Methods in Context- Questionnaires

Question 1

Closed questions

Answer 1

The questions are already pre-determined and range of pre set possible answers offered, often with the option of circling or ticking the appropriate one.
-Closed questions are regarded as producing quantitative data since the answer can be put into numbers which makes the data easier to analyse and draw conclusion from.

Question 2

Open questions

Answer 2

There are no preset answers, so the respondent can express themselves however they choose
-Open questions produce qualitative data because the answers often involve a detailed descriptive account which offers deeper insight and understanding of what is being investigated.

Question 3

Samples and sampling frame

Answer 3

• schools keep list of pupils, staff and parents- this gives researchers accurate sampling frames they can get a representative sample from as well as ready made samples like classrooms and teaching departments.
• However, researchers wanting specific sampling frames to get their sample from like the ethnicity of pupils may find such a thing does not exist or schools will refuse access to such confidential info.
• researchers need schools permission to hand put a questionnaires
• Help researchers reach parents
• Formal document- pupil may find off putting

Question 4

Access and response rate

Answer 4

• response rates are low and schools may not want to be involved either because handing out questionnaires will disrupt learning or they don’t agree with the subject matter.
  -However, those allowed to go ahead in schools generally have a higher response rate as the head/ teacher will set time aside or ensure that pupils/teachers fill it out.
• may cause disruption to lessons
• May object to the focus of research
• When conducted in school return rates are higher
• May therefore produce more representative data from which to draw generalisation
• Pupils, parents and teachers are more used to completing questionnaires

Question 5

Ethical

Answer 5

Anonymity & detachment
- Adv- Anonymity can overcome fear or embarrassment so are useful for researching sensitive issues such as bullying
-Dis- The main ethical problem with questionnaire is in ensuring the anonymity of the respondent or school and that any information given will be treated as confidential and if published will not be identifiable as theirs. This is especially true if you are dealing with sensitive topics. Teachers job or health can be risk or the school reputation can be damaged if the result are identifiable to teacher or to the school.

• Pupils may be more likely to divulge details of experience possibly more valid data
• Teachers may feel able to give more honest answers
• Interpretivists say the importance of developing a rapport therefore reject questionnaires
• Formal official documents- children may refuse to cooperate or take the activity seriously complete or invalid data.

Question 6

Practical issues- adv

Answer 6

• Cheaper and quicker- Questionnaires are normally quick and easy to administer in an educational setting where basic information is required from teachers, students or parents. This makes them cost effective and more time efficient than other research method which means that a larger sample of people can be obtained.
  Rutter (19970- collected data from 12 secondary, attendance used it to correlate data an achievement, attendance and behaviour with variables such as school size, class size and number of staff, this been difficult to do with more labour- intensive methods such as interviewing or observation

Question 7

Practical issue- disadvantage

Answer 7

• Respondents need to be able to read and understand the questions- therefore not suitable for young children or perhaps those with certain learning difficulties.
• Children genrally have a shorter attention span so questionnaires need to be brief- this limit the amount of information that can be gathered.
• Schools have active informal communication channels impacting this may affect validity
• Teachers may analyze the patterns of question and recognise the research aim or intention. They may adjust answer- invalid data

Question 8

Theoretical- advantages

Answer 8

Valid- Positivists argue questionnaires can produce valid results, especially if the educational issues in question is of sensitive or personal nature
- Anonymous questionnaires is more likely to produce more truthful response than use of interviews, in which the respondent may feel uncomfortable answering
- Representative - Generally speaking, questionnaires suffer a low - response rate. however, once consent given by the school , especially if the request to complete the questionnaire has come from the head teachers then pupils, teachers and parents will be more compelled to complete it. If this is the case the high response rate will make the findings more representative.

Question 9

theoretical - disadvantages

Answer 9

Validity- interpretivists are critical of questionnaires as they give little opportunity for teachers, students or parents to go further than the basic pre- coded answer given. This can result in lack of insight, meaning and feelings. Furthermore children may deliberately lie in their answers to the questions whereas parents and teacher may give socially desirable answers rather than the truth. This reduces the validity of the data collected from the questionnaire.
- Children can lie in their answers whereas teachers give socially desirable answers rather than truth this reduce validity of data.