After reading The Science of Asking Questions (Schaeffer & Presser 2003), I have decided to do one round of interviews with fellow students on the PGCERT course, and if I have time, one round of interviews with Academic Support lecturers/tutors. Following that, I will evaluate the interview responses using thematic analysis, to determine what kind of intervention(s) I should create.
Interview Round 1: Questions for PGCERT colleagues/Students
NB: These people are currently both teaching on courses throughout UAL and learning on the PGCERT course.
- What do you think of when you hear the word “procrastination”?
- What do you think of when you think of the term “lazy”?
- Are procrastination and laziness the same thing?
- Would you consider yourself to be a procrastinator or lazy?
- Do you think procrastination can be useful?
- Tell me the story of your procrastination – what usually happens, what do you feel?
- Were you ever given tools that helped you to understand how to learn by teachers or other education figures in your life?
- Have you ever heard the term Executive Function?
- What do you think educators can do to help students who procrastinate?
- What do you think is misunderstood about people who procrastinate?
Round 1 interview questions are split into 4 sections:
- Questions 1 – 3 = defining terms and “warm up” questions. Before I ask my interviewees anything more personal, I need to have an understanding of what their personal understandings/definitions are on these terms. I also need to help them feel comfortable and safe in the interview space by asking them relatively ‘low-key’ questions.
- Questions 4 – 6 = delving deeper into personal experiences. Encouraging more personal reflection on the topic and how it affects them directly.
- Questions 7 – 9 = reframing the issue. Gaining an understanding of their ideas around procrastination in education and are they aware of industry terms around this issue? How would they approach the issue of procrastination in their students knowing that they also procrastinate? Were they ever given any ESI in their own learning careers?
- Question 10 = plenary.
Interview Round 2: Questions for Lecturers
- What do you think when you hear the word “procrastination”
- Are procrastination and laziness the same thing?
- When you think about students procrastinating, what comes up for you?
- How would you respond to a student that you felt was procrastinating?
- What academic support tools would you give a student that you felt was procrastinating?
- Why do you think students procrastinate?
- Have you ever heard the term Executive Function?
- Have you ever heard the term Executive Dysfunction?
- Have you ever heard the term Explicit Strategy Instruction?
- Were you ever given tools as a student that helped you to understand how to learn?
- What do you think is missing from university curricula that could help students who procrastinate?
Round 2 interview questions are split into 5 sections:
- Questions 1& 2 = defining terms and “warm-up” questions. Before I ask my interviewees anything more personal, I need to have an understanding of what their personal understandings/definitions are on these terms. I also need to help them feel comfortable and safe in the interview space by asking them relatively ‘low-key’ questions.
- Questions 3 – 6 = delving deeper into personal experiences and teaching methods they would use to help procrastinating students. Do they think that procrastinators are lazy?
- Questions 7 – 9 = gaining an understanding of their ideas around procrastination in education, are they aware of industry terms around this issue?
- Question 10 = reframing the topic, what is their personal experience of ESI, if any?
- Question 11 = plenary.
Interview times
I estimate that these interviews will take around 30 minutes each. I think that 30 minutes is enough time to create a sense of intimacy and safety with my participants, without taking up too much time from their busy lives or feeling too longwinded. I also don’t want the interviews to feel rushed, I want my participants to leave feeling like they have been heard and understood. Procrastinators already have so much shame around this issue, I don’t want to compound it.
Quizzes
I have thought for quite a while about whether or not to ask my participants to take Piers Steel’s procrastination quiz before the interview so that I can assess what kind of procrastinator they are. I have decided against it for the following reasons:
- Although the quiz isn’t particularly harsh and it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, seeing myself defined as a “master procrastinator” did very little for my self-esteem. I don’t necessarily want to expose my participants to that.
- Taking a quiz and having their procrastination defined by an external authority might make my participants feel judged or that I am trying to shame them.
- I am intending to ask them questions that could potentially feel quite personal. I want them to come into the interview space feeling open and ready to share their personal experiences with me. Asking them to take a quiz might make them shut down before we have even begun.
- As procrastinators, they are very likely to procrastinate taking the quiz!
I plan to approach some of my fellows on the course this week and begin conducting interviews as soon as possible.
Bibliography
Schaeffer, C. N, & Presser, S. (2003) ‘The Science of Asking Questions’. Annual Review of Sociology 2003 29:65–88 doi: 10.1146/annurev.soc.29.110702.110112