Abstract #301119

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JSM 2003 Abstract #301119
Activity Number: 79
Type: Topic Contributed
Date/Time: Monday, August 4, 2003 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics
Abstract - #301119
Title: What Types of Survey Items Can Fourth and Eighth Graders Answer?
Author(s): Roger Levine*+
Companies: A.I.R.
Address: 1791 Arastradero Rd., Palo Alto, CA, 94304,
Keywords: survey research ; cognitive interviewing ; children
Abstract:

Cognitive interviewing techniques were employed in interviews with students, parents, and teachers to learn how fourth and eighth grade students respond to items asking about home and instructional background factors. A two-phase study design was employed. In one phase, survey items about a student were administered to either a parent (for home background items) or to his or her teacher (for instructional background items). In the next phase, similar survey items were administered to students. Through the use of think-alouds and item-specific probes, insights into the students' cognitive survey response processes were gained. It was possible to compare and validate the students' answers against either the parents' or the teachers' responses in real-time. This permitted directed probing, to ensure that the reasons that these inconsistencies occurred could be thoroughly investigated. The items used in the study were behavioral frequency, time estimation, and "other" types of items. Behavioral frequency items had the lowest level of agreement between the students and their parents and teachers and were usually not amenable to improvement through item rewordings.

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