Interviews & Education (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note
Exam code: 7192
Interviewing teachers
Teachers offer an 'insider' view on how schools function. Interviews are used to explore:
Expectations and labelling – how staff define the 'ideal pupil' and allocate sets/streams
Classroom discipline and management – strategies for handling disruption, bullying, truancy
Assessment and target setting – views on exams, data‐tracking and predicted grades
School ethos and values – inclusivity, academic versus whole-child priorities
Parental engagement – experiences of home–school relationships
Equality and diversity – perceptions of class, gender, ethnicity and SEN issues
Choosing an interview style
Structured interviews (formal) are favoured by positivist sociologists as they:
consist of closed questions
are quick, comparable, and can cover large samples
produce quantitative data for correlations
Unstructured or in-depth interviews (informal) are favoured by interpretivist sociologists as they:
are open, flexible, and conversational
enable probing follow-ups and teacher-led narratives
generate rich qualitative insight into meanings and motives
Research studies
Ruth Lupton (2004) conducted 45 in-depth teacher interviews on pupils living in disadvantaged areas and attainment
The headteacher and 6–8 staff were interviewed in each of the 4 schools that participated in the study
She gained rich insights but found that staff were 'guarded and image-conscious' when discussing league-table results and public accountability
Teachers 'self-presented' in ways that protected their school’s reputation
Howard Becker (1970), an interpretivist sociologist, conducted in-depth interviews with 60 secondary-school teachers drawn from several Chicago high schools
He adopted a non-directive style, which was teacher-led, and asked several follow-up questions
He claimed he uncovered racist feelings among some teachers, which led to the labelling of pupils, showing how an interpretivist style provides insight into the hidden attitudes of teachers
Evaluation of interviewing teachers
Practical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Staff lists provide a clear sampling frame, making it easier to identify and approach potential participants. | Access is often controlled by headteachers or senior staff, who may restrict or influence who can be interviewed. |
Teachers are articulate and accustomed to formal discussion, which supports reliable, structured data collection. | Interviews must be scheduled around busy timetables, often during free periods or after school, limiting time and depth. |
Ethical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Participation is voluntary and typically low risk, as teachers are professionals familiar with institutional processes. | Discussing sensitive topics like league tables, behaviour management or inspection may feel threatening to teachers. |
Interview format allows respondents to clarify or refuse to answer uncomfortable questions. | Teachers may feel pressure to present their school in a positive light, affecting honesty and authenticity. |
Theoretical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Unstructured interviews allow teachers to elaborate on reforms, ethos, and workload, producing rich, valid data. | Role conflict may reduce validity—teachers might view the researcher as an inspector and alter their responses. |
Probing questions can uncover hidden attitudes, such as those linked to labelling or bias. | Social desirability bias is likely, especially if questions relate to controversial or professional conduct. |
Structured interviews enable comparisons across schools, subjects, or seniority levels. | Some teachers may avoid or downplay sensitive issues, resulting in partial or incomplete data. |
Interviewing parents
Interviews with parents provide first-hand insight into how the home, family and school interact. Typical topics include:
Parental attitudes to schooling – how parents value education, their beliefs about the purpose of schooling
Educational aspirations and school choice - grammar/academy selection and university ambitions for their children
Support with homework and revision – time, space and strategies parents provide, e.g., use of tutors
Cultural capital and social class – parents’ cultural tastes, vocabulary use, familiarity with school procedures, and how these shape children’s progress
Financial resources and costs – ability to fund extracurricular lessons, trips, tutors, or university fees
Research studies
Bicknell (2014) carried out 22 interviews with parents of mathematically gifted pupils
The researchers uncovered hidden attitudes and specific support strategies that shaped their children's educational achievement
Volunteer participation meant highly engaged parents were over-represented
Gewirtz, Ball & Bowe (1995) carried out 137 parent interviews in three inner-London comprehensives
They gained insight into how parents interpret league tables and make school-choice decisions
Middle-class parents dominated the sample, risking under-representation of working-class voices
Bhatti (1999) interviewed Asian parents about how they supported their children’s schooling
She deliberately employed Asian female interviewers who could interview parents in Urdu or Punjabi
This made the parents feel more comfortable and trusting of the interviews, increasing the validity of the data collected
Evaluation of interviewing parents
Practical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Interviews can be conducted flexibly—by phone, video call, or home visit—to fit parents’ schedules. | Evening or weekend scheduling increases cost and logistical complexity. |
Reveals important insights into home–school relationships and influences on pupil attainment. | Access can be difficult—schools may only share contact details for ‘supportive’ families. |
Can be used alongside surveys to clarify or deepen understanding of quantitative findings (triangulation). | Working parents may be hard to reach or unable to commit time, leading to low participation. |
Ethical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Interviews are voluntary and allow parents to speak in a private, more relaxed setting. | Sensitive questions (e.g. about parenting, income, or homework support) may feel judgemental. |
Rapport can be built, especially in unstructured interviews, helping parents feel heard. | Parents may alter their responses to maintain a positive self-image. |
Theoretical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Unstructured interviews allow parents to explain their views in depth, increasing validity. | Social desirability bias may lead parents to overstate their involvement or concern in education. |
Can explore in detail how cultural capital and parental attitudes shape educational outcomes. | Educational jargon may intimidate working-class parents, reducing reliability or depth. |
Adds qualitative insight to complement large-scale survey data. | Responses may be partial or evasive on sensitive issues, limiting the richness of the data. |
Interviewing students
Interviews with students give researchers a window into the lived experience of schooling from the learner’s perspective. Common topics include:
Learning and motivation – reasons for engagement or disengagement.
Labelling and expectations – impact of being seen as bright, average or troublesome.
Peer relations and bullying – friendship dynamics, peer pressure and experiences of bullying
Pupil subcultures and identity – how gender, ethnicity and class shape 'fitting-in'
Subject and qualification choices – motives behind GCSE, A-level or vocational routes
Researchers usually favour informal, semi-structured interviews to put pupils at ease and boost validity
Research studies
Paul Willis (1977) carried out unstructured group and 1-to-1 interviews with twelve working-class 'lads' and uncovered a counter-school culture
He was able to build a strong rapport with the 'lads' who spoke candidly about breaking rules, fighting and skipping lessons
However, it was a small, single-school sample, limiting generalisation, particularly as girls’ and minority experiences were omitted
Louise Archer et al. (2013) carried out in-depth semi-structured interviews about subject choice, option decisions at GCSE/A level and career goals
She was able to gain insight into factors behind subject choice, e.g., seeing Triple Science as 'for clever kids' and worries about 'not fitting in'
However, as it is an ongoing longitudinal study, the least engaged pupils drop out between waves, skewing the sample (attrition bias)
Evaluation of interviewing students
Practical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Access to school lists makes it easy to identify participants; group interviews are efficient and show peer interaction. | Gaining access requires headteacher and often parental consent—gatekeeping may limit or steer the sample. |
Informal, unstructured interviews allow for flexible phrasing suited to pupils' age and understanding. | Younger pupils may misunderstand abstract questions or have limited attention spans. |
Ethical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Confidential, one-to-one interviews can give pupils space to discuss sensitive topics like bullying or friendship issues. | Safeguarding protocols must be strictly followed—DBS checks and adult supervision are often required. |
Participation is voluntary, and students can choose whether or not to respond to certain questions. | Pupils may see the interviewer as a teacher figure, which creates a power imbalance and affects openness. |
Theoretical issues
Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|
Unstructured interviews allow students to raise their concerns and express their feelings in their own words, improving validity. | The interviewer’s adult status may cause students to censor their answers or tailor them to what they think is expected, reducing validity. |
Group settings may help some students feel more comfortable so that they are willing to talk. | Group interviews can lead to peer pressure, with students reluctant to speak honestly or show off to impress. |
One-to-one interviews can explore the meanings behind behaviour such as truancy or subject choice. | Students may lack the vocabulary or self-awareness to articulate deeper motives, reducing reliability. |
Interviews can be adapted using simple, concrete language to match cognitive development. | The researcher’s wording may still reflect their assumptions, shaping the direction of responses. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When tackling a Methods in Context question, it’s important to go beyond the strengths and weaknesses of interviews in general.
You may find it useful to remind yourself of the key features of formal (opens in a new tab)and informal interviews (opens in a new tab) and the specific issues involved in researching students, parents (opens in a new tab) and teachers (opens in a new tab)within the educational setting.
Ensure you apply your knowledge of interviews to the educational context provided in the exam question and illustrate your points with named studies (e.g., Becker, Lupton, Bhatti, Willis).
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