Idea for interviewing

I recently read a research paper of a study done to compare the teacher-student relationships in Mexico and America. The data was very interesting, but what I found most interesting was the methodology they used. The study consisted of four questions they asked to students and teachers. These questions had the students (or teachers) put themselves in a situation that could occur in the classroom and respond on how they would react. 

These were the questions the survey used:

1) A student draws a funny picture of the teacher which exaggerates a part of his or her body, like the stomach or hair. The student leaves the picture on the teacher’s desk with no name on it, and the teacher discovers it’.

2) ‘A teacher says something that one of the students disagrees with. The student tells the teacher his/her point of view’

3) ‘The students complained that an activity was difficult to understand and boring. They said they didn’t want to do it but they didn’t mind learning the material some other way’.

4) A student comes to class without having done his homework, what would be the reaction of the teacher?

 After reading this study I was very amazed but the effectiveness of their methods. The data was clear and easy to interpret. The conclusions were hard to deny because of the strong evidence from their study. This study caused me to think about what methods I could use and how I might be able to use situation questions. My original plan was to gather my data with informal interviews.  The idea of sitting down with a student one-on-one seemed overly intimidating. I feel as a one who is blatantly not Mexican, to do individual interviews will require a lot of tact and skill.  But, I remembered that according the research I have found, Latinos prefer a community setting. I gathered that they feel more comfortable in groups. From the Inquiry conference I heard about focus groups and how effective they were in a Navaho education study. I concluded that I can apply all these methods to my research.  I have decided to use mini-focus groups, of three students and ask them a couple of situation questions. 

I still have much to decide, specifically, what variables I want to focus my research on and possible situations to use in my questioning; but for now I am excited about this new ideal to gather data.