Focus-Group Research for School Improvement: What Are They Thinking?

by Joseph D. Latess

Overview

This book provides information on how to use focus-group research to gain insight and allow input from various individuals or groups that may often be silenced during any decision-making process. A history of focus-group research is presented, along with various social and political structures within a school organization that inadvertently silence individuals and groups.

Practical knowledge is provided for administrators in a step-by-step process for conducting focus-group research in any school organization—including, procedures for the group moderator, developing an effective focus-group, elements of questions that will generate discussion, keeping the group on task, eliminating personal bias, and bringing the group to closure. A focus-group design is also presented with essential information on developing the questions, population and sample, data collection, data investigation, methodology and concerns about focus-group research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578867806
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	04/07/2008
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.31(h) x 0.89(d)

About the Author

Joseph D. Latess has served four different school districts as a teacher and coach, assistant principal, principal, and central office administrator. He is currently the assistant superintendent of the Shaler Area School District near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Schools as Organizations
Chapter 2 A Brief History of Focus-Group Research
Chapter 3 Silenced Voices
Chapter 4 Causes for Silence
Chapter 5 Efforts to Hear the Voices
Chapter 6 The Focus-Group Process: An Ideal Method for Breaking the Silence
Chapter 7 Focus-Group Design
Chapter 8 Procedures for Conducting Focus-Group
Chapter 9 Social Constructions and Context Underlying the Focus-Group Process
Chapter 10 Data Presentation and Action-Plan Development
Chapter 11 Application of the Process:The Focus-group Process Tool
Chapter 12 Other Tools of the Trade
Chapter 13 Reflections

Editorial Reviews

Joseph Latess' refreshing and practical perspective on school improvement argues powerfully for sharing both knowledge and accountability throughout educational communities to help all students reach acceptable levels of academic performance. He explains and illustrates how administrators can use focus groups to obtain input from educational stakeholders who are often excluded from traditional decision-making processes.

Dr. Robert J. Beebe

In the current data-driven climate of education, Latess offers a fresh and qualitative idea to break through barriers which have silence the public. The research addresses all of the pertinent relationships of the school enterprise: school boards, community, administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and children…Latess' work beckons for the high ideals necessary for school improvement and success: communication, responsibility, accountability, and community. The focus-group design provides a vehicle to reach those ideals.

Dr. Darwin W. Huey

The ability to collect opinions from the school community is critical to lead an effective educational program. Dr. Latess has provided a much needed practical guide that outlines a powerful tool to communicate with people in an unobtrusive way while discovering their beliefs and attitudes.

Eric Stennett

Latess's very readable book illustrates how focus groups can be used effectively in school improvement; he describes step by step procedures that would enable a school leader to use focus groups to gather and analyze qualitative data that would be useful for action planning…Focus-Group Research for School Improvement provides current and prospective school leaders with a "handbook" for planning and implementing focus-group procedures to ensure that the voices of stakeholders are heard. By using the focus group processes advocated by Latess, school leaders can facilitate the much needed engagement of stakeholders in school improvement and thereby increase the likelihood of more effective school improvement initiatives.

Dr. Richard C. Wallace