Qualitative Questions
Interview Schedule
Use this schedule to inform what questions you ask and why. The questions you ask should be guided by a strong understanding of what we already know about the topics below, and what we still need more information about. As such, the specifics of the questions may change over interviews, though the essence will be the same. Similarly, you may ask about some or all of the topics below. Be sure each participant has an opportunity to speak and verify that they have been able to speak all their thoughts.
Recruitment
Questions about this topic deal with issues regarding what motivates and encourages youth to attend the course, including interest, social motivations, and structural factors (e.g., elements of the school or behavioral facility).
Example questions:
Why would you [or did you] want to attend one of our courses?
What is most appealing about learning about this topic?
What makes the course attractive to you?
What makes it unattractive?
Retention
This topic centers on why youth continue to come to class, and what helps them to see the course through to the end. Questions may touch on various aspects such as class experiences, friends in the class, educator personality, and continued interest in course content. Other factors, such as school or facility expectations may also be the subject of inquiry.
Example Questions:
What was the biggest reason for continuing to attend class?
What aspects of class would make [made you] want to come?
Would [did] the others in the class influence your decision to attend?
What were the expectations regarding attendance?
Engagement
Related to the topic above, engagement focuses more on participation in class, while retention focuses more on attendance. Questions on this topic are designed to help us understand what makes the course engaging for the participant, and what factors lead the youth to actively participate. This topic in particular may include aspects about class delivery (e.g., online vs in-person).
Example Questions:
When would you answer questions or make comments?
What kind of activities (in class or in the manual) would be [were] helpful?
What makes a good discussion?
When you do no longer want to participate?
Meaningfulness
The topic of meaningfulness focuses on what makes the course applicable to the lives of the participants. Although this may share some overlap with previous topic areas, the unique focus of this topic is the internalization and use of the learning obtained from our course. Questions can tap into both aspects of the class and content, as well as aspects of the youths’ lives (see note at end of document).
Example Questions:
What makes a topic relevant to your life?
Are there topics that really influenced you? Why did they affect you this way?
Did you get from the course what you hoped you would?
What are [were you] hoping this course would help you with?
Efficacy of Program Components
This intent of this topic is to ascertain effectiveness and experience with specific aspects of the program, including (but not limited to) surveys, social media, Eblasts, and marketing.
Example Questions:
What was your experience with taking the surveys?
What would make the surveys easier to complete?
Which social media channels would be best for reaching you and/or your friends?
Does [this marketing] inspire you to take our course?
Note: All interviewers will encourage youth to share any additional thoughts, and interviewers will be trained to pursue salient or promising thoughts or themes raised by youth. Additionally, all interviewers will be trained on the Utah Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA; 53A-‐13-‐302 Utah Code), and will not ask any questions in violation of its regulations.