methods in context - using questionnaires to investigate education

Question 1

what do sociologists use questionnaires to study

Answer 1

issues such as:
- subject and university choice
- bulllying and the experience of schooling
- achievement and school factors
- parental attitudes to education

Question 2

operationalisation of concepts

Answer 2

operationalising concepts invloves turning abstracts ideas into measurable form. this can be particulary difficult when creating a questionnaire for pupils. because their grasp of abstract concepts is generally less than that of adults, it may be more difficult to turn sociological ideas such as ‘deferred gratification’ or ‘cultural capital’ into language that pupils will understand
this may produce answers that are bases on respondents misunderstanding of what the questions mean. alternatively, there is a danger that the sociologist may have to over simplify the questions so much that they cease to have any sociological value

Question 3

samples and sampling frames

Answer 3

schools routinely keep lists of pupils, staff and parents. these can provide accurate sampling frames from which the sociologist can draw a representative sample. schools also have ready made opportunity samples of pupils and teachers.
however, schools keep lists that reflect the researchers intrests.

Question 4

access and response rate

Answer 4

response rates for questionnaires are often low. schools may be reluctant to allow sociologists to distribute questionnaires because of the disruption to lessons that it may cause, or because they object to the researchers chosen topic.
however, when questionnaires are conducted in schools, response rate can often be higher than in other areas. this is because, once the head has given their consent and put their authority behind the research, teachers and pupils may be under pressure to cooperate. another reason as to why the response rate is high is because teacher and parents are accustomed to completeing questionnaires issued by the school, such as student statification surveys

Question 5

practical issues

Answer 5

questionnaires are very useful for gathering large quantities of basic factual educational information quickly and cheaply. e.g rutter used questionnaires to collect large quantities of date from 12 secondary schools.
however, the data gathered by questionnaires is often limited and superficial.
there are practical problems in using questionnaires to study children. written questionnaires involve participants being able to read and understand the questions. so they are unsutiable for those who cannot read reasonably well, such as young children or those with a learning difficulties
children generally have a shorter attention span than adults so questionnaires need to be relatively brief if they are to stand a chance of being completed. this limits the amount of information that can be gathered.

Question 6

anonymity and detatchment

Answer 6

questionnaires can be particularly useful when researching sensitive educational issues such as bullying, where their anonymity may overcome pupils embaressment or fear.
as a result response rate may be higher and pupils may be more likely yo reveal details of their experience of being bullied. this may produce more valid data that would a face to face structured interview