Μαρία Μπιρμπίλη, Individual interviews as a means of acquaintance with preschool-age children: Experiences novice students, Έρευνα στην Εκπαίδευση, 1|2014,

Among the basic skills future teachers have to develop during initial training are the ability to recognize and understand the unique characteristics of students and the ability to communicate with them. Developing such skills requires prospective teachers to practice in one of the most common teaching strategies, namely individual interviews with children.                During the 1st phase of Students' Practicum at the School of Early Childhood Education, at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, individual interviews were used as an tool that can help prospective teachers familiarize themselves with question formulating techniques for young children and better understand the way this age group thinks. After the interview with a child of their choice, students were asked to answer a number of questions regarding the planning and the implementation of the individual interviews. These questions aimed at examining students’ perceptions of the specific strategy as a means for getting to know children and interacting with them. Answers from 114 students give useful information about students’ perceptions regarding the characteristics and abilities of preschoolers' and the usefulness of the individual interview as a teaching tool. Overall, results showed that interviews with young children can be an effective strategy for familiarizing with and sensitizing pre-service teachers to this age group.