TAMAM PROJECT WORKSHOPUSING QUESTIONNAIRES FOR DATA COLLECTION

Dr. Ali AlBulushi

WHAT IS A QUESTIONNAIRE?

• A research tool for data collection• It is a tool used to collect information/data from

usually large population about a specific phenomenon under investigation.

• The term ‘questionnaire’ used in different ways:– often refers to self-administered and postal

questionnaires (mail surveys)– some authors also use the term to describe

structured interview schedules (telephone or face-to-face)

WHY A QUESTIONNAIRE

• Target large amount of people• Use to describe, compare or explain a

phenomenon • Can cover a wide range of activities and

behaviour, knowledge, attitudes, preferences• Specific objectives, standardised and highly

structured questions• Used to collect quantitative data – information

that can be counted or measured.

What are the strengths and limitations of questionnaires?

Let’s get some from you!

STRENGTHS OF QUESTIONNAIRES

• Helps to collect background and baseline information easily

• Can target large number of people• Reach respondents in widely dispersed locations• Can be relatively low cost in time and money• Relatively easy to get information from people quickly• Standardised questions• Analysis can be straight-forward and responses pre-

coded• Low pressure for respondents• Lack of interviewer bias

(possibility of ‘ghost interviewer’ effect)

LIMITATIONS OF QUESTIONNAIRES

• Low response rate and consequent bias and confidence in results

• Unsuitable for some people (e.g. poor literacy, visually impaired, young children)

• Question wording can have major effect on answers• Misunderstandings cannot be corrected• No opportunities to probe and develop answers• No control over the context and order questions are

answered• No check on incomplete responses• Seeks information only by asking, can we trust what

people say? e.g. issues with over-reporting

QUESTIONNAIRE PREPARATION

• Establish the purpose and/or guiding question of the questionnaire

• Construct the questionnaire– Plan for the questions in light of your purpose – Develop the questions

• Plan for the administration

DEVELOP THE QUESTIONS

• Types of Questions1. Dichotomous questions (YES/NO)2. MCQ3. Scaled response (Likert scale)4. Ranking5. Checklist6. Open-ended

It’s not necessary to have the same type of questions all through the questionnaire

• Dichotomous Question– Have you taught the ENGLISH basic education

curriculum to grade grade 8? ☐ YES ☐ NO

• Multiple Choice Question– The new Basic Education Curriculum of English

is:1. A waste of time;2. An extra burden on teachers3. Not appropriate to our school4. A useful complementary curriculum5. Well-presented-and practicable

• Scale responses (Likert scale)Strongly disagree

Disagree Undecided Agree

Strongly agree

The teacher is the only one who should be held accountable for students academic achievement

The teacher should address students’ deviant behavior when it is observed outside the school

The teacher should discuss the students’ progress with their parents

There are many factors that influence students’ academic achievement

• Ranking– Please indicate your priorities by placing numbers

in the boxes to indicate the ordering of your views, 1=the highest priority, 2=the second highest, and so on.

– The proposed amendments to the English basic education curriculum might e successful if the following factors are addressed:

• The appropriate material resources are in schools ☐• The amendments are made clear to all teachers ☐• The amendments are supported by the English team ☐• The necessary staff development is assured ☐• There are improvements to students achievement ☐

• Checklist– Do you have a scheduled time outside class to

assist your students? ☐ YES ☐ NO– How many students do you assist outside class

time on an average teaching day? _____ students

• Open-ended– What are the difficulties that you personally

face in managing the interaction between your students in the classroom?

OPEN VS. CLOSED QUESTIONS (OPPENHEIM, 1992)

Strength Limitation

OPEN Freedom & spontaneity of answer

Time-consuming

Opportunity to probe Coding more problematic

Useful for testing hypothesis about ideas or awareness

More effort from respondents

CLOSED Requires little time Loss of spontaneous responses

No extended writing Bias in answer categories

Low costs Sometimes too crude

Easy to process May irritate respondents

Make group comparisons easy

Useful for testing specific hypothesis

Please see the handout about the questionnaire pitfalls task prepared in Arabic.

TASK 1

الفلسفية الدراسية المواد تفضل هلالمواد أم الطابع وأكاديمة والنظرية

مباشرة صلة لها والتي البسيطة العمليةكطالب؟ لك العملي بالواقع

أجابة الى المستجيب يقود مو�ج�ه سؤالأخرى دون معينة

المناظرة لوضع المحددة الجوانب هي مامعكوسة تراها أن تود التي الميتافيزيقية

الحياتية كالمهارات دراسية مادة فيالصف طالب تستهدف في ١١والتي إناث

ساحلية؟ بيئة

توجيهه تم وإن حتى الثقافة رفيع سؤال � جدا للمثفقين

وزن بدون � مقررا تدر�س أن تفضل هل( ٥أو ٤أو ٣أكاديمي ) غير لطالب حصص

) ( � ومساءا فقط � ظهرا األربعاء متفرغين � تعويضا ويشمل األسبوع في فقط � واحدا

أطول � مقررا أم المواصالت، عن � مالياأكاديمي ) وزن ( ٨أو ٧أو ٦بدون حصص

�مصمم كامال � مقررا أم متفرغين، لطالبولكن محدد ® يوم من جزء في للمتفرغين

مسائية؟ حصص حضور بدونمعقد سؤال

من أكثر عمرك كان ولم ٤٥أن � عاماضع الخدمة، خالل تدريبية دورة أي تحضر

� في خانة (✓عالمة ✓) وعالمة أبدًا)كبير ًالسنأخرى في خانة (

للحساسية مثيرة تعليمات أو سؤال

معلمين تسجيل بعدم شعورك مدى ماأكاديمي وزن بدون تدريبية دورات في

لم الذين المعلمين من الخدمة خاللالتدريس؟ سلك في عامين يكملوا

مزدوجة نفي بصياغة سؤال

الصفحات في كل ٧و ٦و ٥أجب عنالدورات عن بأراءك يتعلق سؤالعام بشكل الخدمة أثناء التدريبية

المهنية الحياة في قيمتها عن ومعتقداتكعملهم؟ رأس على للمعلمين

تكمل أستبانة في � جدا مفتوح سؤال � كبيرا � وقتا وتتطلب المستجيب من � ذاتيا

� أيضا

بإنتظام؟ واجباته بأنجاز طفلك يقوم هلالمدرسة؟ في الطالب عدد يبلغ كم

في األلي الحاسب أجهزة عدد كم المدرسة؟

. ما منها جزء® أو للعبارة التفسير تعددية ) الطالب ) عدد كم ؟ بإنتظام معنىكرحلة ) بعذر المتغيبين مع جميعها

أجهزة( كل عذر؟ بدون أو مدرسيةعن العاطلة فيها بما اآللي الحاسب

خارج للتصليح الخاضغة مع أو العملالمدرسة؟

ال تفضل ؟ SNDP أم PGKLM أيهما

مفهومة غير أختصارات وجود

عمرك؟ كم٦٠-٥٠، ٥٠-٤٠، ٤٠-٣٠، ٣٠-٢٠، ٢٠-١٥

منفصلة / منفردة غير فئات

الحياتية المهارات مادة تدرس ان يجبيمكن ولكن فقط مجيدين الغير للطالب

المراحل في الطالب لجميع تقدم أن .العليا

مزدوج سؤال

TASK 1 FEEDBACK: AVOIDING PITFALLS IN QUESTION WRITING 1. Abbreviations2. Ambiguity and vague wording (fairly, generally, you – the

respondent, household, family?)3. Doubled barrelled – ‘do you speak English or French?’4. Double negatives – ‘Do not you de-emphasize corporal

punishment?’5. Inappropriate categories6. Leading questions – ‘do you like indoor confined

individualistic sports or outdoor open team-based sports in the fresh air?’

7. Memory issues – ‘list at least 5 of your best subjects at schools and the teachers who taught them.’

8. Social desirability9. Question complexity

Each school should have brought a questionnaire drafted to be used in TAMAM project. Exchange your questionnaires and try to give feedback to the questionnaire you received. Focus on the design, layout, questions, purpose, instructions, length, user-friendliness, etc.

TASK 2

If you were sending out a questionnaire, what would you do to maximise the response rate and minimize non-response?

TECHNIQUES FOR MINIMIZING NON-RESPONSE• Good design: thoughtful layout, easy to follow, simple

questions, appearance, length, degree of interest and importance, thank people for taking part

• Pre-notification• Explanation of selection• Cover letter• Incentives

– Small future incentives, e.g. prize draw– Understanding why their input is important

• Reminders• Confidentiality• Anonymity• Pre-paid return envelopes