(4) Questionaries Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is a QUESTIONNAIRE?
a LIST of PRE-SET QUESTIONS - useful as it can be Used To Gather Information from a LARGE NUMBER of PEOPLE
What are 4 CHARACTERISTICS of QUESTIONNAIRS
- EASY way to GATHER DATA
- can be DISTRIUBUTED at HOME and Returned by Post, Or IN PERSON
- CLOSE ENDED QUESTIONS
- OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
What is an ADVANTAGE and DISADVANATGE of CLOSED QUESTIONS ?
+ EASY to Produce Statistical Data and to Analyse Answers
- There’s NO OPPORTUNITY For RESPONDENTS to CLARIFY, it’s Generally POOR for COLLECTING INFOMATION about FEELINGS
Not Favoured by Interpretvists
What is an ADVANTAGE and DISADVANATGE of OPEN QUESTIONS ?
+ Produces MORE IN-DEPTH DATA and better for Discovering Complex Feelings. Preferred to Fixed Choice Questions by Interpretivists
- DIFFICULT and TIME-CONSUMING to PRODUCE STATSITICAL DATA from the RESULTS. Less Favoured than Fixed Choice Questions by Positivists
What are 6 ADVANATGES of QUESTIONAIRES
(1) PRATICAL
(2) RELIABILITY
(3) HYPOTHESIS TESTING
(4) DETACHMENT and OBJECTIVITY
(5) REPRESENTATIVNESS
(6) ETHICAL ISSUES
How are Questionnaires PRACTICAL - Advantage?
- QUICK and CHEAP
- Gather LARGE AMOUNTS of DATA from LARGE AMOUNT of PEOPLE
- NO NEED to RECRUIT or TRAIN INTERVIEWERS
- Data usually EASY to QUANTIFY
How are Questionnaires RELIABLE - Advantage?
- when RESEARCH is REPEATED Using the SAME QUESTIONS in the SAME ORDER with the SAME CHOICE OF ANSWERS
- Postal or Online Questionnaires - No Researcher Present to Influence Respondents Answers
- So long as a Similar Sample Used, Results should be Replicated
- Allow Comparisons Over Time
How are Questionnaires HYPOTHESIS TESTING - Advantage?
- USEFUL for TESTING HYPOTHESES
E.g. could be used to show whether there’s correlation between Children’s achievement levels and Family Size
How are Questionnaires REPRESENTATIVE - Advantage?
- LARGE SAMPLE = MORE REPRESENTATIVE
- Researches who use Questionnaires Tend to be Better at Obtaining -and Selecting a Representative Sample
- Allow us to Make MORE ACCURATE GENERALISATIONS
How are Questionnaires ETHICIAL ISSUES - Advantage?
- Very FEW ETHICAL ISSUES
- May ASK INTRUSIVE or SENSATIVE Questions Respondents are Generally Under No Obligation to Answer Them
- ANONYMITY
What are 7 DISADVANATAGES of QUESTIONAIRES
- PRACTICAL
- LOW RESPONSE RATE
- INFLEXIBILITY
- QUESTIONNAIRES as SNAPSHOTS
- DETACHMENT
- LYING, FORGETTING and ‘RIGHT ANSWERISM’
- IMPOSING the RESEARCHER’S MEANINGS
How are Questionnaires PRACTICAL - DISADVANATEGE?
- DATA can be LIMITED and SUPERFICIAL.
- Respondents are UNLIKELY to COMPLETE and RETURN a LONG, Time, Consuming Questionnaire.
- can be Expensive if Prizes are Needed to Persuade people to Take Part
How are Questionnaires RESPONSE RATE - DISADVANTAGE
have a VERY LOW RESPONSE RATE, especially with Postal Questionnaires
How are Questionnaires INFLEXIBILITY - DISADVANATGE?
are a VERY INFLEXIBLE METHOD.
ONCE the QUESTIONS have been FINALISED, the RESEARCHER MUST STICK with them and CANNOT EXPLORE NEW Areas of Interest
How are Questionnaires AS SNAPSHOTS - DISADVANATEGE?
they are SNAPSHOTS they Give a PICTURE of REALITY at Only ONE MOMENT When the Respondent Answers the Question
How are Questionnaires DETACHMENT - DISADVANATEGE?
the Degree of DETACHMENT by the RESEARCHER means They may LACK VALIDITY
the LACK of CONTACT means there is NO OPPORTUNITY to CLARIFY What Questions Mean
there;s NO WAY of KNOWING if the RESEARCHER and the RESPONDENT Both INTERPRET the QUESTIONS, or ANSWERS in the SAME WAY
What are 4 WAYS that QUESTIONNAIRES can be USED? MIC
- SUBJECT and UNIVERSITY CHOICE
- BULLYING and the EXPERIENCE of SCHOOLING
- ACHIEVEMENT and SCHOOL FACTORS
- PARENTAL ATTITUTUDES to EDUCATION
Explain the OPERATIONALISATION of CONCEPTS for Questionarires
- Involves TURNING ABSTRACT IDEAS INTO a MEASUREABLE FORM
- PUPILS GRASP of ABSTRACT Concepts is Usually LESS Than ADULTS - may be Hard to Turn Sociological Concepts such as ‘Cultural Capital’ or ‘Deferred Gratification’ Into Language They Understand
- May Produce Answers Based on Misunderstanding
- DANGER of OVER SIMPLIFICATION of Questions
Explain the SAMPLES and SAMLPLING FRAME of Questionnaires
- Routine Lists that Schools Keep can Provide Accurate Sampling Frames
- READY MADE SAMPLES - Classes, Teaching Departments, Year Groups etc.
- May not Keep Lists that Reflect Researching Interests e.g, Ethnicity - may be denied access to confidential into
- Researcher Needs Schools Permission to Hand Out Questionnaires
Explain the ACCESS and RESPONSE RATE
- RESPONSE RATES are LOW
- may CAUSE DISRUPTION to LESSONS
- When CONDUCTED In SCHOOLS RETURN RATES are HIGHER
- may Therefore Produce More Representative Dara from which to Draw Generalisations
- Teacher may be Too Busy to Complete
Explain PRACTICIAL ISSUES of Questionaires
- QUICK and CHEAP Way of GAINING LOTS of DATA
- RESPONDENTS Need to Be ABLE to READ and UNDERSTAND the QUESTIONS - therefore Not Suitable for Young children or those with Certain Learning Difficulties
- CHILDREN generally have a SHORTER ATTENTION SPAN so Questionnaires NEED to Be BRIEF - this Limits the Amount of Information that can be Gathered
Explain ANONYMITY and DETACHMENT of Questionnaires
- ANONYMITY can OVERCOME FEAR or EMBARASSSMENT so are USEFUL for Researching SENSITIVE Issues, e.g. Bullying
- PUPILS may be MORE LIKELY to Divulge DETAILS of Experiences = Possibly MORE VALID DATA
- TEACHER may Feel Able to Give MORE HONEST ANSWERS
- Remaining Anonomous Is a Concern
Explain ANONYMITY and DETACHMENT of Questionnaires
- ANONYMITY can OVERCOME FEAR or EMBARASSSMENT so are USEFUL for Researching SENSITIVE Issues, e.g. Bullying
- PUPILS may be MORE LIKELY to Divulge DETAILS of Experiences = Possibly MORE VALID DATA
- TEACHER may Feel Able to Give MORE HONEST ANSWERS
- Remaining Anonomous Is a Concern
