Methods In Context - Usuing Questionnaires To Investigate Education

Question 1

Operationalisation of concepts

Answer 1

• involves turning abstract ideas into a measurable form. This can be particularly difficult when creating a questionnaire for pupils. Because their grasp of abstract concepts is generally less then that of 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 based 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 2

Samples and sampling frames

Answer 2

• 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 e.g, in the form of classes and teaching departments
• however, schools may not keep lists that reflect the researchers intrests. E.g, the sociologists may wish to take a representative sample of pupils of a particular ethnic group, but the school may not keep lists of pupils sorted by ethnic origin, so there is no sampling frame available from which to draw the sample. Even where the relevant sampling frame does exist, schools may deny access to such confidential information
• distributing questionnaires in schools is a fairly easy way to access a large number of potentates respondents. However, the researcher will first need the schools permission you to give them out
• parents are harder than pupils or teachers to locate and contract, so using the school to distribute questionnaires is an effective way to overcome this difficulty’s. E.g, the school can give out questionnaires for pupils to take home for their parents to complete
• younger children are more open to peer group pressure and it is difficult to prevent pupils who are completing questionnaires that have been distributed in class from discussing responses
• a questionnaire that does not invlove the researcher being present when it is completed may help to overcome the problem of status differences between adult researcher and younger respondent. On the other hand, a questionnaire usually has the appearance of a formal document that pupils may find off putting

Question 3

Access and response rate

Answer 3

• 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. E.g, some schools might object to questionnaires about under age sexual activity
• however, when questionnaires are conducted in schools response rates 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
• the head may authorise time to be taken out of lessons so that the questionnaires can be completed. The higher response rate may produce more representative data from which generalisations can be drawn
• another reasons why responses rates might be higher is that pupils, teachers and parents are accustomed to completing questionnaires issued by the school, such as student satisfaction surveys. On the other hand, teachers are often too busy to complete a lengthy questionnaire and this may reduce the response rate

Question 4

Practical issues

Answer 4

• questionnaires are very useful for gathering large quantities of base factual educational information quickly and cheaply. E.g, Rutter used questionnaires to collect large quantities of data from 12 inner London secondary schools
• from this, rutter was able to correlate achievement, attendance and behaviour with variables such as school size, class size and number of staff. It would have been vey difficult to do this with more labour intensive methods such as interviewing or observation
• however, the data generated by questionnaires is often limited and superficial. In rutters study, the data provided correlations between variables such as class size and achievement, but not explanations for these correlations
• they are particular problems in using questionnaires to study children. Written questionnaires involve participants being able to read and understand the questions. This they are unsuitable for those who cannot read reasonably well, such young children or those with certain learning difficulties
• children generally have shorter attention span than adults so questions need to be brief
• children’s life experiences are narrower and do not know the answers
• schools have active informal communication channels

Question 5

Anonymity and detachment

Answer 5

• questionnaires can be particular useful when researching sensitive education issues such as bullying, where their anonymity may overcome pupils embarrassment or fear of retribution from bullies
• as a result, response rates may be higher and pupils may be more likely to reveal deathless of their experience of being bullied. This may produce more valid data than would a face to face structured interview for example
• much depends on whether pupils are reassured that their anonymity will be safeguarded. Yet this reassurance may be difficult to achieve with such a detached method as a questionnaire, where there usually little or no personal contact with the researcher
• interpretivists sociologists emphasise the importance of developing rapport with research participants and so they reject questionnaires as a means of researching pupils. Because the lack of contact with respondents makes rapport difficult to establish, young people may b less likely to give full and honest responses
• questionnaires are formal, official looking documents and pupils may equate them with school and teacher authority. As a result, some pupils, particularly those in anti school subcultures, may refuse to cooperate or to take the action seriously. This will result in incomplete or invalid data
• compared to face to face forms of research such as interviewees, it is easy to make questionnaires anonymous. As a result, teachers may feel able to set aside concerns about their careers and so give more honest answers to sensitive questions about issues such as their attitudes to pupils