A topic in research methodology
Questionnaires are a form of data collection instrument. Administering questionnaires is a research technique commonly adopted in survey methodology.
“Questionnaires comprise sets of questions that are answered by an identified group of people (new first-year students; girls in the Year 9 class; my form group; pupils on the gifted register; anyone in school sports teams). Sometimes they are administered to a sample from such an identified group …
Questionnaires are usually paper instruments that respondents complete in writing, although increasingly online questionnaires are being used. Questions may be of various types …
There are advantages and disadvantages to different types of items and scales. Closed questions only find out which of the offered options respondents chose, but are simpler to analyse. Open questions provide the opportunity for respondents to give an answer that better matches their views, but need later to be categorised if they are to be reported in an economic way.” (Taber, 2013: .)
Taber, 2013: 266-267
Questionnaires are not tests
Although sometimes researchers call their data collection instruments 'questionnaires' when they are intended to find out the extent of knowledge, understanding and/or learning, this is a misuse of the term.
However, questionnaires do not test learning, but provide questions that all respondents should be able to respond to. That is, we tend to use the term ‘questionnaire’ when we are exploring beliefs, values, opinions – where there are no right and wrong answers – rather than when we are testing knowledge and understanding. An examination paper asks questions, but would [should!] not be considered a questionnaire.
Taber, 2013: 266
(Read about a study that sought to test 'skills' with a self-report questionnaire)
Paradigmatic association of questionnaires:
Although mainly associated with surveys (i.e., nomothetic research), questionnaires may also be used in other types of research. For example, research participants who have agreed to be interviewed may be asked to complete a background questionnaire in order to feed into the questions asked in particular interviews, or to offer context in interpreting and reporting the interview transcripts from individual participants (i.e., using the data collected in an idiographic mode of research).
Source cited:
Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
My introduction to educational research:
Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
