Your Opinion, Please!
How to Build the Best Questionnaires in the Field of Education
- James Cox - JK Educational Associates, Anaheim, CA
- Keni Brayton Cox - California State University, Fullerton, USA
"The authors' thoughtful treatment and discussion of the subject deftly walks the reader through each stage of the survey questionnaire process. The book uses terrific examples, gives clear direction, and is an essential reference for survey research in education."
—Lawrence Machi, Professor of Organizational Leadership
University of La Verne
"More and more, district leaders are needing to collect perceptual data through surveys. This book provides guidance in a concise format for busy educators who may not have had training related to survey development."
—Ronald L. Russell, Associate Director
Loess Hills Area Education Agency 13, IA
A user-friendly guide to developing questionnaires that work!
Since the first edition of Your Opinion, Please! was published, the demand for accurate information and efficient ways of collecting data has increased in all arenas, and the field of education is no exception.
Written by experts, this accessible resource presents the vital elements for creating any type of survey or questionnaire. The second edition has been updated with a significant discussion on the value of using the Internet—and pitfalls to avoid—when gathering information and developing and distributing questionnaires. The updates also include a new chapter on designing questionnaires, in response to the increasing body of research focused on the design elements of questionnaire development.
The authors show novice and experienced researchers how to construct a basic questionnaire, collect and analyze the data, and report the results. The material takes readers through the essential stages of questionnaire development and covers:
- Establishing and clarifying the guiding questions
- Designing the questionnaire
- Formatting responses
- Categorizing responses by group type
This user-friendly guidebook also provides examples throughout to illustrate the questionnaire development process, a sample completed survey for reference, and a section on frequently asked questions.
"The content in this book is very important. More and more, district leaders are needing to collect perceptual data through surveys. This book provides guidance in a concise format for busy educators who may not have had training related to survey development."
"The book really lives up to its claim of helping novice researchers construct meaningful and reliable questionnaires. The language is simple, user friendly, direct, and free of unnecessary jargon."
"The authors' thoughtful treatment and discussion of the subject deftly walks the reader through each stage of the survey questionnaire process. The book uses terrific examples, gives clear direction, and provides sage advice. It is not only a great read, but an essential reference for survey research in education, a must-know for the beginning research student, and a must-keep for the experienced practitioner."
This is one of the few books I can honestly say is best suited for the novice researchers and those embarking on survey research for the first time or even for those who are experts in preliminary survey designs but want to gain more insights and knowledge into the ins and outs of survey design. This 119 pages is truly pleasant to read and easy to finish. Furthermore, it is extremely simple and straightforward. It is suitable for all our first year MA TESOL students. What I believe is among its greatest features is the elaborations on the best approach to avoid shortcomings in survey designs. Furthermore, the book has plenty of examples for even the minor issues in building questionnaires. What was really great about the book is that it took less than four hours to finish!
This book is well thought out and is a valuable resource for those starting out on the road of questionnaire design. The additional resources provided are useful for evaluating the quality of existing measures.
Very good examples which help MA students to create good questionnaires. The book also contains good supporting materials to work with student during tutorials.