Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course provides a comprehensive overview of the planning stages involved in running focus groups. It explains when focus groups are a suitable methodology, how to recruit participants, how to establish guidelines for activities, and what options are available for capturing your data. 

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Identify situations when focus groups offer useful data 
    2. Compare population and sample priorities to decide how many groups are needed 
    3. Incorporate ethical principles into focus group recruitment 
    4. Determine what data to capture and how to do it 

    • Course Instructor: Dr. Terri A. Thorkildsen

      • Dr. Terri A. Thorkildsen

        Dr. Theresa (Terri) A. Thorkildsen is Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. She specializes in educational and developmental psychology, with PhD and MS degrees from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), and a BS degree in psychology from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). Best known for her research on moral motivation, Terri focuses on how individuals form intentions about their personal well-being, civic engagement, and participation in civil society. Conclusions generated after planning and running focus groups are captured in her book Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups (2017, Routledge). More information on her research can be found at this website.

        View Bio for Dr. Terri A. Thorkildsen

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: What Is a Focus Group?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Define focus groups as a method of collecting data
          2. Describe specific research uses for focus groups  
          3. Identify situations when focus groups offer useful data  
          4. Frame research questions to make them suitable for focus groups 

        • Module Two: How Do I Match a Research Question with Focus Group Methods?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Align the logic of a research question with focus group activities  
          2. Distinguish climate and conversation guidelines  
          3. Consider how focus group data will become research variables  
          4. Establish boundaries for a focus group community 

        • Module Three: How Do I Build a Sample?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Compare population and sample priorities to decide how many groups are needed  
          2. Anticipate group dynamics amongst volunteers  
          3. Set guidelines for the size of each group  

        • Module Four: How Do I Recruit Volunteers?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify how tactful recruitment influences group dynamics  
          2. Create strategies for gaining consent from volunteers  
          3. Incorporate ethical principles into focus group recruitment 

        • Module Five: How Can I Capture Focus Group Data?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify what data to capture and determine how this will be achieved
          2. Explore guidelines for crafting focus group activities  
          3. Evaluate methods of fostering trust with and among volunteers 

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.