Three-Step Interview Discussion Strategy: Explanation
The teacher introduces a question, a statement or some stimulus material.
Learners are divided into groups of four.
In each group, pupils are labelled A, B, C and D.
The discussion works as follows:
Step One
Learner A interviews Learner B.
Learner C interviews Learner D.
The interviews aim to elicit what the learners think about the question, the statement or the stimulus material.
Learner A and Learner C take notes while they conduct their interviews.
Step Two
Learner B interviews Learner A.
Learner D interviews Learner C.
The purpose of the interviews is the same as in step one.
Learner B and Learner D take notes while they conduct their interviews.
Step Three
The group re-forms as a four.
Each learner takes it in turn to relay to the group the thoughts and ideas of the person they interviewed, using their notes as a guide.
Interviewees are allowed to add anything they think has been missed (or misrepresented) by their interviewer.
Once each learner has had the opportunity to give feedback, the group discusses the question, the statement or the stimulus material. Now, everyone can speak, and the discussion is freed from constraints.
Ideally, this will involve learners picking up on things that have been said by their peers during the interview stage and further debating these.
Three-Step Interview Discussion Strategy: Example
Topic: Product Design
The teacher asks learners the following question:
- Is it better to use sustainable materials or the materials that create the best product?
A short period of thinking time is given, then the class is divided into groups of four.
The learners in each group assign the labels A, B, C and D to themselves.
The interview process takes place as outlined above.
In one group, it may be that Learner B indicates, during their interview, that they think the best product is the one that is most sustainable.
Upon hearing this during step three, Learners C and D may disagree, taking issue with the way in which Learner B has understood the term ‘best’.
After all the interviewers have relayed what was said by their interviewees, Learners C and D can follow this up.
They ask Learner B to explain how exactly they have interpreted the word ‘best’.
The discussion then carries on from here, having been sparked off by a specific comment made during the interview process.
Three-Step Interview Discussion Strategy: Extensions and Developments
- Ask learners to come up with a list of questions they will use in their interviews. These should connect to the question, statement or stimulus material the teacher has shared.
- Try the activity with groups of six (though be aware that it is harder manage). Label learners A, B, C, D, E and F. Take them through the same three-step process. The main difference is that three pairs of interviews take place instead of two. This creates more possibilities for group discussion during the final part of step three.
