Educational Research

EducationalResearch Chapter 14

Survey Research/Descriptive Research ·determines and describes the way things are · investigates a variety of educational problems

Survey Types of surveys – focus and scope census - acquire data from each and every member of a population (United States Census) samplesurvey- the researcher infers information about a population of interest based on the responses of a sample drawn from that population

Survey Types of surveys – time frame for data collection longitudinal - study same children over a period of time and look at their development cross sectional - different children at the various stages of development are studied

Survey cont Six steps involved in survey research: • Planning • Defining the population • Sampling • Constructing the instrument • Conducting the survey • Processing the data

Survey cont. • Data collected by: • personal interview • telephone interview and computer assisted telephone interview • mailed questionnaire – also electronic mail surveys and Internet Surveys • directly administered questionnaire – administered to a group of people assembled at a certain place for a specific purpose

Survey cont. • Constructing the instrument – should be attractive, neat, brief • Format of questions - Close-ended or open-ended • Close-ended – What is your college level: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior • Open-ended – What were your reasons for selecting Warner College? This example could also be a close-ended questions by adding choices and having students check all that apply, such as: • Not expensive • Good reputation • In the state I live

Survey cont. Structure of Questions: • Completions or fill-in items are open-ended questions in survey research Write in your own words the main reason you became a teacher.

Survey cont • Checklist items Below is a list of educational resources. Put a check in front of each resource you think is adequately available in your school. • ___ up-to-date textbooks • ___ DVDs • ___ classroom computers • ___ games

Survey cont. Scaled items How would you rate the writing skills of your students? • Very poor • Less than adequate • Adequate • More than adequate • Excellent • Insufficient information

Survey cont. • Ranked items: Rank the following activities in order of importance with 1 being the most important and 4 being the least important • ___ Do grading • ___ Plan lessons • ___ Create quizzes • ___ Attend workshops

Survey cont. Likert-type items • My students are very motivated. (Circle one) • strongly agree agree undecided disagree strongly disagree

Survey cont. Questions: pages 425 to 427 • Questions – short, simple, direct • Phrased so understood by every respondent • Phraseso as to elicit unambiguous answers – did you vote in the last election? • Phrase so you avoid bias – not have you exercised your rights by registering to vote but just did you register to vote

Survey cont • Avoid leading questions, which imply a response – What do you think of the ineffectual law No Child Left Behind? • Avoid “double-barreled” questions, which attempt to answer two questions in one – Do you think the college should offer basic skill courses and give credit for those courses?

Survey cont Remember to collect demographic data so you are able to: • Describe your sample • If you are going to compare subgroups – for example: Do you want to see differences in attitudes of parents who are involved in home-based intervention versus attitudes of parents involved in center-based intervention? • In this case you will need to ask the parents (in the beginning of the survey) if they receive home-based or center-based intervention.

Survey cont Arrangement of the questions • Give directions at the top • First question should be particularly worthwhile to catch their interest. • Do not ask demographic questions in the beginning, ask at the end or as a separate questionnaire. • Group together questions that are similar in content • Within each topic area – arrange in good psychological order – for example, ask if satisfied first, then ask them to recommend changes.

Survey cont. Format of the Questionnaire • Number questions consecutively • Differentiate questions from answers – questions in upper and lower case and answers in upper case • Use numbers to identify the response categories - Highest educational level: 1) GRADE SCHOOL 2) HIGH SCHOOL • Be consistent in assigning numbers to answer categories – “1” is always assigned no and “2” is always assigned 2

Survey cont • Response categories arranged vertically • 1) NEVER MARRIED • 2) MARRIED • 3) DIVORCED • Use contingency questions when not every questions will be relevant to all respondents • Are you interested in computers? Yes or No • If yes, would you use them for: school, home • Reproduce questionnaire at high-quality printing store • Short as possible

Survey cont. Preparation of Cover letter – see page 433 • brief, neat, and individually addressed • purpose of study • request for cooperation • protection provided for respondent – confidential or anonymous • sponsorship of study • say will give results

Cover letter cont • appreciation • recent data on letter • request for immediate return • signed by you in blue ink pen • Always include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope for the respondent’s use. Use stamps rather than bulk-printed postage. • follow-up activities - postcard, and two more letters, phone calls

Survey cont. Analysis of results: · separately · clusters · one score in summated rating scales

Educational Research