Research Methods Lab

1. Research Methods Lab Focus Groups

2. Basics • Focus groups are collections of individuals selected and assembled by researchers to discuss and comment on the topic that is the subject of the research • This is essentially a form of group interviewing • Focus groups are typically composed of 6-10 people • This is small enough for everyone to contribute, but large enough to ensure some diversity

3. Your Participants are Key • Focus groups rely on interaction- without it, you are dead in the water • Multiple groups with similar participants are needed to detect patterns and trends across groups • Relying on a one-shot focus group is risky and must be avoided • Participants need to be homogeneous in status • Avoid parent/child or teacher/administrator groups • Power differentials tend to stifle the responses of participants

4. Purpose • Focus groups have a narrow purpose- to determine the perceptions, feelings, and manner of thinking of people regarding a curriculum, school policy, etc. • They are not intended for developing consensus, arriving at a plan, or making decisions!

5. Influence • Participants influence each other, which provides for a more natural environment • It is common to have a participant make a “black and white” statement, but after hearing from others, admit to more shades of gray

6. Topics • The topics in a focus group are carefully predetermined and sequenced, based on an analysis of the situation in question • Focus groups do not shoot from the hip, though they might appear spontaneous to the outside viewer • Focus groups compliment other research methods • For example, after conducting a larger survey, the researcher might decide to take those who made the most interesting responses, and gather them into a group

7. The Role of the Moderator • The moderator’s role is critical • They will need to promote debate, by asking open questions • They will also have to ask probing questions if the responses seem too generic • If the group starts to argue with each other, the moderator has to reign it back in • They also have to ensure that everyone speaks, or else the group isn’t as effective • The moderator cannot enter into the group by expressing his/her opinion, arguing with the group, or rolling eyes, etc. • The pace must be lively, but not hurried, or else you will lose information

8. Activities • The different activities used in a focus group are called a “script” • When you see a focus group in action, they don’t just use basic questions • You can show pictures of various concepts and have the group select from those • You can also use word association • Introducing a hypothetical scenario then having participants speculate on what could happen is another tactic • Think of a script as a collection of your best teaching strategies- how do you currently elicit information from students?

9. Ready to Try it Out? • Using the worksheet, we’ll first work on creating a focus group script • Work in groups of no more than three • Select a topic that will interest K-12 teachers • After we create our scripts, we’ll have a chance to watch three groups present and take notes on what we observe