Research and Assessment
Techniques: Focus Groups
Your Name
Your Institution
Date
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Overview
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Outcomes
1. Compare focus group approach with other
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3.
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5.
approaches
Plan a focus group session
Develop a focus group discussion guide
Facilitate a focus group
Analyze focus group results
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Icebreaker
Using the “When and When Not to Use Focus
Group Interviews” checklist, select in which
items a focus group should be used.
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Purpose and Use
A focus group is used to:
Understand the range of opinions, feelings,
ideas, thoughts or behaviors among a group
of people with similar characteristics or
interests.
A focus group is not used to:
Build consensus, resolve conflict or
understand what people with divergent
experiences believe on a wide range of topics.
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Other Qualitative Approaches
• Delphi Method
• Brainstorming
• Survey Research
• Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA)
• Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Focus Group Characteristics
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Primary Characteristics
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Moderator’s Role
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Size and Composition
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Non-directive; facilitates discussion, probes to
understand details and nuances of comments
3-6 sessions of 5-12 participants each
Homogeneous groups
Focused Discussions
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Questions are open-ended and sequenced
Guided questions with spontaneous probing
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Focus Group Components
1. Determine the purpose
2. Formulate the research question
3. Identify the participant characteristics
4. Identify who and how the information will be
used
5. Develop the discussion guide
6. Schedule sessions and recruit participants
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
The Planning Guide
Action Research
SLO Assessment
• What is the question the
• What is the SLO you want to
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research will help answer?
What is the research
assumption or hypothesis?
What specific traits or
characteristics are needed
in the population?
Who will use the
information?
How will the information be
used?
assess?
• What is the SLO criteria?
• Which segment of the
population is the SLO
targeting?
• Will the information be
shared with your
colleagues?
• How will the information be
used?
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Interactive Activity
Develop a Guide: Use the “Focus Group
Planning” template to develop a Planning
Guide for your focus group research or
assessment.
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
The Discussion Guide
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Question Routing
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Easy beginning
Sequencing
General before specific
Positive before negative
Uncued before cued
Categories of Questions
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Opening questions
Introductory questions
Transition questions
Key questions
Closing questions
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Question Categories
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Opening
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Introduction
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Purpose of the focus group and ground rules
Tell us your name and how many semesters
you’ve attended the college
How did you learn about this class or service?
How often or when do you go to class or use this
service?
Transition
•
Think back to when you took your first class or
first used the service. What was your impression?
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Question Categories
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Key Questions
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What was particularly helpful?
What was particularly frustrating or not helpful?
How has your learning experience changed as a
result of this class or service?
Closing
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What advice would you give to improve this class
or service?
Is there anything I missed that you would like to
add?
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Writing Good Questions
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Be conversational and informal
Avoid jargon; use language participants will
know
Be clear and concise; eliminate questions
with multiple questions in one (barreling)
Ask open-ended questions but avoid “why”
so as not to appear judgmental or
disapproving
Phrase questions to allow participants to
respond based on experience: “think back”
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Interactive Activity
Develop a discussion guide using one of the
sample research or SLO topics in the Planning
Guide, or one you’ve created.
Follow the general routing and category of
questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opening
Introduction
Transition
Key Questions
Closing
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Activities to Engage Participants
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Listing items
Rating items
Picture/card sorting
Drawing pictures
Imagining/visualizing
Developing a campaign
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Facilitating the Focus Group
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Necessary Skills and Preparation
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Have a friendly, inviting, non-judgmental attitude
Practice active listening; resist personal views
Know the subject matter, the environment and the
discussion guide
Essential Techniques
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Pause
Probe
Acknowledge verbally and non-verbally
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Interactive Activity
Ask the person next to you a focused question
and use the following three techniques to
practice interviewing:
1.
2.
3.
Five second pause
Probe for further explanation, examples or details
Acknowledge without agreement or disagreement
either verbally or non-verbally
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Analyzing the Results
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Review the Purpose
Content Analysis Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Review the comments/transcripts
Extract the major themes or concepts
Group comments by major themes
Identify key descriptors within themes
Summarize the themes using the descriptors
Add your conclusions and recommendations
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Content Analysis Sample
Themes
Descriptors
• Quality of Instructor
• Helpful instructors
• Available when I need them
• Knowledgeable
• Concerned with my success
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
Interactive Activity
Conduct a content analysis by extracting
themes and descriptors from the sample
focus group interview results and summarize
the results.
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
References
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Focus Groups, Krueger and Casey
Interactive Qualitative Analysis, Northcutt
and McCoy
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges
The BRIC Initiative
BRIC:
http://www.rpgroup.org/projects/BRIC.html
The RP Group:
http://www.rpgroup.org/
Contact:
Rob Johnstone
Project Director, rjohnstone@rpgroup.org
Priyadarshini Chaplot
Project Coordinator, pchaplot@rpgroup.org
Bridging Research, Information and Culture
An Initiative of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges