conversation to flow naturally, guided by the participant’s responses.

This method encourages participants to express their experiences and emotions freely, providing deep and detailed qualitative data.

Key Features:

• No predetermined question list — only general themes.
• Informal, conversational, and participant-led.
• Researcher acts as an active listener and reflective observer.
• Useful for exploring new or complex social phenomena.

Advantages:
✅ Produces rich, detailed, and authentic data.
✅ Allows participants to express themselves in their own words.
✅ Reveals hidden meanings, emotions, and personal insights.

Disadvantages:
❌ Difficult to analyze due to unstructured data.
❌ Requires skilled interviewing to maintain focus.
❌ Low comparability across participants.

Example Topic:
Theme: Teachers’ experiences with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sample opening questions:

• Can you tell me about your experience teaching online?
• How did you feel when you first used digital platforms?
• What challenges did you face?

When to Use:

• Best for exploratory, ethnographic, or phenomenological studies.
• Ideal when the goal is to understand the meaning behind human experiences.

📘Focus Group Interview

Definition:
A focus group interview is a qualitative research method involving a guided group discussion among 6–10 participants, facilitated by a moderator.
Its purpose is to explore collective views, shared experiences, and group dynamics regarding a specific topic or issue.

Key Features:

• Typically involves 6–10 participants.
• A moderator guides the conversation using key questions.
• Encourages interaction among participants.
• Conducted in a relaxed but focused environment.

Advantages:
✅ Generates diverse ideas and perspectives.
✅ Group interaction can stimulate new insights.
✅ Time-efficient — multiple participants provide input simultaneously.

Disadvantages:
❌ Risk of dominant participants influencing others.
❌ Not suitable for sensitive or personal topics.
❌ Data can be challenging to analyze due to overlapping discussions.

Moderator’s Role:

• Facilitate balanced participation.
• Maintain neutrality and objectivity.
• Keep the discussion focused and on time.

Example Scenario:
Topic: Use of technology in mathematics teaching.
Opening prompts:

“What do you think about using digital tools to engage students in learning mathematics?”
“What challenges have you faced when using online teaching platforms?”

When to Use:

• To explore opinions, beliefs, or attitudes shared by a specific group.
• Useful for evaluating educational programs or interventions.