Week 5 - Research Instruments - Primary Research Methods

A teacher researcher surveys 125 people on their English reading habits. She wants to know whether students at Hanoi University are willing to switch their regular reading materials to something new.

What is sample?

• Students at Hanoi University

• The 125 students

• Students in Hanoi

• The teacher reseaarcher

Answer explanation

Well done! The sample is the 125 students surveyed, while the population is all the students at Hanoi University.

The teacher researcher wants to replicate her study using a new sample. This time, she uses a recruitment database to help her narrow down the sample. She selects formally-trained students from the English department.
What type of sampling is this?

• Probability sampling

• Non-probability sampling

Answer explanation

That's right! This is an example of non-probability sampling because the teacher researcher selectively includes participants based on non-random criteria (e.g. training pathway and major).

Which of the following statements about questionnaires is incorrect?

• Questionnaire design and development is straightforward as it does not require careful considerations and planning.

• The key purpose of developing a survey questionnaire is to obtain raw information from participants to answer the research question.

• A questionnaire can be very efficient in its design and structure but ineffective in answering the research question.

Including questions that are not relevant to the research objectives or hypotheses in a questionnaire but may be of use is a good feature of an efficient questionnaire.

• True

• False

A good questionnaire adopts the funnel approach in organising the questions such that they start from the general then swiftly move to the specific.

• True

• False

Using jargon that respondents may not be familiar with is a clever way for the researcher to achieve good responses.

• True

• False

Using existing measurement scales that have been previously developed by other researchers enhances the reliability of questionnaire questions.

• True

• False

When would it NOT be appropriate to use a questionnaire?

• 1. A study looking at the level of knowledge of 100 translation students regarding the use of translating machines

• 1. Research involving 150 English teaching settings on the number of students they have educated to certificate level

• 1. Research investigating the views of six teachers in a higher education setting where there has been a change in the student training policy

• 1. A study looking at student satisfaction in a ‘chain’ of 3 distant education centers

Which is the most appropriate statement?

• 1. A survey and a research study using questionnaires is the same thing.

• 1. Surveys only use questionnaires to collect data.

• 1. Questionnaires are primarily quantitative in nature.

• 1. You are not permitted to include quantitative questions and qualitative questions in the same questionnaire.

Answer explanation

You can also use interview to collect data in a survey.

A structured interview is one

• 1. That follows a pre-set list of open questions

• 1. Where the participant has to choose between a small list of possible responses

• 1. The interview is structured around photographs which the participant has taken

• 1. Where a group of participants is asked questions according to a set order, for example the oldest participant first