“Personalized attention is really needed…we need to take what we have learned about nurturing students at the elementary level and apply that in the high school…we have learned from the focus groups…that students really do appreciate this. ”    Ron Pina, Teacher    California Partnership Academy    River City High School    West Sacramento, California

Who Developed the Student-Led Focus Group Research Approach? Mary Poplin and colleagues at Claremont Graduate University developed this form of participatory research to ensure that students talk to adults about what matters most at their school. Introduced in a study of urban schools called Voices From the Inside, the process brings all stakeholders (and, most importantly, students) together to share and discuss insights about the school. The process uses a combination of open-ended questions and a structured way of collecting and analyzing qualitative data. With adaptation, the approach can be used at a variety of grade levels.

How the Focus Group Process Works

Preparing: The school generates four to six questions for students to answer, such as:

• What do good teachers do at school?
• What makes a good student?
• What would make this school a better place?

Focus Group Discussing: A faculty or community meeting with 12-20 students in attendance is scheduled. Students sit in a circle in the room; students are reassured that their opinions will be valued and that they will be given time to express their viewpoints.

Students Discussing: A facilitator guides the students to choose their own peer facilitator. Students also record notes and manage the flow of the discussion so they are fully in charge of the process. The fact that students are the best experts on their own learning is also emphasized.

Adults Responding: Sitting in the outer circle listening to the students are teachers, school administrators, and invited parents, who hear firsthand what these student "experts" have to say about their own experiences. When the students have answered all the questions, they exchange places with the adults on the outside of the circle who reflect on what they heard. If time permits, teaching staff, classified staff, and parents are asked the same questions that students are asked.