Conducting Qualitative Research with Kids at Camp

04 Oct Conducting Qualitative Research with Kids at Camp

Research Camp is an immersive experience for both youth and clients. For the kids, it involves engaging in a full schedule of camp activities and participating in research for a brief period each day. Clients have the opportunity to witness children grapple with their research or design questions in real life while also interacting with them informally. What makes this experience unique is that we conduct the research in a fun and engaging environment: Camp. Research Camps take place in cities across the US at established camps that hold sessions during school vacations and in the summer. The incentive for youth participation is a week of the camp’s tuition at a significantly reduced price.

At Research Camp, we explore the world through the eyes of children. Using a range of qualitative research methodologies, we aim for deep insights into their thoughts, feelings, and experiences to answer our client’s research questions. Over the past few weeks, we’ve published articles about how Research Camp came about and how we found our first participants. In this article, we’ll focus on how we leverage a convenience sample and five qualitative research methodologies to understand and enhance the lives of children.

Convenience Sampling – A Quick Entry Point

Research Camp relies heavily on a convenience sampling. A convenience sample is just that, convenient, because participants are selected based on ease of recruitment over randomness. It is particularly helpful when conducting exploratory or formative research because it allows us to gather data quickly from children who are either attending the camp or already interested in going. Convenience sampling tends to be time efficient and cost effective compared to other sampling methodologies, making it a great choice when appropriate.

Convenience sampling, however, comes with its limitations. Since participants aren’t randomly selected, the sample may not accurately represent the broader population, thus limiting the external validity of the research. Additionally, the absence of randomness in the selection process makes reliable estimation of sampling error problematic and, therefore, precise statistical inferences and hypothesis testing doesn’t really work. For our purposes, the convenience sample is perfect, but researchers must be aware of the drawbacks when designing and interpreting convenience sample-based studies.

Qualitative Research Methodologies We Use with Kids at Camp

Because children have unique perspectives and experiences that may not always be adequately captured by utilizing one research solution, we use five different qualitative research methodologies at Research Camp. These methodologies were chosen to generate rich data to help us explore nuanced responses, emotions, and stories that go beyond data from surveys or questionnaires to provide a more holistic view of children’s experiences and opinions.

1. Focus Groups – Exploring Children’s Perspectives

One of the primary qualitative methodologies we use is focus groups. In a focus group a skilled moderator guides a small group of children through discussions on specific topics. This methodology offers several advantages:

• • • • Careful Participant Selection: We ensure that the children in our focus groups are uniquely positioned to provide valuable insights into the topic under investigation.
      • Experienced Moderation: Our moderators have backgrounds in child psychology or education, creating a safe environment for children to express themselves.
      • Age-Appropriate Sessions: Recognizing children’s shorter attention spans, our focus group sessions typically last 45 minutes to an hour and may involve engaging activities like games or storytelling.

2. In-Depth Interviews – A Personal Connection

In-depth interviews (IDIs) with children are another valuable qualitative methodology we use during Research Camp. These semi-structured interviews facilitate detailed discussions with children on a wide range of topics. Conducting in-depth interviews with kids provides two benefits to the research process:

• • • • A Child-Centric Approach: In-depth interviews allow us to adapt questions to the child’s developmental stage and cognitive abilities, ensuring age-appropriate interactions.
      • Building Trust: Conducted in a one-on-one, non-threatening environment, these interviews often lead to stronger connections between children and researchers, fostering more honest and open responses compared to focus groups.

3. Child Ethnography – Immersed in Their World

Child ethnography, a specialized form of ethnographic research, plays a crucial role in Research Camp. This qualitative methodology involves immersive, long-term fieldwork to study the lives of children within their cultural and social contexts. We do this both on-site at the camp as well as in the homes of some of the campers outside of the camp hours. Child ethnography is invaluable because it provides:

• • • • Deep Insights: Child ethnography provides a holistic understanding of children’s daily lives, experiences, and perspectives by allowing the researchers to see things play out over a longer period in a more natural environment.
      • Cultural Context: Ethnographies can help researchers explore how cultural norms, values, and practices shape children’s experiences and development, offering insights into their socialization.

4. Observations – Becoming part of the scene

Nothing has been more effective than getting into the thick of it with kids. By interacting with youth through observations and immersion during Research Camp, researchers spend time with children, observe their interactions, and engage in informal conversations. Observations have some specific benefits:

• • • • Immersive Insights: Observations and immersion provide authentic insights into children’s lives by creating the opportunity to see kids over a longer and less contrived period of time.
      • “Quantity” time: By creating a wider timeframe to observe kids, we increase the possibility of kids becoming more comfortable and, therefore, authentic. It also makes the space for other unintended insights that can provide some of the most profound breakthroughs.

5. Co-Creation Sessions – Collaborating with Children

Co-creation sessions, when children are invited into the process of the design, development, or improvement of products or services, are an amazing and inspiring experience. Often, researchers and designers get stuck in a certain adult-centric way of thinking and need to enlist the help of kids to create alongside them. Co-creation is great because it provides:

• • • • Fresh Perspectives: Children offer fresh, imaginative, and innovative viewpoints that can lead to creative solutions.
      • User-Centric Solutions: Co-creation ensures that products or services are tailored to children’s needs and preferences, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Research Camp employs a range of qualitative research methodologies to unlock the unique perspectives and experiences of children. From focus groups and in-depth interviews to child ethnography, observations, and co-creation sessions, these methodologies help us understand, empower, and advocate for children in a world that often, intentionally or not, misinterprets or tunes out their critical voices.

By Dan Warren, Director, Youth Development & Education