What do students know and understand about the Holocaust?
What-do-students-know-and-understand-about-the-Holocaust1
What-do-students-know-and-understand-about-the-Holocaust1
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Metho<strong>do</strong>logy<br />
31<br />
■■<br />
These total scores were used to generate <strong>the</strong><br />
mean (average) of <strong>the</strong> total score for each year<br />
group (<strong>and</strong> for <strong>the</strong> entire sample). This enabled<br />
us to make comparisons between groups, for<br />
example, to note differences in <strong>the</strong> <strong>know</strong>ledge<br />
of each year group <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong>ir attitudes<br />
towards learning <strong>about</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Holocaust</strong>.<br />
■■<br />
We were also able to conduct more complex<br />
analyses. For example, we looked at groups’<br />
different attitudes towards learning <strong>about</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Holocaust</strong> to (a) determine if <strong>the</strong>se differences<br />
were statistically significant, <strong>and</strong> (b) explore <strong>the</strong><br />
influence of o<strong>the</strong>r relevant factors, like<br />
vocabulary skills, on <strong>the</strong>se findings.<br />
PART 2: FOCUS GROUPS<br />
How did we select schools <strong>and</strong><br />
individual <strong>students</strong> to take part in <strong>the</strong><br />
focus groups?<br />
Seventeen schools took part in <strong>the</strong> focus<br />
groups, <strong>and</strong> twelve of <strong>the</strong>se were recruited via<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir participation in <strong>the</strong> survey element. In <strong>the</strong>se<br />
instances <strong>the</strong> schools had expressed an interest in<br />
taking part in o<strong>the</strong>r aspects of <strong>the</strong> research <strong>and</strong> so<br />
were approached when we were looking for schools<br />
to host <strong>the</strong> focus groups.<br />
The o<strong>the</strong>r five participating schools were recruited<br />
to ensure that schools with specific characteristics<br />
participated (for example, schools where <strong>students</strong><br />
had recently heard a <strong>Holocaust</strong> survivor talk, from<br />
under-represented regions, of different faiths <strong>and</strong><br />
with ethnically diverse student bodies). It should be<br />
noted that increasing <strong>the</strong> diversity of schools that<br />
participated in <strong>the</strong> focus groups was not <strong>do</strong>ne in a<br />
systematic manner (as with <strong>the</strong> survey). However,<br />
we still sought to ensure representative variation<br />
where possible.<br />
Head teachers were contacted by letter to invite<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir school to participate in <strong>the</strong> focus groups. Once<br />
<strong>the</strong> head teacher had given consent <strong>and</strong> identified<br />
a date on which <strong>the</strong> focus groups could take place,<br />
teachers identified specific class(es) to take part on<br />
<strong>the</strong> basis of <strong>the</strong> year groups we requested (to ensure<br />
that a range of year groups across <strong>the</strong> schools<br />
took part).<br />
One week before <strong>the</strong> focus groups were due to<br />
take place <strong>the</strong> relevant teacher(s) explained to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
class(es) that a researcher would be visiting <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
school. Students who expressed an interest in being<br />
part of <strong>the</strong> focus groups were given an information<br />
sheet to read <strong>and</strong> also a letter for <strong>the</strong>ir parents. The<br />
parents’ letter explained what <strong>the</strong> research was <strong>about</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> gave parents <strong>the</strong> opportunity to opt <strong>the</strong>ir child<br />
out of <strong>the</strong> study. On <strong>the</strong> day of <strong>the</strong> focus groups,<br />
<strong>the</strong> researcher checked whe<strong>the</strong>r each student still<br />
wanted to take part: even if <strong>the</strong>y had expressed an<br />
interest to participate <strong>the</strong> previous week, <strong>the</strong>y could<br />
still decide on <strong>the</strong> day not to take part. The researcher<br />
also checked whe<strong>the</strong>r any of <strong>the</strong>se <strong>students</strong> had<br />
been opted out by <strong>the</strong>ir parents.<br />
Who took part in <strong>the</strong> focus groups?<br />
In total, 244 <strong>students</strong> (119 girls <strong>and</strong> 125 boys)<br />
took part in <strong>the</strong> focus groups. A total of 49 focus<br />
groups were conducted, with four to eight <strong>students</strong><br />
in each group. The details of <strong>the</strong> focus groups are<br />
summarised in <strong>the</strong> ‘Focus group details’ box (p. 32).<br />
Altoge<strong>the</strong>r, seven focus groups were conducted with<br />
Year 8 <strong>students</strong>, seventeen groups with Year 9, six<br />
with Year 10, one with Year 11, four with Year 12,<br />
three with Year 13, nine with a mix of Year 12 <strong>and</strong> 13<br />
<strong>students</strong>, one with a mix of Year 8 <strong>and</strong> 9 <strong>students</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> one with a mix of Year 10 <strong>and</strong> 11 <strong>students</strong>.<br />
How were <strong>the</strong> focus groups conducted?<br />
Each focus group lasted approximately one hour,<br />
<strong>and</strong> began with an introduction from <strong>the</strong> researcher<br />
to explain what a focus group was <strong>and</strong> what <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>students</strong>’ participation would involve. The researcher<br />
explained that <strong>the</strong> focus group would be audiorecorded,<br />
with <strong>the</strong> <strong>students</strong>’ permission, to get<br />
an accurate record of <strong>the</strong> discussion <strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong><br />
recording would be typed into a transcript. Students<br />
were told that <strong>the</strong>ir name <strong>and</strong> any names <strong>the</strong>y<br />
mentioned would not be included in <strong>the</strong> transcripts<br />
<strong>and</strong> that only <strong>the</strong> research team would have access<br />
to <strong>the</strong> recording <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> transcript.<br />
The nature of a focus group meant that<br />
confidentiality could not be guaranteed as everyone<br />
in <strong>the</strong> group would be privy to each o<strong>the</strong>r’s opinions<br />
<strong>and</strong> ideas. For this reason, <strong>students</strong> were asked not<br />
to repeat <strong>the</strong> details of <strong>the</strong> discussion to o<strong>the</strong>r people<br />
outside <strong>the</strong> focus group <strong>and</strong>, as a fur<strong>the</strong>r precaution,<br />
<strong>students</strong> were asked only to discuss things that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were comfortable for o<strong>the</strong>r people to hear. The<br />
researcher explained that s/he had a small number<br />
of questions to help guide <strong>the</strong> discussion, but o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than that would say very little. The <strong>students</strong> were<br />
encouraged to talk <strong>about</strong> anything that seemed<br />
relevant <strong>and</strong> were reminded that <strong>the</strong>y did not have to<br />
contribute to every question if <strong>the</strong>y did not want to.<br />
After this introduction, <strong>the</strong> researcher asked if <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>students</strong> still wanted to participate (<strong>and</strong> be recorded).<br />
Students were also advised that <strong>the</strong>y could leave <strong>the</strong><br />
discussion <strong>and</strong> return to <strong>the</strong>ir classroom at any time,<br />
without giving a reason.<br />
www.ioe.ac.uk/holocaust