Reflections through lens: Using Photo-Elicited Focus Groups in research with educational Practitioners

This contribution explores the use of photo-elicited focus groups with practitioners as a reflective tool for examining educational work within residential care settings. The research was conducted by introducing visual stimuli during focus group sessions, a strategy rooted in the well-established qualitative and ethnographic research technique known as Photo-Elicitation Interview (Swartz, 1989; Collier & Collier, 1957; Harper, 2002). The core of this approach lies in integrating photographs into interviews, differentiating it from traditional verbal interviews by the way individuals respond to symbolic representations in visual versus textual forms (Collier & Collier, 1986). The research employed a participatory photographic production process, asking participants to capture images that represent their use of the "home dimension" in their work. This method, rooted in the dual objectives of exploring lived experiences through visual representation and gathering images for subsequent focus group discussions, aligns with existing literature that highlights the potential of participatory photography to empower participants and redistribute control during research interviews. Participant generated photographs (Holm, 2014; ) were utilized in various ways during the PE-Focus Group, including through the use of geometric spatial representations, such as floor plans.The contribution aims to consider the theoretical and methodological principles underlying this approach, and, drawing from the field research experience, examine the design process and its practical implementation in real-world contexts. It underscores the significant potential of photographic tools in research (Allen, 2012: 443; Shaw, 2021), highlighting their ability to serve as "icebreakers" within focus groups, foster more active participant engagement, and stimulate creativity.At the same time, the study draws attention to the ethical complexities (Wang & Redwood Jones, 2001; Hannes & Parylo, 2014) and challenges associated with participatory photography, particularly concerning the representation of vulnerable individuals and private spaces in sensitive contexts.