1. CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS TRACY ARWARI, PH.D., ED.D. STUDENT SUCCESS OFFICER

2. WHAT IS A FOCUS GROUP? A way to reach out to students (actual or potential) to elicit feedback and comments Small groups (8-10) Led by an individual who does not meet the qualifying characteristics of the group

3. KEY FOCUS GROUP FEATURES Small size Non-judgmental, non-threatening environment Open-ended participation Confidentiality Structured organization Heavily qualitative!

4. WHY USE A FOCUS GROUP? People love to be asked their opinion! Gather opinions, beliefs, & attitudes about an issue Test assumptions Encourage discussion about a topic Provide an opportunity to learn more To answer questions that cannot be asked/ answered through quantitative methods Nuances are important!

5. WHEN A FOCUS GROUP ISN’T A GOOD IDEA… Nuances are not important Time-intensive Answers can be complex and need to be “unpacked” Recruitment can be problematic

6. BEFORE YOUR FOCUS GROUP, PART I Define your objectives :  What is unique to the focus group vs. other methods?  What do you want to learn (and why)? Establish a timeline  6-8 weeks  Relationship to other methods? Find a facilitator Find a recorder/ second facilitator

7. BEFORE YOUR FOCUS GROUP, PART II Decide who should be invited (who’s your audience)? Decide on incentives Meeting logistics Develop an interview protocol Recruit participants

8. DEVELOPING THE INTERVIEW PROTOCOL Open-ended questions Be intentional Average number of questions: 6/hour Question order should move from general to specific Utilize the focus group to get answers to difficult questions (the medium is the message)

9. WHEN THE GROUP MEETS… Thank people for coming Explain why they’re there  IRB/ Consent forms  Confidentiality  Respectful, non-threatening environment  Time commitment Make sure recorder/ second facilitator is ready and working! Begin asking questions:  Make sure everyone has a chance to answer  Ask for follow-up comments Neutrality is key! Thank them again and let them know the next steps / data management

10. AFTER THE FOCUS GROUP Transcribe the recording Code the data for overlapping ideas, themes, and patterns Compare your objectives, questions asked, and answers received to determine answers for your study

11. HOW TO USE FOCUS GROUPS IN DSA How would you use a focus group in your department? Why would you use a focus group and not another qualitative method? What are some research questions that you would ask? Where/ how would you recruit participants?

12. FOCUS GROUPS IN ACTION What are some projects you have in your office? Would you use a focus group? Why or why not? Develop a focus group for your department/ area using a specific population (ie senior international students)