topic 4- questionnaires

what is a questionnaire

a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers devised for a study

what are the two types of questionnaire

closed and open

what is a closed questionnaire

respondent has to answer in a certain way eg. a/b/c

what is an open questionnaire

allows respondent to expand their answer

what are the basics for a good questionnaire

no leading questions, clearly laid out, easy to follow

what are some advantages of questionnaires

sample likely to be representative as large sample size, respondents agree to take part so only answer what they want, quick and cheap, objective, can be repeated

what are some disadvantages of questionnaires

low response rate, sample may not be representative, no detail, inflexible, could be lying, cant clarify misunderstandings

who says questionnaires are quick and cheap

connor and dewson

who says questionnaires have a low response rate

hite

who says bending of data from questionnaires is in inevitable

shipman

who said data from questionnaires lacks validity

cicourel

who proved theres no way of clarifying in questionnaires

schofield- are you a virgin

what can questionnaires be used to investigate in schools

bullying, subject choice, achievement, parental attitudes ect

disadvantages of using questionnaires in schools

operationalisation of concepts (concepts have to be fully explained), samilping and frame (may discuss and influence answers), access and response rates (school may be reluctant due to disruption), children have short attention spans so need short question, anonymity and detachment (may not feel its anonymous), no interaction means students less likely to be honest

advantages of using questionnaires in schools

practical for lots of response cheaply, anonymity and detached means useful for sensitive topics, high response rate

connor and dewson

sent out 4000 questionnaires to higher education students asking about the factors influencing the decisions of wc people to go to uni

hite

did a study about love, passion, and emotional violence and sent out 100000 questionnaires, but only 4.5% were returned