ABSTRACT
The clinical interview is a technique pioneered by Piaget (1975) to study the form of knowledge structures and reasoning processes. Since the mid–1970s, it has evolved into a variety of methods, including open-ended interviews and think-aloud problem solving protocols. These techniques have played key roles in seminal studies in science and mathematics education as well as developmental psychology. Their strengths, in comparison to nonclinical, data-gathering techniques, include the ability to collect and analyze data on mental processes at the level of a subject’s authentic ideas and meanings, and to expose hidden structures and processes in the subject’s thinking that could not be detected by less open-ended techniques. These abilities are especially important because of Piaget’s discovery that people have many interesting knowledge structures and reasoning processes that are not the same as academic ones—they have alternative conceptions and use nonformal reasoning and learning processes. Mapping this “hidden world” of indigenous thinking is crucial for the success of instructional design. Students cannot help but use their own prior conceptions and reasoning processes during instruction, and these have strong effects on the course of instruction. Because tests are almost always written from the point of view of the teacher and are designed to detect standard forms of academic knowledge, they can fail to detect key elements in students’ thinking. Clinical interviews, on the other hand, can be designed to elicit and document naturalistic forms of thinking. In some exploratory varieties of clinical interviewing, the investigator can also react responsively to data as they are collected by asking new questions in order to clarify and extend the investigation. Even where the detection of academic knowledge is sought, clinical interviews can give more information on depth of conceptual understanding, because oral and graphical explanations can be collected, and clarifications can be sought where appropriate. However, the analysis of interviews can be difficult and time consuming, always involving a degree of interpretation on the part of the researcher. One purpose of this chapter is to discuss the scientific foundations that provide a basis for sound analysis.
