In this case, I describe why I decided to learn more about mediocre teachers and the difficulties in taking on such a project. The first challenge was to recognise that such individuals were unlikely to volunteer to take part in my research and also to find an imaginative way to learn more about them. I opted to use an indirect approach and invited 12 head teachers to discuss the matter using a semi-structured interview technique. I then faced a series of ethical issues that I outline and explain how I overcame them. Finally, I present some of the key findings of the research together with some reflections on future studies. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book.]