Focus Group Interview Essay

Qualitative method is using open-ended questioning, non-statistical research techniques, or value-based observations. In this research, three main methodologies are adopted as focus group, distributing questionnaires and conducting personal interviews simultaneously. Methods are all appropriate and contributed to a comprehensive research. The reason is that aim of this research is to acquire an in-depth understanding of

Flexible and inexpensive, focus groups consist of six to ten participants (Hartman, 2004, p. 408). Additionally, a moderator guides the discussion among its panel members that allows researchers to observe real-time verbal responses and nonverbal cues (Hartman, 2004, p. 402; Cooper & Schindler, 2014, p. 160). Focus groups moderators also have the ability to introduce new ideas to gain a greater understanding of concerns from respondents (Hartman, 2004, p. 402). However, a concern with focus group is the lack of anonymity due to the face-to-face participation.

Four focus groups were held. The setting for the data collection was at an elementary school classroom. The researcher does not justify the use of the specific setting to the reader. It also did not states the impact the setting had on participant in terms of their emotions and participation level, it only stated that there some challenges. Observations and personal experience is an important avenue through which data can be collected (Holloway, I. and Wheeler, S. 2002). Therefore, it would have been essential for the researcher to highlight how participants responded to the focus group interviews and how the participants were observed.

Written Assignment Unit 3 BUS3302 Conduct a “focus group” about a specific topic of interest to you (e.g., mass transit in your geographical area). This means that you simultaneously interview at least three (but less than a dozen) persons about the topic, and spend at least 15 minutes. Describe who you got to participate (e.g., describe each person by gender, age, economic activity).

This article represents a focus group type of qualitative research. According to Qualitative Research Consultants Association (2015), in focus group qualitative research, a group of individuals who share a need, life circumstance, or habit relevant to the research issue(s) at hand are led in a discussion by a modulator. The focus group discussions often include between two to ten respondents, and are often held face to face. They can also be conducted remotely through videoconferencing, teleconferencing, or

Sales are the most important aspect for the growth of any business. Most businesses have the goal of maximizing their profitability which can be achieved by the increase in the level of sales that a company makes. HD printing services Company is a company built on the desire for making state- of-the- art plans and projects. The company also involves itself in involving tangible pieces which they do for their brands and various clients. The company uses the customer-centric approach in delivering products and services. The company utilizes technology in their industry and has up to date equipment that enables the company to provide timely and high-quality products. The company 's products are affordable to almost all individuals from different income levels. However, the company has been faced by a decline in the level of sales therefore, decreasing the profitability of the company. Decline in sales is also decreasing the wealth of the shareholders of the company who include the owners of the company, the employees and also the society as a whole.

The qualitative research design applied in this study is the focus group interviewing. For this particular topic, survey research design was the most appropriate as it could help obtain the necessary data and information from respondents. Also, the National Institute against Prejudice and Violence used questionnaires to collect data and information in doing the research (Barnes &Ephross, 1994).

Some ethical issues are that the interviewees should not be exploited for personal gain (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2013). It would be important to build into the research plan a method of acknowledging the contributions that the respondent makes to the success of the research and to give back to the respondent in various ways and for their efforts (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2013).

The use of focus groups as a qualitative and interpretive method of enquiry comprises of a number of strengths and weaknesses.

Focus groups are a form of group interview that make use of the communication between research participants in order to produce data. Group interviews are mostly used as a quick and easy way to collect data from several people at the same time and focus groups explicitly use group interaction as part of the method. This means that the researcher doesn’t just ask each person to respond to a question in turn, but people are encouraged to talk to one another: asking questions, exchanging stories and commenting on each other's experiences and points of view. The method is mainly useful for exploring people's knowledge and experiences and can be used to study not only what people think but how they think and why they think that way.

According to individual assignment I had already interview our students as a focus group interview during my teaching class. Before I started this interview, I told them that what the purpose of interview. The questions as the following:

I will interview several of my students outside of the classroom right after a class session in which a particular teaching method was used. I will do some of the interviews individually, some of them in focus groups, and some of them as open-ended surveys of the students who are more comfortable writing than speaking. For the spoken interviews, I will have a set of questions set up involving first questions relating to how comfortable they felt in the groups in the classrooms and then moving into the information they were to have mastered. The interviews will last 5-10 minutes each and will be recorded on the video camera built into my laptop. I will have pre-written consent forms for the students to sign that will allow me to interview them and use the information for my study. Some specific topics I would touch on in the interviews include their perception of their group members, where they would rank themselves with their peers as far as mastery of the material went, their feelings on group work in general, their concept of a leader in the group and if they perceive themselves to be a leader, and the level of confidence they have in themselves

A focus group instrument is used when it is well suited to the subject matter in question by listening to the opinions of others in a small and safe group setting before they form thoughts and opinions. An A typical focus group is between 6-12 homogeneous people who share similar characteristics or common interests. Focus groups generally reveal what each person within the group truly feels on the subject which provides credibility to the study. The facilitator is key to promoting an accepting environment where the participants can speak freely without judgment allowing them to answer each question in their own words and acerbate on each answer. Surveys are good for collecting information about people’s attributes and attitudes but if you need to understand things at a deeper level then use a focus group. The facilitator’s goal is to generate as many and diverse opinions from as many different people in the time allotted. Although the discussion is free flowing, the facilitator follows a carefully structured list of predetermined questions that specifically satisfy the purpose of the subject matter (Christiansen, Johnson, & Turner, 2014). Ideally, participant comments will stimulate and influence the thinking and sharing of others. Some people even find themselves changing their thoughts and opinions during the group.

Qualitative interviewing today has become an important method in social science as well as other scientific backgrounds such as education and the health sciences, with some arguing that interviewing has become the dominant source through which the social sciences and society engage with the matters which are of concern to us (Rapley, 2001 in Brinkmann, 2013: 1).

Some of the studies used as a basis for research in this paper used a qualitative method this was the case in the study conducted by Bennett et al. (2006) a focus group gathered on six separate occasions each time one investigator would facilitate discussions while others audiotaped the dialogue and general observations. This is a qualitative method and researcher attempt to understand the importance of what the participants have stated all while looking for themes or patterns in experience then analyze the data ways that preserve the percipients meaning of words, phrases, and actions (Houser, 2008c). Hall et al. (2010) and Verweij, Smeulers, Maaskant and Vermeulen (2014) each used focus groups one of which utilizing specific questions whiles other allowed discussion topics derived from the direct observations. Other studies used as