UNIVERSIDAD TÉCNICA DEL NORTE

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA

PEDAGOGÍA DE LOS IDIOMAS NACIONALES Y EXTRANJEROS

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Students: Valeria Carapaz Date: 05/02/2019

Kathy Cuzco

Andreina Gualacata

Juan Carlos Solano

Dayana Tipanluisa

Focus Group

During this class we reviewed about the topic of ecological mining and social problems,
where that topic was emphasized in the meeting of a focus group defined as a qualitative
research technique that collects information and answers through a discussion in which a
small group of participants, guided by a facilitator or moderator, speak freely and
spontaneously on aspects relevant to research. In this case, the researcher was the teacher
and she coordinated the process of interaction and discussion in defined periods of time.

The acceptable size for a focus group has traditionally been eight to ten participants. But,
there is a tendency towards smaller groups according to the established goal; that is to
say, with the large groups, more ideas are obtained and with the small groups, the topic
is more deeply studied. However, our group consisted of 5 people and a group leader was
assigned to supervise the activities that were carried out.

Focus groups are basically a way of listening to what people are saying, analyzing
information and learning from that. In this way, in our group we talked about some
ecological and social factors related to the causes and effects of mining. These factors
originated several lines of communication and research. Moreover, a continuous
communication was established between the moderator and the participants, as well as
among the participants themselves.
Finally, the objective of focus group is to achieve the discovery of a shared structure,
consensually and well-founded by the contributions of all group participants. Effectively
each of us contributed with ideas that were valid under the acceptance of every member
of the group, then all that information was reflected in sheets of paper and the respective
exposure.

Example exposed in class:

Open pit mining is one of the most powerful industries in the world, but one of the most
dangerous too. Currently, mining is one of the active processes that entail serious social
and ecological problems. Mining has a big impact in the environment because it causes
the environment deterioration and affects the social stability of a population.

First, for the process of extracting minerals, the miners use machines, these machines
emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, which causes the increase in pollution of the
environment, therefore, people have health problems, especially problems respiratory and
pulmonary. People are also not safe because the mining centers cause social and
ecological damage, which reduces the life quality of the habitants of the area. Many times,
miners expropriate lands and houses of people who live nearby of mines to avoid future
problems related with the area contamination and wrong use of the land. Finally, people
abandon their lands and their homes and they migrate to other places where they can be
more secure.
 Increase of air
Abundant carbon
pollution
dioxide emitted by
machines (Polluted
environment)

Health issues of
people
(respiratory and
pulmonary)

People don’t feel

safe because
they are in a risk
area

Land and
housing Migration
expropiation
Corrected example:

Open pit mining is one of the most performed industrial activities in the world. However,
some factors of this activity cause ecological and social problems which in some way
affect the lifestyle of the people who live near the mining centers. In this way, mining
processes generate waste that increases the contamination of soil, air and water. This fact
is related with other causes and effects like destabilization of natural habitats and mining
turns fertile soils into unproductive ones and damages agricultural production caused by
the use of chemical to extract several minerals. Besides, as consequence of those factors
people do not have good conditions to live since mining centers are risk areas. So, people
can get health issues caused by pollution of natural resources. Finally, people must
migrate to other places to have new and better living conditions, as well as to take care of
their health.
 Mining waste increases
the land, air and water
pollution.

Turns fertile soils into

unproductive ones and
damages agricultural
production.

Migration to find new

Destabilization of natural and better resources to
habitats. live.

Health issues caused by

pollution of natural
resources.

People do not have

good conditions to live.
Annexes