CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODOLOGY
3.6 Semi-structured interviews
Bougie & Sekaran (2009: 186) describe structured interviews as interviews conducted by the researcher with a predetermined list of questions to be asked of the interviewee. Collins et al.
(2000:181) note that semi-structured interviews offer the advantage of flexibility and that they can provide the researcher with detailed and fresh information that he/she may not have predicted or anticipated.
The second stage of the research was to conduct interviews with all the respondents who agreed to participate, starting with the school principals, followed by the OVC coordinators, the class teachers (as per recommendation by the coordinators), and finally, OVC caregivers at home.
Face-to-face interviews were conducted. Appointments were made with the educators to meet them in private after school but on the school premises. This enabled the researcher to conduct in-depth discussions with the participants on their perceptions of the OVC programme.
Durrheim and Terre Blanche describe face-to-face personal interviews as:
The original way of gathering survey information, and is still extensively used today. Respondents are usually interviewed in their homes, by well-trained interviewers, who ask questions, probe for information and who record responses on a standardized interview schedule (2002; 281)
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Bougie and Sekaran (2009: 217) add that face-to-face interviews provide rich data, offer the opportunity to establish rapport with interviewees, and help to explore and understand complex issues. Neuman (2011) emphasizes that “face-to-face interviews have the highest response rate and permit the longest and most complex questionnaires; while they share all the advantages of a telephone interview, they allow the interviewer to observe the surroundings and to use nonverbal communication and visual aids”. However, Neuman (2011) also highlights some disadvantages of face-to-face interviews such as interviewer bias (for example, “expectations based on a respondent’s age and race”), as well as the fact that the interviewer’s appearance, tone of voice, and the wording of the questions and so forth, may affect the respondent. In this particular study, the researcher did not experience any of these disadvantages during the interviews.
Semi-structured interviews and probing were appropriate in this research study in that in-depth information could be derived and respondents could ask for clarification if they did not understand any of the questions. According to Khuzwayo (2007: 29), semi-structured interviews enable the participants to discuss their interpretations of the world in which they live, and to express how they regard the situation from their own point of view. The researcher was able to provide clarity on certain questions that the respondents did not fully understand, especially in the case of caregivers, some of whom were old and semi-literate. This led to a form of conversational interview, which Neuman (2011: 341) describes as a flexible technique based on the collaborative encounter model in which interviewers adjust the questions in line with specific respondents’ understanding, but maintain the researcher’s intent. Although the questions were in the respondents’ home language, IsiZulu, the researcher was able to clarify and rephrase them where necessary. The interviews also gave some respondents, especially the caregivers, a chance to vent their frustrations, wishes and concerns regarding the children they
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are fostering. Face-to-face interviews allow the researcher to listen empathetically to the views of the interviewees and establish rapport.
Neuman (2011:146/7) states that “a core ethical principle is that researchers should never create unnecessary stress in participants. He adds that if the level of stress might have long-term effects, the researcher should follow up and offer free counseling”. Hlatshwayo (2013; 66) observes that a good interviewer is a good listener who does not dominate, but lets the interviewee talk. She adds that establishing rapport and empathizing with the respondents enables the researcher to ask questions in an open and empathic way. In this study, the researcher had to pose questions, especially to the OVC caregivers, in an empathetic way, as some of the questions involved the sensitive issue of the loss of OVC’s parents, which in all the cases happened to be their sons and daughters. The researcher had to be very mindful of the need for sensitivity. Bougie and Sekaran (2007: 221) write that personal or seemingly intrusive information should not be solicited, and if it is absolutely necessary for the project, it should be tapped with high sensitivity, offering specific reasons. Semi-structured interviews are therefore more suitable for this kind of study than any other data collection method. Collins et al. (2002: 181) identify the following additional advantages of using semi-structured, face- to-face interviews:
Because semi-structured and unstructured interviews are flexible, they can provide a researcher with detailed and fresh information that the researcher may not have predicted or anticipated.
Additional information can be obtained by asking follow-up questions, especially where responses are ambiguous or unclear.
Respondents do not have to be literate.
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Non-verbal communication (e.g., facial expressions) can be observed and noted.
Conducting the research in schools was relatively easy as all targeted interviewees, except for one principal who cited a busy schedule, consented to be interviewed. However the unavailable principal referred me to the deputy principal who also agreed to an interview.
In the interviews with school principals (see addendum for questions), it was clear that all three schools where the research was conducted indeed had an OVC programme in place. The programme was initiated as per a directive from the DoE (Index of OVC Projects in KZN, 2011). All three schools have a database for all OVC, ranging from 92 and 96 for the two primary schools, respectively, to approximately 250 for the high school, which has a total enrolment of approximately 500 learners. It was noted that the large number of OVC recorded at the high school was mainly due to substance abuse as well as sexual abuse, which were less evident at the primary schools. Conducting research with the caregivers was not as easy as in the schools because some were working and some were away from home until late in the afternoon due to various commitments. Consent was not a problem as almost all the caregivers identified and approached were willing to be interviewed, with some delays here and there.
Only one caregiver, who had earlier consented, was later unavailable due to a longstanding commitment and was replaced with another caregiver. The researcher was obliged to visit at least three caregivers at their homes in the afternoon. This helped the researcher to understand their problems, especially with regard to living conditions and prompted the researcher to offer a helping hand where possible in the form of money for bread and soap.