Applying Questionnaires to Education

Questionnaires are one of the most commonly used research methods in educational research. They involve a set of pre-written questions — usually a combination of closed (fixed-choice) and open-ended questions — distributed to respondents for completion. In the context of education, questionnaires can be given to pupils, teachers, parents, or other stakeholders to gather data on a wide range of educational topics. This lesson examines the practical, ethical, and theoretical strengths and limitations of using questionnaires specifically in educational settings.

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What Are Questionnaires?

A questionnaire is a written list of questions that respondents answer, usually without the researcher being present. Questionnaires can be:

• Postal — sent by post with a stamped return envelope
• Hand-delivered — distributed in person (e.g. in a classroom)
• Online — completed via a digital platform (e.g. Google Forms, SurveyMonkey)