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Why are focus groups important in exploratory research?
How can you use focus groups in the school setting?
Why should a focus group be held?
Why are focus groups a good study?
What is a focus group in research?
Why are focus groups important in qualitative research?
Focus groups give us an opportunity to capture the human element – the emotions and non-verbal cues that numbers often miss – and help us to explore underlying motivations. Here are some of the most common focus group use cases. New product or concept testing.
Focus groups are particularly valuable in exploratory research, which is often the first step in investigating a new or complex issue. Exploratory research aims to gain a general understanding of a problem, and focus groups are well-suited for this task due to their interactive and dynamic nature.
Qualitative methods such as Focus Groups are a useful starting point for any learning needs analysis. They provide the organisation with views and opinions about the learning and development needs of a cross-section of employees. These can then be verified and substantiated via quantitative methods.
Here are some ideas for how you could use focus groups in the school setting. • Generating ideas for how the school can become more eco-friendly in future. • Gathering governor, staff, parent/carer and/or learner opinions on how well a new policy (e.g. admissions, inclusion) is working.
- Clarify the Focus Group’s Purpose and Orientation. Clarify the purpose and orientation of the focus group (Tracy, 2013). Carefully consider whether a focus group or individual interviews will provide the type of qualitative data needed to address your research questions.
- Select a Homogeneous Grouping Characteristic. Select a homogeneous grouping characteristic (Krueger & Casey, 2009) to recruit participants with a commonality, like shared roles, experiences, or demographics, to enable meaningful discussion.
- Designate a Moderator. Designate a skilled, neutral moderator (Crowe, 2003; Morgan, 1997) to steer productive dialogue given their expertise in guiding group interactions.
- Develop a Focus Group Guide. Develop an extensive focus group guide (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Include an introduction to set a relaxed tone, explain the study rationale, review confidentiality protection procedures, and facilitate a participant introduction activity.
Focus groups can be used as a substitute for interviews, to understand experiences, learning, expectations and impacts of being involved in a project. Focus groups should be held at a convenient time and location for all those invited, and should, ideally, be recorded and transcribed. Why use it?
Focus groups are useful when we wish to study topics or events that are sensitive or taboo, or when we wish to understand something unique to vulnerable or marginalized groups. There are at least two reasons for this.
