Semi-structured interview guides (SSIGs)

This tool was used to capture data from the Education Officers (QASOs, Sub-county QASOs), pupils, parents, teachers, KIE curriculum developers and head teachers/school administrators using Appendices IX - XIII. A semi-structured interview is a flexible interview in which the interviewer does not follow a formalized list of questions; instead, he has a list of general topics or themes from the research objectives, which act as a guide (Warren and Karner, 2005:32). Structured interviews include a number of questions in pre-defined themes. In a semi-structured interview interviewers can continue to ask questions until they fully understand the situation (Rubin, 2004). Use of ordinary conversation makes it easier to reassure informants and to win their cooperation and trust (Gubrium and Holstein, 2001:34). Semi- structured interviews follow an open and informal interview style (Chirban, 1996:42). A semi-structured interview is open; allowing new ideas to be brought up during the interview because of what the interviewee says regarding an issue under discussion (Britten, 1995:64). The interviewer in a semi-structured interview generally has a framework of themes to be explored (Bauman and Greenberg, 1992:30). When conducting semi-structured interviews, the interviewer is prepared with a list of questions and topics to be discussed.

However, the order of the questions and topics is undefined. It depends on the flow of the discussion.

The rationale for use of semi-structured interview guide in this study was to enable the researcher and his assistants to capture in-depth of information through flexible probing questions to understand perspectives and experiences as well as unexpected issues/topics emerge during the extensive and intensive discussions. Semi- structured interview encouraged two-way communication i.e. interviewees also asked questions which made the sessions quite interactive. Further, because the order of questions was not fixed, flow and sharing of views was more natural based on objectives of the study and themes derived from them. Use of semi structured interview also helped to create an informal, friendly atmosphere facilitating a ‘natural’ flow of ideas and opinions from researchers and informants as they engaged each other in a free and open forum.

Two trained research assistants assisted the researcher in data capture. A research assistant is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university or a research institute, for assisting in academic research. Research assistants are not independent and not directly responsible for the outcome of the research and are responsible to a supervisor or principal investigator. The research inducted and trained the research assistants on particular duties regarding data collection process using data collection tools. This was important to enable their efficacy in piloting of research tools and later in data collection as well as running research protocols. The choice of graduate research assistants enables the study to involve personnel who possessed sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge in research methods and techniques to enable realization of research objectives. The lead researcher acted as a moderator, probing issues raised by informants from one topic to another. The proceedings were taped or recorded with the consent of the informants. The lead researcher actively engaged the interviewees while his research assistants actively listened and took note. All researchers looked at the informants face keenly to note any appearances that could be a sign of any sensitivity; to explore emerging issues further in a close and friendly manner, the researcher picked up phrases that the informants used and used these to phrase more questions that made them to shed more information to enable the study to be more exhaustive. The researcher avoided giving opinions or judgments about what the informant said but occasional jokes and friendly gestures towards pupils were used break the ice and build rapport to make the process socially interactive. In many occasions, semi-structured interviews were often preceded by observations in the schools to capture contextual variables that influenced lifestyles and social interaction. Semi-structured interview sessions (SSIGs) were quite interactive to

enable the researcher to seek and probe in-depth information by the students about HE, body exercise, feeding habits, lifestyle and peer relationships among others that affect their lifestyle (Kombo and Tromp, 2006:92).

The tool enabled the study to provide incisive and in-depth data, which would not be adequately, captured using other tools. This tool also enabled close interaction of the study informants with the researcher, hence helped the researcher to probe further, weigh, question and seek adequate explanations on all the responses given. The potency of this tool also enabled the researcher to keenly observe all visible facial and body expressions and gestures, which were vital in authenticating the truth of various responses given by the study informants. In fact this tool enabled the researcher the rare opportunity of in-depth probes that shed more light and clarified various issues raised in various SSIGs, FGD’s and observation schedules. Similarly, the informants had the opportunity to question and seek clarifications from the researcher as well as confidence and trust through dialogue that made them to open up during the discussions and interviews.

SSIs offered flexibility for the both the researcher and interviewer to follow upon on any issues that were not clear; that is, to subtly probe and/or prompt informants to give as complete and accurate information as possible. This was because in SSIGs, neither the questions nor the answers were pre-determined. A predesigned checklist of questions, which only served to ensure that the interview was focused, guided the individual interviews. The order of issues to be discussed depended on the flow of discussion between the researcher and the informants. The interviewer framed the question in the course of the interview and probed the informants to elicit as much information as possible. This technique made informants to be relaxed as they responded to issues making their responses reliable.

Since the atmosphere was informal and conversational, SSIGs were less intimidating and therefore rapport was established easily for a study of personal matters relating to lifestyles. SSIs were important because of their ability to allow for further probing to gain clarity and to acquire new insights related to the topic of concern (Patton, 2002:92). Moreover, the semi-structured nature of the interviews gave special meaning and the interviewer and the interviewee controlled relevance as the context and the process. The interviewees were set free so as to able to give information from his/her vantage point of view; similarly the interviewer was able to take extensive notes and in- depth probe as much as possible.