Conducting Survey Research in Education

Abstract

Survey research is prevalent among many professional fields. Both cost effective and time efficient, this method of research provides insight into the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of populations. Because there are several types of survey research designs and data collection instruments, the researcher has the flexibility to determine which methods will work best for his or her particular study. Regardless of the method, the researcher must carefully select an existing instrument or construct the data collection instrument, as this is the key to a successful survey research study. This chapter discusses and defines survey research, provides the basic structure for conducting such research, describes the challenges surrounding survey research, provides recommendations when developing survey research studies, and presents information regarding future trends associated with survey research.