Focus groups

Schoolzone has conducted hundreds of focus groups with teachers around the UK. We recruit, script, conduct, transcribe, analyse and report. We run them face to face or, for an even better spread of input, online: and if you think you've seen online focus groups before, wait till you see the way we do them!

Focus groups are an ideal way of finding out what teachers really think and feel about concepts, products, services and initiatives, but running a successful focus group relies on a number of key factors:

• Recruiting a group of teachers who represent your target audience
• Creating a discussion guide that really gets to the heart of what you want to find out
• A knowledge and understanding of the wider education market, so that teachers’ comments and feedback can be interpreted within the context of new initiatives and technology, education funding, purchasing trends, and other competitor products
• ·Writing a report that not only summarises what has been discussed, but also sets out recommendations and further action.

The Schoolzone research team will ensure that you optimise the information you find out through your focus groups.

Schoolzone offers two research approaches:

• Traditional ‘face-to-face’ focus groups
• Online focus groups

Online focus groups take place through a combination of teleconferencing and accessing a shared online ‘meeting room’. See typical comments from participants below. Additional benefits of the online focus group approach are that:

• There are no geographic constraints to participation, so educational practitioners can come from a geographically diverse area
• Groups are typically moderated by two researchers, one leading the telephone discussion while the other prompts for more information through the online chatpods, so the amount of data gathered is very rich and detailed
• Data can be gathered through online polls and questionnaires, gathering a snapshot of opinions and views throughout the session - a great way of stimulating discussion
• Break out groups are possible, both online and via simultaneous teleconferencing
• Documents can be shared, discussed, annotated and downloaded
• In fact we can do pretty much anything you'd want to be able to do!

Student focus groups
You may want to put your idea or product in front of students, or hear what they have to say about a text book or resource. We have successfully carried out a number of student focus groups, with pupils as young as 9 or 10. All our researchers are CRB cleared.

Flexibility
As with all our research services, we can do as much or as little as you require or your budget dictates. We can just do the recruitment, script writing and moderating, and provide you with the raw data (transcripts and chat pod data) or we can do full analysis, reporting and presentation of the findings to your team. Costs for the basic service start at £1000 excluding teacher payments, transcription, teleconferencing charges / room hire.

Online focus groups: verbatim chatpod comments from teachers following a discussion on 20 October 2010

Philip (Schoolzone): What did you think of the discussion process....?
Rebecca: very interesting and groups allow ideas to develop
Adrian: useful and informative.
Tracey: Was good especially the chatroom process as get your chance to give views when others are talking
Kerry: Odd at first but got in to it as we went on with it. Actually enjoyed it because it allowed ideas to develop
Felicity: Enjoyed it. Nice to feel listened to and to hear other professionals' interesting ideas and experiences
Matt: I've been involved in some before, they are always interesting, its good to hear what other people think.
Kerry: I liked being able to type rather than talk as ideas came up
Bethan:There was a lot to follow in terms of listening and reading at once. Was fab hearing other people's view I would rather type than talk.
Felicity:I liked the nice flow that Philip led

Schoolzone research terms and conditions