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What do students know and understand about the Holocaust?

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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

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