Educational Interview

The educational interview is a teaching method based on a conversation conducted accord- ing to a prepared yet flexible structure. Its aim is to deepen students’ understanding of complex problems through the analysis of the interviewee’s experiences and way of thinking. Students conduct an interview with a person who has experience related to the topic being analysed, such as a manager, an employee of an organisation, or an expert. In an educational setting, the interviewee may also be someone role-playing a particular position, for example another student acting as a leader, employee, or customer. The questions focus on specific past situations, decisions that were made, and their con-
sequences, while questioning and attentive listening play a central role in the process. The most important stage of the method is the analysis of the collected responses. Students identify recurring themes, tensions, and different interpretations of the same situation, helping them move from individual statements towards broader conclusions about the problem being examined.

Course: Strategic Management
Topic: Business Growth Strategies
Students analyse how companies make decisions about their future development. The aim of the class is to understand which factors influence the choice of growth strategy and what risks and limitations accompany such decisions.

Introduction (5 min)
The teacher presents students with a short scenario in which a medium-sized technology company is considering three development options: entering a new foreign market, developing a new product, or acquiring a smaller company in the same industry. The students’ task is to understand how managers make such decisions.

Expert Interview (15 min)
Students work in pairs. One student takes on the role of a company manager, while the other conducts a strategic interview. The interview may be based on real data or partly fictional information in order to allow for the analysis of different scenarios.
The interviewer asks questions such as:
• Why is the company considering these three development options?
• Which market factors have the greatest influence on this decision?
• Which option involves the greatest risk?
• What resources does the company need in order to implement the chosen strategy?
The student playing the role of the manager responds, justifies decisions, and presents possible strategic arguments.

Analysis of Responses (20 min)
After the interviews, pairs present their key conclusions. The teacher writes the emerging arguments on the board and organises them according to key strategic categories, such as market, resources, risk, and competition.

Reflection (5 min)
To  conclude, students answer the question: Which strategic argument appeared most frequently in the interviews, and why did this factor prove crucial in the decisions analysed?

• When analysing complex problems that require the interpretation of different perspectives and an understanding of the motivations and decisions of social or organisational actors.
• When the aim of the class is to deepen students’ understanding of concepts through conversation with an expert, practitioner, or person playing a specific role.

• When students do not yet have the basic knowledge needed to formulate meaningful questions and interpret the interviewee’s responses.
• When the aim of the class is to convey a large amount of new information quickly or to teach a specific procedure.

• Students may ask overly general or superficial questions → it is useful to prepare a list of sample questions in advance or discuss the principles of conducting an interview.
• The conversation may drift away from the main issue → the teacher should remind students of the purpose of the interview and summarise the key conclusions.

Easier → The teacher can provide a set of starter questions or a short interview script.
More Challenging → Students formulate their own questions and analyse the responses, identifying key arguments, assumptions, and the consequences of decisions.

• Begin the interview with a clearly defined problem or issue.
• Encourage students to ask follow-up questions and clarify the interviewee’s responses.
• Ask students to summarise the key conclusions drawn from the conversation.
• After the interview, always allow time for joint analysis and interpretation of the responses.

Formative Assessment

During the interview, observe whether students ask clear and relevant questions, ask follow-up questions, listen actively, and connect the interviewee’s responses to the problem being analysed. Provide developmental feedback by highlighting what the student did well, what aspects could be explored in greater depth, and how they can improve their interviewing and interpretation skills.

Summative Assessment

Students prepare a short written analysis of the interview. It should include a description of the main issue, two or three key findings from the interview, an interpretation of the interviewee’s responses, and conclusions linked to concepts discussed during the course. Assessment criteria may include the relevance of the questions asked, the accuracy of the interpretation, the use of evidence from the interview, the connection to relevant theory, and the clarity of the final conclusions.