1. What is the nature of descriptive measures to gather data?
Type of measurement concerned with status…..
Problems can be solved through thorough observation, analysis, and description.

2. Techniques must be carefully planned, and controlled so that data:
Standardized
Objective
Quantifiable

3. Surveys:
Techniques that seek to determine present practices or opinions of a specified population.
Can involve: questionnaires, interviews, observations, rating scales

4. 1. Questionnaires:
Pen and paper survey obtaining information from subjects asking them to respond to questions (no observation of behavior).
Aim at collecting very specific descriptive data.

5. Start with defining a problem or an objective of the study.
Develop a series of questions to address the problem.
Be specific: behaviors or attitudes
Develop more than probably needed and evaluate which are most pertinent and which will yield fruitful answers.

6. Attitude:
In your opinion, are there enough, or not enough, slots for all the children in our community who need day care?
1) Enough
2) Not enough

7. Behavior
While you are at work, is any child in your family regularly cared for, or not cared for, at a day care center or by another individual?
1) cared for
2) not cared for

8. What question structure do you want?
Open-ended
Close-ended

9. Value of Open - ended questions?
Allows for considerable latitude to respond ideas and feelings.
Least difficult to write
Good for exploratory work
Good if goal is to vent frustrations, provide strong opinions, identify what was overlooked.
Good when followed by a closed-ended

10. What should be done to improve education?
In your opinion, why does your school have a drop out rate twice that of other schools in the district?

11. Drawbacks: Time consuming and demanding to respond
Typically produce many different notices
Rarely provide accurate answers
Time consuming for data entry ie. What should be done to improve this community?
11% schools should be improved
9% roads need work
8% replace mayor
7% more parks
5% inadequate snow removal etc…

12. Value of close -ended questions:
Forced choice responses
rankings
scaled items
categorical responses

13. Rankings:
Rank the following activities with regard to how you like to spend leisure time:
___Reading
___Watch TV
___Arts & Crafts
___Vigorous sports
___Mild exercise

14. Scaled items (often a Likert):
In a teacher education preparation program, students should be required to take a history and philosophy of education course.
SA A N D SD

15. Indicate the frequency in which you read the chapters in your textbook for each class period.
Rarely Some Often Frequently

16. Categorical responses:
Generally two choices
yes - no
true - false
Limitations:
lack of other options
not much info

17. How to plan a questionnaire:
Determine objectives
Delimit sample
Construct questionnaire
Conduct pilot study
Write Cover letter

18. Send questionnaire
Perform follow-up procedures
Analyze results
Prepare report

19. Weaknesses:
May not be candid
May provide socially desirable responses

20. 3. Personal Interview:
Type of research similar to questionnaire except subjects are asked to respond verbally rather than through written forms.

21. 4. Normative Survey
Method that involves establishing norms for abilities, performances, beliefs, and attitudes.
Ie. Physical fitness tests and so forth...

22. Why Observational Research?
Directly observe behaviors
Specific questions
What behaviors will be observed?
Who will be observed
Where will observations be conducted?
How many observations will be made?
When will observations be made?
How will observations be scored & evaluated?

23. What Weaknesses exist? Operational definitions of the study
Effectively using evaluation forms
Certain behaviors made not be easily observed with certain instruments
Observer presence
Problems with just one observer
Sufficient numbers for internal and external validity