The six pre-service adult learners who were in their student teaching experience served as
the primary data sources. Each participant was asked to complete a brief electronic demographic
survey (see appendix E). The purpose of this survey was to provide the researcher an opportunity to create a more diverse participant sample and to better understand the background of the
participants. Upon completion and receipt of the survey, I conducted the interviews face-to-face
with each participant. The interview protocol (see Appendix F) consisted of a series of openended
questions that were intended to stimulate participant reflection. Semi-structured interviews
provide a degree of consistency while at the same time the opportunity for flexibility to engage
in a natural conversation. This structure “allows him or her to express personal feelings, and
therefore presents a more realistic picture than can be uncovered using traditional interview
methods” (Fontana & Frey, 1994, p. 371). More specifically, traditional interview methods fail to
highlight a true participant perspective as they only “get reactions to the investigator’s
preconceived notions of the world” (Merriam, 1998, p. 74).