Good vs Bad Survey Questions

Good vs Bad Survey Questions

Hồ Thanh Phương HUF04

1. well-written survey question:

The 'Learn with Locals' videos in Memrise have helped me better understand natural speaking speeds compared to my traditional classroom ...

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1. well-written survey question:

The 'Learn with Locals' videos in Memrise have helped me better understand natural speaking speeds compared to my traditional classroom materials.

  • Strongly Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Neutral
  • Agree
  • Strongly Agree

Why it is good:

Contextual: The question acknowledges that these students are "non-English majors," meaning they might find "natural speed" more challenging than specialists.

App-Specific: Instead of asking about "the app" generally, it targets Memrise’s strongest listening feature (native video clips).

Singularity:  The question focuses on one aspect that may challenge students which is the natural speaking speed.

 2. Bad survey question

How much have the amazing videos in Memrise helped you become better at English listening skills?

  • A lot
  • Very much
  • Extremely

 Why it is bad: This question has violated the principle of good item wiriting. First it is a question and second it uses leading language: "amazing" and " better".  By using these, the researcher creates bias and tells the students how they should feel. Furthermore, the answer options don't allow for a negative response. This makes the question unprofessional and heavily biased.

Good vs Bad Survey Questions

Trần Huỳnh Gia Hân HUF04
I do not see your topic, so I just guess that you are working on a topic related to improving speaking skills with an app called Memrise. Have you considered about giving ...

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I do not see your topic, so I just guess that you are working on a topic related to improving speaking skills with an app called Memrise. Have you considered about giving out 1 or 2 traditional classroom materials that you mentioned? This would help the participants imagine and have a better comparison between The 'Learn with Locals' videos and traditional tools.