Conducting Observations and Interviews - How to use this resource package

Learning Activity 1

How is information usually collected when examining a social issue? Apart from websites and books, which students heavily rely on during research*, what other ways can be used to gather information about a social issue?

(a) In pairs, brainstorm as many ways of gathering information about a social issue as possible.

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(b) Which of the ways above allow you to get first-hand information and opinions directly (i.e.

primary sources)? Which involve more analysis, generalisation and organised discussion (i.e. secondary sources)?

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(c) Below are some statements that describe either primary research (P) or secondary research (S). Read the statements and determine which of the two they are about. The first one has been done for you as an example.

e.g. The information may not be reliable. ( S )

1. The information is readily available and usually well organised. ( )

2. The subjects’ voice can be heard directly. ( )

3. Information and opinions may be distorted* in the process of interpretation. ( ) 4. It is less time-consuming to collect the information. ( ) 5. The amount of information is not affected by the response rate. ( ) 6. Biases* and inaccuracies can be checked and avoided. ( )

(d) Some common sources of information and opinions in research are listed in the table below. Match the descriptions on the right with the sources on the left.

1. Observation (A) The use of a questionnaire to collect information and opinions from a number of respondents

2. Encyclopaedia (B) A video produced to report on and record reality 3. Textbook (C) An attempt to attentively watch, sometimes measure,

and record a phenomenon

4. Survey (D) A series of books that contain information about all branches of knowledge

5. Newspaper (E) A collection of web pages on the Internet to give information to users

6. Documentary (F) A conversation, face-to-face or on the phone, where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee

7. Interview (G) A book for educational purposes

8. Website (H) A publication on low-cost paper that contains news, information, feature articles (e.g. book reviews), editorial opinions and a sports column

1. ______ 2. _______ 3. _______ 4. _______

5. ______ 6. _______ 7. _______ 8. _______

Learning Activity 2

Watch excerpts of a documentary assigned by your teacher. In pairs, answer the questions below.

(a) What was the subject of the documentary?

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(b) What was the researcher trying to observe specifically?

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(d) Did the researcher interact with the participants? What difference would it make if he / she did or did not?

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(e) How did the researcher record his / her observation?

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Learning Activity 3

Here are some guidelines for you when you are conducting an observation:

z Be very clear and specific about what you are trying to observe Compare the following:

Student A says, ‘I am trying to observe Hong Kong people’s reading habits.’

Student B says, ‘I am trying to observe the customers of newsstand and make notes on their number, approximate age and gender as well as what kinds of publications they buy.’

z Decide when and where you will conduct the observation carefully (e.g. There may be some differences in your observation results if you observe at the weekend and on weekdays.)

z Determine how you will record your observations (e.g. Will you be taking written notes?

Will you be recording your observations with a digital camera, video camera, or digital recorder?)

(a) In your group, decide on a social issue that can be investigated through observation.

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(b) Decide specifically what you are going to observe.

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(c) Conduct your observation after class and make notes on the next page. When you complete your observation, you need to report your findings to another group.

Observation Notes

Research topic: ____________________________________________

Place of observation: ________________________________________

Time of observation: ________________________________________

Items to observe:

e.g. number of customers at a newsstand in three hours

1. _______________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________

Findings from observation:

Learning Activity 4

Another way of collecting information about a social issue is to conduct interviews. Politeness is an important factor that affects the success of an interview. In pairs, answer the following questions.

(a) Which of the following should you do when you begin an interview? Circle the appropriate letters. There is more than one answer.

A. Introduce yourself

B. Give the list of questions to the interviewee

C. Explain the research findings that you have gathered so far to the interviewee in detail

D. Say how long you think the interview will last

E. Ask the interviewee politely for permission to interview him / her F. Approach the interviewee politely

G. Introduce the purpose of the interview H. Wait for people to approach you

I. Ask the interviewee for permission to record the interview

(b) Put the ones you have circled into the order you would follow in an interview.

Circle the appropriate numbers. Put the corresponding letter next to the expression.

e.g. Would you mind if I ask you a few questions about…? (F) 1. My name is…

2. Answer my questions now.

3. It will take around … minutes.

4. Excuse me.

5. Hey, you.

6. I am working on a research project on … 7. I wonder if you could answer a few questions.

8. This is urgent. You must help me.

Learning Activity 5

Sometimes, you may find the interviewee’s answers not very helpful at first. However, you can always ask follow-up questions to get more satisfactory answers. In pairs, answer the following questions.

(a) When should follow-up questions be asked?

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(b) Can you prepare follow-up questions before the interview?

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(c) Your teacher will play two interviews for you. Listen carefully and decide which one is better. Explain what makes it better and give examples to support your points.

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Learning Activity 6

Now, listen to Interview Two in Learning Activity 5 again. In this interview, follow-up questions are asked to elicit better answers from the interviewee. While you are listening, complete the follow-up questions in the tape script below.

A: Hi.

B: Hi.

A: My name is Kira. I am collecting opinions on the conservation of historic buildings for a school project. Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?

B: No, not at all.

A: Thank you. So to begin, how would you define historic buildings?

B: Erm, any building that has been in existence for a long time.

A: I see. But when you say a long time, 1) _____________________________?

B: Erm, could be fifty, sixty years or more. But, I don’t think age of the building is the only thing. The key is whether the architectural style is very different from what we can see today.

A: 2) ________________________ the architectural value is even more important than how

B: Yes.

A: So, can you think of any examples?

B: Well, let me see. The clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, you know the one next to the Star Ferry Pier, is a good example.

A: I see. 3) _______________________ any more examples?

B: Hmm…I don’t know if I would say the Queen’s Pier is historic. Many people think it is.

But, honestly, I don’t know.

A: Right. 4) ____________________________________ about the Queen’s Pier. Why is it difficult to decide whether it is a historic building?

B: Somehow I feel that these people’s claim that Hong Kong people have a collective memory of this place is an exaggeration. At least, I myself do not find this place particularly memorable.

A: I see. Then why do you think historic buildings should be conserved?

B: Of course they should be conserved. They are very important for people’s cultural identity and their pride of this place.

A: 5) ________________________________________?

B: Yeah, erm, I mean the historic buildings remind us of the past of this place — how our grandparents led their lives, what struggle our parents had to go through in their childhood before we have today’s achievement. This gives us a sense of pride, doesn’t it?

A: Yes. So, when conserving a historic building is in conflict with a development project, what do you think should be done?

B: Of course economic development should give way to conserving heritage. These old buildings are the footprints left behind by the older generations. I just can’t stand seeing these buildings being torn down. Even if the area must be re-developed, I am sure there are other ways.

A: 6) __________________________?

B: Renovation for example.

A: Right. Okay, that’s all. Thank you very much for your time.

B: My pleasure.

Learning Activity 7

Your teacher will give each pair of students a set of role cards. With your partner, role-play an interview based on the cards provided.

Conducting and Reporting on a Questionnaire Survey

Learning Activity 1

Besides interview and observation, a questionnaire survey is another common means of collecting primary sources of information. A questionnaire is a set of questions designed to collect information from a group of people on a certain topic. In pairs, study the case below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) Should Mary conduct an interview or a questionnaire survey to collect such information?

You can consider (1) the number of people involved and (2) the interaction between the researcher and the respondent.

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(b) Mary does not have much time, but she needs a rather big sample size. Can you think of some different ways how Mary can conduct the questionnaire survey?

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Mary is doing a research project on teen pregnancies. She has collected some information from textbooks, government publications and websites of various organisations. Now, she wants to have a more in-depth investigation of teenagers’ general attitude towards sex.

Learning Activity 2

The form of questions that you ask can often affect the response you get.

A closed-ended question is one that can be answered by a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or by a specific piece of information (e.g. ‘Are you married?’ or ‘What is your occupation?’). An open-ended question is one which allows the respondent the freedom to give an answer which he / she considers appropriate (e.g. ‘What do you think about your school?’).

(a) When should open-ended questions be used and when should closed-ended questions be used?

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(b) You will receive some question cards from your teacher. In pairs, put the closed-ended questions into one group and the open-ended questions into another.

1. What is your opinion of people buying counterfeit products? (Change this question to a closed-ended question beginning with ‘Is it wrong...’)

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2. Have you bought any counterfeit products before? (Change this question to an open-ended question beginning with ‘What counterfeit products…’)

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3. Do you think making the purchase of counterfeit products illegal is an effective solution to piracy? (Change this question to an open-ended question beginning with

‘What do you think…’)

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(d) The following describes some common types of questions used in questionnaires. Match them with the question cards your teacher gave you.

1. An incomplete sentence for the respondent to complete

2. A scale (e.g. from 1 to 5) which allows the respondent to rate something

3. A question that the respondent can answer in an almost unlimited number of ways 4. A question offering three or more answer choices

5. A scale (e.g. from 1 to 5) which allows the respondent to show to what extent they agree or disagree with a given statement

6. Words are presented, one at a time, and respondents mention the first word that comes to mind

Learning Activity 3

Your classmate is researching the issue of school bullying. Below is a questionnaire created by him / her. There are a number of problems in the questionnaire. In pairs, find out the problems and suggest ways to help him / her to improve.

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Name: Phone number:

HKID No.: Date of birth:

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1. Have you ever been bullied and did you report it to your teacher?

A lot: ________ Many times: ________ Never: _________

2. Many people believe the school and teachers are partly responsible for school bullying. Don’t you agree?

Strongly agree _____

Agree _____

Neither agree nor disagree _____

Disagree _____

Strongly disagree _____

3. How often do you see or hear about students being bullied?

Always _____

Occasionally _____

Seldom _____

Never _____

4. What do you think of school prefects?

Learning Activity 4

In groups, work on the following:

(a) Decide on an area in your research topic that can be investigated by using a questionnaire survey.

(b) Design a simple questionnaire.

(d) Conduct the survey with at least eight students.

Use the space below to write your questionnaire.

Learning Activity 5

After conducting the survey, you should report on your findings. Below is a short checklist of what you should include in the report on a survey and the possible order you write the report in.

1. Introduction 2. Methodology 3. Results

4. Analysis of results 5. Conclusion

(a) Which part of the survey report should include the following? Write the number used above to indicate.

_2_ e.g. details of when and where the survey was conducted ___ A. summary of the key findings and the implications ___ B. written presentation of the survey responses

___ C. background information (e.g. nature of the social issue) ___ D. details of who were selected and how they were selected ___ E. interpretation of the results

___ F. graphic presentation of the survey responses ___ G. purpose of the survey

___ H. recommendation for further action

___ I. details of the methods used for data collection and analysis

(b) Read the survey report below carefully and see if you can find the elements listed in (a).

Write the elements you can identify in the boxes provided.

Report on School Bullying Survey 2008

I. Introduction

School bullying is clearly not a new issue, but with more and more videos of school children beating up their classmates uploaded to video-sharing websites, this issue is drawing increasing media attention in recent years. As part of our research project on the issue of school bullying, a survey was carried out on campus in April 2008 with the aims:

• to investigate the prevalence of school bullying

• to understand teenagers’ attitudes towards school bullying

II. Methodology

In early April, a survey questionnaire was sent by email to one class of students randomly selected from each level (Secondary One to Secondary Seven), a total of 273 students. During the two-week survey period, 118 valid questionnaires were collected from respondents aged 11 – 19, including 49 females (41.5%) and 69 males (58.5%).

III. Survey Results

1. Prevalence of school bullying

Survey results suggested that bullying is very common at school. The majority of the respondents (89%) had witnessed bullying incidents on campus (73% had witnessed verbal bullying, 68% had witnessed physical assault, 55% had witnessed bullying through extortion).

2. Reactions to bullying incidents

Out of the 89% who had witnessed bullying on campus, 63% left the scene immediately, 33% tried to stop the bullying by themselves, and only 21% went to seek help from prefects and / or teachers. It was also found that 18% stayed to watch the bullying.

3. Attitudes to bullying

97% of the respondents agreed that ‘it would be better not to have any bullying at school.’

When asked about their attitude towards the bullies, most (82%) of the respondents ‘feared becoming the next target’, 55% ‘felt angry’, 29% ‘were frustrated’, and 5% ‘admired the bullies’.

As for their attitudes towards the victims, ‘sympathy’ dominated the

IV. Analysis of Survey Results

From the data collected from the survey, it was found that bullying is a very serious problem on campus.

One significant finding was that there was a sharp contrast between students’ reactions and their attitudes to bullying. While most students had rather strong negative feelings (anger, frustration, fear) about the bullying incidents, not many of them actually took action to stop bullying from spreading. Judging from their responses, one could suggest that their inaction was not the result of indifference. It was either students’ fear of becoming the next target that silenced them, or it was their lack of trust in the school to handle the problem that made them do nothing.

Another result that is worth highlighting is that the great majority of students wished to study in a bullying-free campus. A conclusion one could draw is that, when protected and encouraged, most students would probably be willing to take action to stop bullying.

V. Conclusion

Bullying is a pressing issue. Unfortunately, many students interviewed preferred to ‘stay out of the problem’. The good news is that most students did not approve of the bullying behaviour and they agreed that it would be better if no one were bullied. To effectively stop campus bullying, not only that the school must maintain strict confidentiality of the reporters’ identity, but this should also be made known to students. If taken seriously, it is foreseeable that the number of reports will increase. Together with appropriate punishment and education, this will certainly help to reduce tragedies at school.

Write your report here. Use a separate sheet of paper if there is not enough space.

Title: ________________________________________

Introduction (What’s the purpose of the survey?)

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Methodology (Who were interviewed? How was the sample selected? What methods were used for data collection and anlaysis?)

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Results (Present the survey responses by writing and charts / graphs if suitable)

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Analysis of results (How do you interpret the results? What are their implications?)

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Conclusion (How would you summarise the key findings and implications? What further action would you recommend?)

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