New Instrument #9: Focus Group Discussion Guide

PREP IIS Youth Focus Group Topic Guide Mathematica Policy Research

Instrument #9

TOPIC GUIDE FOR FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

WITH PARTICIPATING YOUTH

PREP IN-DEPTH IMPLEMENTATION STUDY

Topic Guide for Focus Group Discussion with participating youth

This guide provides a list of topics and questions that we will use for focus groups with youth in each PREP evaluation site.¹ The list of topics is divided into nine subtopics: Introduction, informed consent, icebreaker, recruitment and enrollment, participation, barriers to participation, satisfaction and outcomes, implementation context, and closing/thank you. We plan to allocate 90 minutes for each youth focus group, but anticipate variation in focus group length, depending on the model and youth participating. No focus group will exceed 90 minutes, including the introduction, informed consent, and icebreaker.

We plan to conduct focus groups with youth participants twice – once during early implementation and a second time later in the implementation process to allow for program maturation and to help capture variations in youth experiences over time.

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Introduction of researchers and PREP team

• Purpose of Discussion

• Logistics

  • Recording

    • Purpose is to help remember what was said

    • No names used.

    • No one outside the research team to have access to recordings/transcripts

    • Opting out of recording

  • Privacy

    • Never use names in report; names never associated with answers

    • Combining answers in reports, using statements like, “About half the people disagreed with statement X.”

• Ground rules

  • No right or wrong answers

  • Do not need to answer any questions you do not wish to answer

  • No penalties or consequences for not answering questions

  • Be respectful of everyone’s opinions, even if they are different from your own

  • Do not talk about your own personal behaviors

2. Informed Consent (10 minutes, see Attachment I for the consent and assent forms)

• Study purpose

• Information about rights and risks

3. Icebreaker (5 minutes)

• First names (voluntary)

• Like best/least about PREP program

• Previous participation in a teen pregnancy prevention program

4. Recruitment and Enrollment (10 minutes)

• Were you required to come to [PROGRAM] or could you decide yourself whether or not to come?

• If you chose to come to [PROGRAM], how did you learn about it?

• What attracted you to [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: Why did you enroll in [PROGRAM]?

5. Participation (15 minutes)

• How much have you participated in [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: Have you come to all the sessions?

• Probe: Have you participated in all the activities?

• Probe: If not, how many sessions have you missed?

• Probe: What program activities have you missed?

• Probe: What caused you to miss some of these activities or sessions?

• What were some of the topics you talked about in [PROGRAM]?

6. Barriers to Participation (5 minutes)

• What, if anything, has made it difficult or challenging for you to participate in [PROGRAM]?

7. Program Satisfaction and Outcomes (20 minutes)

• Overall, what did you like best about [PROGRAM]?

• What is something you did not like about [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: If you could change one thing about [PROGRAM], what would it be?

• Overall, what did you think about the program materials, such as handouts, books, or videos?

  • Probe: Were the materials difficult or easy to understand and use?

  • Probe: Was the teacher/facilitator comfortable presenting the program materials?

  • Probe: Did you think the teacher/facilitator did a good job presenting the materials?

  • Probe: What did you like/dislike about how the teacher/facilitator presented the materials?

• Did you learn any information you consider important from [PROGRAM] that you did not know before?

• What are the most important things you learned from [PROGRAM]?

• What would like to see changed about [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: How would you change it?

  • Probe: Why would you change it?

• Do you think having been in [PROGRAM] will affect how you behave or anything you do in the future?

• Probe: If so, how?

• Probe: If not, why not?

• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 the best, how would you rate your experience in [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: Why?

• How would you describe [PROGRAM] to someone who is about the same age as you, and whom you just met (someone new to your school or program)?

  • Probe: What is the purpose of the program?

  • Probe: What are the main parts of the program?

  • Probe: Who can participate in the program?

  • Probe: Is it a good program?

  • Probe: Why is it a good or bad program?

• Would you encourage your friends to be in [NAME OF PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: If so, why?

  • Probe: If not, why not?

8. Implementation Context (10 minutes)

• Does your school offer programs or classes that cover the same or similar topics as [PROGRAM]? [ASK FOR A SHOW OF HANDS]

  • Probe: Please describe the similar program or class at your school.

  • Probe: How is it similar? How is it different?

  • Probe: Do you participate in this program or class?

  • Probe: How many of your friends participate in this program or class?

• Do other organizations in your community offer programs or classes that cover the same or similar topics as [PROGRAM]?

  • Probe: Please describe the similar program or class in your community.

  • Probe: How is it similar? How is it different?

  • Probe: Do you participate in this program or class?

  • Probe: How many of your friends participate in this program or class?

9. Closing/Thank you (5 minutes)

• Is there anything else anyone would like to say about [NAME OF PROGRAM] before we wrap up?

Thank you for your participation today!

1 In this and other PREP implementation study documents, the term “program” refers to the intervention that is being implemented.

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