Conducting Interviews and Surveys

Active learning works because students must wrestle with the craft of inquiry. When eighth graders design, test, and revise their own interview and survey questions, they confront the real-world consequences of wording, bias, and sampling. These experiences build the critical lens required by CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 far more effectively than reading about research methods alone.

• 8th Grade
• English Language Arts
• 3 activities
• 20 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Design a set of interview questions that elicit detailed and relevant information for a specific research topic.
2. Analyze the ethical considerations, such as informed consent and privacy, involved in conducting interviews and surveys.
3. Compare and contrast the strengths and limitations of qualitative data from interviews with quantitative data from surveys.
4. Evaluate the suitability of interviews versus surveys for answering particular research questions.
5. Synthesize interview and survey data to draw conclusions about a research topic.

Role Play

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Role Play: Interview Practice Rounds

In pairs, one student plays interviewer and one plays an expert on a topic of their choice. The interviewer uses a prepared set of five questions, then reflects on which questions generated the most detailed responses. Partners switch roles, then compare which question types (open-ended vs. closed) produced richer data, recording observations in a simple chart.

Prepare & details

Design a set of interview questions that elicit detailed and relevant information for a research topic.

Facilitation Tip: During Interview Practice Rounds, circulate with a clipboard to jot down two concrete examples of question types that confused respondents so you can reference them in the debrief.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Survey Instrument Audit

Small groups receive a sample ten-question survey on a school-relevant topic that contains several flawed questions, including leading questions, double-barreled questions, and ambiguous terms. Groups identify each flaw, explain why it would produce unreliable data, and rewrite three of the problematic questions. Groups share their rewrites and discuss improvements.

Prepare & details

Analyze the ethical considerations involved in conducting interviews and surveys.

Facilitation Tip: When running the Survey Instrument Audit, assign each pair a different criterion to spotlight during the gallery walk so every bias type gets coverage.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Qualitative vs. Quantitative Comparison

Present pairs with two sets of data about the same issue: interview excerpts from three people and a bar chart from 200 survey respondents. Pairs identify two things each data type reveals that the other cannot, then share findings with the class. Discussion surfaces when each method is most useful and why real researchers often combine both.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the strengths and limitations of qualitative data gathered through interviews versus quantitative data from surveys.

Facilitation Tip: In the Think-Pair-Share, time the think phase to 90 seconds and the pair phase to 3 minutes to prevent off-task talk while ensuring everyone contributes.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teachers approach this by treating question design as a public, iterative process. Model your own revision by projecting a first draft of your questions for the class to critique. Avoid rushing to finalize instruments; instead, insist on small-group peer testing before data collection. Research shows that students revise most effectively when they see their peers struggle with the same wording, so normalize the language tweak over the perfect first draft.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students who can distinguish between leading and neutral questions, justify their sampling choices, and explain why certain question types yield richer data. They should articulate how data shape conclusions and adjust their instruments when feedback reveals flaws.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Interview Practice Rounds, watch for students who assume any related question is usable.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play to probe each question: ask students to explain what answer they expect and whether that expectation shapes the wording. If a question has a built-in answer, model rephrasing it as open-ended and record the revised version on the board.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Survey Instrument Audit, watch for students who believe more responses always mean better data.

What to Teach Instead

Have pairs calculate response rates and examine sample composition using real survey data from a partner group. Ask them to justify whether the sample matches the population they hope to understand.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Interview Practice Rounds, collect each student’s two interview questions and two survey questions from the lunch scenario. Use a rubric to score clarity, neutrality, and alignment to the research goal.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share, present the two hypothetical research findings and ask pairs to explain which better answers a specific question about student preferences. Circulate and listen for evidence that students connect question type to data quality.

Peer Assessment

After Collaborative Investigation: Survey Instrument Audit, have students exchange drafts and use the provided checklist to score their partner’s survey for clarity, bias, and usefulness. Collect these checklists to track progress across the unit.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to redesign a flawed survey question from a partner’s instrument to remove bias and improve clarity.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for open-ended questions (e.g., "Describe a time when..." or "Explain your thinking about...") to students who need support.
• Deeper exploration: Have students conduct a mini-study analyzing how question sequencing affects response patterns in their own class surveys.

Key Vocabulary

Primary Research	Information gathered directly from original sources, such as through interviews or surveys, rather than from existing published materials.
Qualitative Data	Descriptive information, often in the form of words, narratives, or observations, that captures experiences, opinions, and nuances. Interview data is typically qualitative.
Quantitative Data	Numerical information that can be measured and statistically analyzed to identify patterns, frequencies, and relationships. Survey data is often quantitative.
Informed Consent	The ethical principle that participants in research must voluntarily agree to participate after being fully informed about the study's purpose, procedures, and potential risks.
Bias	A tendency or inclination that prevents impartial consideration of a question or topic, which can affect the design of questions or the interpretation of results.