Layton volunteers
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Scenario
Layton volunteers at an after school program for children in an impoverished neighborhood. Layton helps the children complete their homework and, when they are done, helps them learn recreational and other life skills. Layton knows he should take what the children say with a healthy dose of skepticism, but he has heard some consistent comments that concern him, so he decides to survey the children to better understand the situation. He has come up with the following questions for the children, who are in first through fifth grades:
1) Is your teacher attentive to you and sensitive to your needs in the classroom?
2) Are you progressing at about the right level?
3) Do you enjoy your classes in reading and arithmetic?
4) Do your teachers spend enough time preparing their lesson plans?
Layton shares his questions with several of the other tutors. Whose evaluation do you thinks is most accurate?
Carole, who usually works with younger children, says “I think some of those questions are too difficult for the younger children. They might not understand what it means for a teacher to be sensitive to their needs and might not have any idea what a lesson plan is.”
Adelle points out that “Some of the questions ask about more than one thing. For example, the second question asks about reading and arithmetic. A child might enjoy one but not the other.”
Marnie notices that some of the questions ask about information the children might not have. “I would be surprised if the children know at what level they should be progressing or how much time their teacher spends on lesson plans.”
Which evaluation do you agree with? Provide a brief explanation and rationale (5-6 sentences).
Sample Solution
I agree with Marnie’s evaluation that some of the questions ask about information that the children might not have. For example, it is unlikely that a child in first or second grade would have any idea how much time their teacher spends on lesson plans or what level they should be progressing at. Asking such questions likely assumes too much knowledge and context from the participants and could lead to inaccurate responses (Gravetter & Forzano, 2017).
Additionally, since Layton is dealing with a variety of students ranging from first to fifth grade, he should consider adjusting his questions based on age as well as content. Some of the younger students may not understand concepts like “sensitive to your needs” or “lesson plans” due to their limited life experience. Such abstract concepts might be better suited for older students who can more adequately comprehend them (Soule & Daley, 2016).
In conclusion, when designing surveys for children it is important to keep in mind their age and level of understanding. Questions should be crafted specifically for each participant group in order to ensure accurate data collection and avoid misunderstandings.
