Creating A Good Questionnaire

IB Geography

Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires

• Advantages– Can assess a large group quickly– Easy to analyze if constructed correctly

• Disadvantages– Requires “good” language skills– Some people give answers they think you

want– Not very good for getting in-depth information

The Basics

• The purpose of a questionnaire in this case is to yield quantifiable data based on participant responses.

• There are 2 main types of questions asked in questionnaires: open and closed.

Requirements for the Mini IA

• 7 Closed Questions • 3 Open Questions • 10 Completed Questionnaires (cannot be

completed by GWHS students)

Open Questions

• Used to explore topics in-depth• Advantage: Gives people a chance to

respond in detail and explain their opinion

• Disadvantage: They are time-consuming for you to summarize and analyze

Examples of Open Questions

• What do you think of ….?• What do you like about….?

Open Questions • Open-ended Questions

– Example:– What changes would you like to see in our science

class?

• Stem Plus Questions

Example:• Some things I would like to see change in our science

class are _________________

Closed Questions

• A closed question is one where the respondent is limited to one or more of a limited range of options.

• Advantages: – Questionnaires based on closed questions

are much easier and quicker to analyze. – A large amount of information can be

processed in a short period of time.

Closed Questions • Disadvantages:

– Respondents tend to presume the answer in advance– Respondents may put what they think you want to see – Data may not be entirely accurate because they may

be rounding to fit your answer choices– More inclined to lie when they see possible answers – it is sometimes necessary to add a catch-all category

of “Other”. – Questionnaires that have numerous Yes/No questions

are unlikely to yield much useful data, or allow for interesting methods of presentation

Examples of Closed Questions

• Here are 2 examples of closed questions: – Do you agree that the new school is good for

the community? Yes/No– How many times do you visit the grocery store

each month? 1, 1-2, 3-5, >5

Closed Questions

• Dichotomous Questions (2 choices)– Yes/No– Agree/Disagree

Do you think a paper recycling program should be started in your school?

Yes No

Closed Questions

• Multiple-choice Questions– Give respondents options– May ask for single or multiple answers

Example:How did you hear about our Website?

___ Newspaper___ Magazine___ Radio___ Internet___ Other: Please specify __________

Closed Questions• Rank Order Questions

– Respondents place things in order

– Example:– Which activities do you like to do in your spare

time? Place a “1” next to the activity that you like to do most, a “2” by the next favorite, and so on to the least favorite.

• ___ Watch TV• ___ Read• ___ Visit friends• ___ Surf the Internet• ___ Shop

Closed Questions

• Rating Scale (Semantic Differential)– Also called a “Likert Scale”– Give a statement; choose your response along a

scale

– Example:My students are motivated to learn.

StronglyAgree

Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree

Effects of Scales

• The police need to do a better job of enforcing traffic laws.

– 2 Level

- 3 level

Agree Disagree

90% 10%

Agree Neither Agree or Disagree

Disagree

70% 28% 2%

Effects of ScalesStrongly Agree

Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly Disagree

7% 63% 28% 1% 1%

5 Level

Demographics Questions• Demographic questions may ask about

personal characteristics such as --– age– ethnicity– gender– home characteristics

Things to Avoid

Unclear or ambiguous questionsExamples:What do you think about school?

What role should the principal play in educating students?

Things to Avoid

• Know your audience

• Make sure that the length, content, and wording matches the intended audience

• Keep questions clear and concise• Avoid technical wording