The Scottish Government

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CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY

Introduction

2.1 Our methods were designed to address the key early years issues and maximise participation amongst target groups. To gather the qualitative information described in chapter one we carried out:

• 36 structured focus groups with parents and carers across Scotland; and
• 22 interactive workshops ³ with groups of children aged up to 8 years ⁴.

2.2 We piloted the workshops with three groups of children and two groups of parents. This allowed us to refine the structure, tools and scripts for the main part of the research. All tools were approved by the Scottish Government prior to use and are included in the appendices.

2.3 We arranged the sessions with parents and with children through intermediaries including Stepping Stones for Families, local authorities, Save the Children, Crossreach, Surestart, NHS Scotland and Capability Scotland. Working with these intermediaries was crucial for identifying vulnerable and hard to reach groups as they have the expertise and means to reach these groups.

2.4 We often worked with groups that were meeting anyway. For example we attended a regular meeting of a group of asylum seekers, where translators were present and were able to provide interpreting services.

2.5 We offered people £10 for their participation, which was well received and encouraged people to participate, although many were willing to be involved regardless of this incentive. Again, this method helped to ensure that many vulnerable and hard to reach individuals engaged in the research. This incentive also encouraged people to provide their contact details to be involved in further research should this be required.

2.6 To enable intermediaries and participants to understand the research, we prepared an information pack which included:

• A letter from the Scottish Government introducing GEN and the Early Years Framework;
• An explanation of the focus group structure and content;
• What their involvement would be;
• What was expected of them;
• How we planned to run the sessions with children and with parents/carers;
• How people's opinions and views would be used;
• How we would feed back on the research;
• How we would arrange consent for children to take part; and
• Consent forms.

2.7 At an interim stage, we presented the emerging findings to members of the National Task Groups.

Focus groups with adults

2.8 For the adult groups, we prepared a number of scenarios to act as ice breakers and to stimulate discussion around the central subject areas of the Early Years Framework. We split the group into pairs and gave each pair a handout with one of the scenarios on it. These were fictional situations, centred on issues connected to early years. We asked participants to discuss it in their pairs. This process was useful for engaging the whole group straight away and for focussing on the subject matter. Individuals then fed back to the larger group their thoughts on the discussion topic. The scenarios are included at Annex 1.

2.9 The remainder of each focus group session involved discussion around each of the following topics:

• Pre-conception, ante-natal and post-natal care;
• Early education and childcare;
• Play and leisure;
• Health and health behaviour; and
• Parent and family support services.

2.10 We developed a focus group schedule to guide the discussion. This was designed to explore the themes of the Early Years Framework, and give our facilitators comprehensive guidance and a script to ensure consistency across the various focus group meetings. The schedule is at Annex 2.

2.11 We found that out methods worked well and lively discussion took place in all of the groups that we visited. Most groups had more to say on some topics than on others and we were flexible in our approach to ensure that people were able to spend longer discussing the issues of most importance to them.

2.12 The findings from the focus groups were analysed using an analysis framework, designed to mirror the themes of the research, which was then used to prepare the report.

Workshops with children

2.13 For the children's groups, GEN and Illuminate ensured that the tools and consultation methods reflected the project objectives by first developing a set of questions, scenarios and stories that worked through them in a logical way, using age appropriate language and descriptions. A priority was to design tools that did not lead the children to particular responses or conclusions but enabled the children to describe their own thoughts and perceptions. We did this by using open questions and scenarios. Our workshop plan is attached at Annex 3.

2.14 We enabled the children to be active participants in the research by using fun, structured drama games and activities. We incorporated visual images and physical prompts.

2.15 We developed two workshop structures, one for pre-school groups and one for 5-8 year old children. Each session lasted a maximum of one hour and numbers varied from three to twelve children in each session.

2.16 For the pre-school groups at least one known adult was always present. With 5-8 year olds there were known adults present where staffing allowed but the majority of workshops were staffed by GEN and Illuminate.

2.17 At the start of each workshop we explained to the children that they were being asked to help us with our research, which we called "a special mission". We explained what they were going to be asked to do and told them that if at any point they no longer wanted to take part they could stop and leave. We also told them that if they wanted to tell us anything in confidence they could do so at the end.

2.18 Where a particular group was not already covered by its own consent arrangement they used our form to seek parental consent.

2.19 We designed a Certificate of Participation and a signed copy was given to each child to recognise their contribution to the research. This is included at Annex 4.

5 to 8 year olds

2.20 With children in the 5-8 years group we began with a game of musical statues, which introduced the 'frozen picture' drama convention. On the 'freeze' command children used their face and body to express a feeling or memory about a particular service or experience. The children were then asked to create "frozen pictures" of where they liked to play and have fun. We used the images they created as a vehicle to discuss and compare experiences.

2.21 The frozen pictures were then brought to life by "thought tracking," - the children were asked to speak as though in the moment or place they were embodying. The children's frozen pictures were also taken back or forward in time, allowing exploration of how they would like the future to look or what they would change about the past.

2.22 When examining children's views on education, we used 'the line game'. Standing beside one wall means 'Excellent'; standing at the opposite wall 'Bad'. Gradations between these two were then explained to the children. Initially the children were asked to rate things like sweets or football, by standing somewhere on the line and explaining their reasons for standing where they did. Children were asked to rate school and childcare and then worked in small groups to explain why they felt that way.

2.23 To get children's perceptions of adults working in education, childcare and health we introduced 'sculpting'. In this activity children work in pairs with one child being 'sculptor' and the other the 'clay'. This allows the child playing sculptor to model different behaviours or attitudes and explain them to the rest of the group and to the group facilitator.

2.24 Questions about parenting and family support were left until the end of the session so that some trust had been established in the group and with the workshop leader. We asked the children about who helped care for them and explored the answers given including their experiences of services and what a "good" service would be like.

2.25 At the end of the workshop children were asked to draw a picture about something that we had talked about in the session. They were then asked to explain their picture.

Children drawing at the end of their workshop

3 to 5 year olds

2.26 We designed a separate workshop for pre-school aged children, structured as an interactive story telling session. The children sat with the workshop leader, who told a story about a boy called Charlie. The story was built around the study objectives and early years services. To ensure the children's attention was retained, we showed a series of simple cartoon images bringing the story to life.

2.27 There were points in the story when the children reacted to characters, places and situations. At such points, children said, for instance, what foods they would choose for Charlie to eat at lunch time or mimed their favourite activity at nursery.

Children listening to Charlie's story at the point where he visits the dentist

2.28 At the end of the story, the children were asked to draw pictures of one thing that they did on their own 'busy day'. While the children were drawing the facilitator asked individual children questions about what they were drawing to elicit more detail.

Assessment of methods used

2.29 The workshops worked well and the children were enthused by the interactivity of the methods. Some activities worked better with some groups than with others, depending on the mix of the group. For example if the group were particularly lively they could have difficulty focussing on some of the activities. The experience and flexibility of the Illuminate staff was crucial to ensuring that the methods were tweaked to ensure the maximum engagement of each group.

2.30 The picture drawing exercise at the end of the session was particularly well received and was useful for settling the group and having each individual focus on an issue of importance to them. This allowed the staff to have a one to one discussion with each child about their drawing, which often generated the most useful information.

2.31 When piloting our research tools we found that it was difficult to elicit meaningful information from children below 3 years of age and in agreement with the Scottish Government, focused the main part of the research on older children (aged 3 to 8).

Profile of participants

Adults

2.32 We conducted 36 focus groups with parents and carers, which involved 234 participants. Our sample was drawn from a broad geographical area and a wide demographic range. We conducted focus groups in:

• Aberdeen (1);
• Scottish Borders (1);
• East Ayrshire (2);
• East Dunbartonshire (2);
• Edinburgh (8);
• Fife (3);
• Glasgow (9);
• North Lanarkshire (8); and
• South Ayrshire (2).

2.33 Throughout the report issues related to rurality are drawn primarily from one focus group, which took place in Galashiels. A small number of respondents from other groups also discussed rural issues however data was not gathered on the numbers resident in rural areas.

2.34 We spoke to a wide range of people from across Scotland who had a variety of experiences of early years services. From the 234 adult participants we gathered 172 completed Equal Opportunities forms (74%). Some individuals and five of the groups (including one fathers' group and one group of Travellers) declined. The form used is attached at Annex 5. The Equal Opportunities forms show that our sample consisted of:

Gender

• 94% Females; and
• 6% Males.

Age

• Average (mean) age of 33, ranging from 17 to 64;
• 5% aged 16 to 20;
• 13% aged 21 to 25;
• 20% aged 16 to 30;
• 35% aged 31 to 40;
• 12% aged 41 to 50; and
• 3% aged over 50.

2.35 Twenty respondents (12%) did not answer this question.

Ethnicity

• 85% British;
• 4% White (other);
• 4% Black;
• 3% Asian; and
• 1% Other.

2.36 Three respondents did not answer this question.

Disability

• 88% No: and
• 9% Yes.

2.37 Five respondents (3%) did not answer this question.

2.38 In addition to the data gathered through the Equal Opportunities form we are also aware that we consulted with people who were:

• From the travelling community;
• Asylum seekers;
• Parents of children with additional needs;
• Lone parents; and
• Parents of children who have had periods of being looked after by Local Authorities, or are at risk of becoming looked after.

2.39 In terms of sexual orientation, 97% of those who responded said that they were heterosexual. Of those who answered a question about their religion, 40% said they had none, with the remaining 60% comprised of Church of Scotland (25%), Catholic (21%) and Muslim (9%), with the remainder being Other Christian, Other Religion, Buddhist or preferring not to say.

Children

2.40 In the 22 children's workshops we spoke with 209 children. We carried out:

• 9 pre-school workshops, where we spoke with 86 children; and
• 13 school age workshops, where we spoke with 123 children.

2.41 These workshops took place in:

• South Ayrshire (1);
• East Dunbartonshire (1);
• East Lothian (1);
• Edinburgh (7);
• Fife (3);
• Glasgow (4);
• North Lanarkshire (4); and
• Stirling (1).

2.42 We did not gather monitoring data on the children who participated, however we believe that we reached children from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.

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