Focus Group Guide for frontline

APPENDIX I

Focus Group Discussion Guide for Use with Program Participants

Instructions: Program participants may not participate in the focus group if the assent/consent form is not signed and submitted. Assent/consent forms require signatures of both the focus group participant and a parent/guardian if the participant is either a minor (i.e. under 18 years of age) or a high school student. Forms will be collected and stored, but identifying information on participants will not be collected during the focus group discussion. Introduce yourself, explain your role, purpose of the focus group, ground rules for discussion, and review information (e.g., risks & benefits, confidentiality) contained in the Consent Form. Have everyone introduce himself or herself.

A: Understanding the goals of the program

Let’s talk about [Program name] --what you think it is trying to do and how you feel about it.

Probes: What do you think [name of program] is trying to do in their work with you and others like you? What are the messages you take away from the program? What are they hoping to teach you??

B: Program activities

Probes: In a typical session, what happens? About how much time is there to have discussions, ask questions and have them answered? What are the kinds of questions that don’t get answered? What things would you like to have heard about that weren’t covered? Are there any activities that you have, especially liked? What are they? Are there any activities that you have not liked or that made you feel uncomfortable? What are they?

C. Program content

Probes: What kinds of things do you talk about in the program sessions? Do you discuss pregnancy prevention? What kinds of topics tend to get a lot of attention? Are there things you discuss that you feel everyone already knows? Are there things you wish you could discuss as a group? Topics that aren’t covered that you would like to talk about?

D. Participation

Probes: Who talks more, you and the others in the group or the adult leading the session? How would you describe the sessions? Interesting? Boring? Somewhere in between? What kinds of things does s/he/they do that you like or dislike? Do you feel really involved in the program?

E. Response to message

Probes: You don’t need to be specific, but has anything you did or heard in this program helped you to make a decision about how to lead your life or how to act in certain situations? What was it that had that effect on you?

F. Overall experience

Probes: Overall, are you glad that you have been involved in this program? Why or why not? Would you do it again if you had the choice? Why or why not? Lastly, if you could change one thing about the program, what would it be?

Abt Associates Inc. Appendix I: Focus Group Discussion Guide for Use with Program Participants