questionnaires

Question 1

what is a questionnaire?

Answer 1

• a type of research method that asks people pre set questions to gather data
• It can be on paper (postal) ,In person, Online or by email

Question 2

what are the types of questions?

Answer 2

• Close ended, where Respondents choose from a limited set of answers (e.g. Yes / No / Don’t Know) Like multiple-choice questions and it is easy to quantify
• Open ended, Respondents answer in their own words No answer choices are provided. Produces qualitative data, which can give more depth and insight

Question 3

Advantages of Questionnaires

Answer 3

• Practical, Quick & cheap way to collect lots of data, Useful for large-scale studies, even across wide geographical areas,
• No need to train interviewers – people fill it in themselves
• Easy to process closed-ended answers with software
• Reliable, Can be repeated by other researchers and produce similar results, because Everyone gets the same questions in the same order
• Helps in predicting patterns and explaining social trends and is favoured by positivist sociologists who want scientific data
• Researchers have minimal contact with respondents (especially by post or online) This limits bias or influence from the researcher
• Questionnaires can be sent to large numbers of people. This increases the chances of the sample being representative of the whole population.
• Respondents can choose whether or not to answer questions — there is no pressure Even if the questions are sensitive, participation is voluntary.

Question 4

disadvantages of questionnaires

Answer 4

• Respondents may lose interest or avoid long questionnaires, limiting depth.
• Researchers may need to offer incentives (e.g. prize draws), which increases the cost
• In postal or online formats, researchers can’t be sure:
  If the questionnaire was actually received or If it was filled out by the intended person
• Often suffer from very low return rates, especially postal ones and having to following up or hand-collecting questionnaires can raise the rate, but adds time and cost
• People with more time (e.g. unemployed) are more likely to respond than busy workers.
• Once a questionnaire is created, the researcher cannot explore new ideas that may arise during data collection
• Questionnaires reflect people’s views at one point in time only. They fail to show how attitudes or behaviours change over time.
• questionnaires are too detached and do not uncover true meanings
• Especially with postal ones, there is no personal contact or chance to clarify confusion.
• Respondents may lie, or try to please the researcher

Question 5

Additional advantages ( in school)

Answer 5

• Schools provide easy access to large groups
• Parents: Harder to reach directly—questionnaires can be sent home via pupils.
• Status Barriers: Researcher absence during completion can reduce status effects.
• Headteachers’ approval can encourage cooperation.
• Useful for researching sensitive issues (e.g., bullying).
  Anonymity may encourage honest responses, increasing validity
• Teachers are generally familiar with completing questionnaires.

Question 6

additional disadvantages ( in school )

Answer 6

• Peer Pressure: Pupils may influence each other’s answers if filling forms in class.
• Presentation: Pupils may find formal-looking questionnaires intimidating.
• Low Response Rates: Common issue; schools may refuse access or object to sensitive topics
• Produces correlations but not explanations
• Reading ability: Unsuitable for very young children or those with learning difficulties.
• Perceived authority: May resemble school tests, putting off pupils (especially those in anti-school subcultures
• Detached method – no personal contact
• Interpretivists argue this undermines validity, as rapport is essential for truthful data