Explored user perceptions of dependability and accuracy of Texas A&M library services through focus groups. Reports user difficulties in locating materials, inaccurate catalog and circulation records, inadequate signage, searching the online catalog, and late notification of interlibrary loan arrivals; and discusses the library's efforts to…

Summarizes the literature explaining focus group interview techniques and provides ideas on how they can be used for needs assessment and program evaluation in libraries and information centers. Discussion includes focus group session objectives, the level of moderator involvement, various methodologies, data analysis, and reporting in qualitative…

Analysis of focus group discussions, involving 21 family members (having young children with disabilities) and 19 professionals, identified issues associated with families' use of time in the area of needed supports and time as a constraint. Implications are discussed in relation to developing early intervention programs. (DB)

About 20% of Canadian children live in poverty. The idea that wealth influences achievement is being denied. Although the government promised that half the "fiscal dividend" would be reinvested in children, it held focus groups instead. Meanwhile, a research finding about poor parenting has grabbed media attention. (MLH)

Thirty-eight Hispanic parents of children (ages 6-26) with developmental disabilities and 22 professionals participated in focus group interviews on group action planning. Both constituency groups identified advantages and disadvantages to group action planning. Parents indicated this type of planning process could increased the quality and…

Presents results of focus group interviews conducted with 22 Asian American students at a large Midwestern state university to explore issues related to their experiences inside and outside the classroom, their relationships with instructors and students, the effect of their identity on teaching and learning, learning style preferences, and their…

Discusses the results of focus groups and surveys that asked teenagers their opinions of libraries and library services. Highlights include access to technology; customer service for students; library space for teens; books and materials; rules, regulations, and hours; jobs and service opportunities; and marketing toward teens. (LRW)

Summarizes 87 teachers' comments about parent involvement in a focus-group study. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences working with parents. Schools can help by creating time and support for teachers' efforts, providing ongoing professional support and training for creating effective home-school partnerships, revamping…

Presents a humorous treatment of the "sessio taurino" (or humanistic inquiry) technique for describing changes in technological models. The fundamental tool of "sessio taurino" is a loosely-structured event known as the session, which is of indeterminate length, involves a flexible number of participants, and utilizes a…

Explored classroom teaching challenges faced by African American faculty at a predominantly white college. Focus group interviews with black faculty indicated that the teachers believed white students felt their standards were too high and did not match white professors' expectations. They said that persistent student complaints and harassment…

Examines empirical evidence of the relationship between initial schooling and adult participation in learning. Explores the divergence between high levels of initial attainment and low levels of adult participation in Northern Ireland. Explains that "social capital" provides an alternative to formal participation in adult learning and a…

At Mount Royal College (Alberta), the perceptions of enrolled college students are seen as an important part of academic program review, but identification of appropriate scheduling of meetings may be difficult. The solution found was to obtain faculty assistance in selecting students and to schedule focus groups as breakfast meetings, which…

Examines differences in the educational transition process among Black, Hispanic, and White students at a community college. Researchers used first-time freshman focus groups to discuss expectations, transitions, and comfort levels. Indicates shared experiences, but differences in transition within ethnicities. Contains 20 references. (KC)

Describes results from focus groups with Web users 10 to 13 years of age in Montreal that explored design criteria for Web portals. Discusses Ask Jeeves for Kids, KidsClick, Lycos Zone, and Yahooligans! and considers screen designs, color, graphics, animation, keyword search capabilities, browsable subject categories, and individual user…

In a qualitative focus group study of educational coordinators in teaching hospitals with social workers, four main themes emerged: difficulty managing field education; a struggle to maintain stable student programs; the importance of support from the university and; the need to be creative in delivering the educational program while undergoing…