Limitations of Survey Research Methods in Assessing the Problem of Minority Student Retention in Higher Education. The Focus-Group Method as One Alternative

Drawing from recent surveys and studies, this study posits that survey research approaches are quite limited for investigating the problem of minority student retention in higher education. Because survey research emphasizes standardized procedures, experimental control, quantitative measures and statistical analysis, the role of language has been ignored. This calls for alternative approaches embodying the view that interview is a form of discourse. The contrast between this view and mainstream survey interviewing is used to develop a framework for systematic exposition of the alternatives. One such approach is the focus-group method, a variation of the depth interview.