Article
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Data Quality of Different Modes of Supervision in Classroom Surveys
Version 1
: Received: 28 February 2024 / Approved: 28 February 2024 / Online: 29 February 2024 (07:03:28 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Stefes, T. Data Quality of Different Modes of Supervision in Classroom Surveys. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 299. Stefes, T. Data Quality of Different Modes of Supervision in Classroom Surveys. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 299.
Abstract
Conducting quantitative research involving adolescents demands a thoughtful approach to the question of supervision, given that each option comes with its distinct set of implications. This study reviews these implications and empirically tests whether differences in data quality can be found among three modes of standardized survey research with medium sized groups of adolescents (12-17 years). Data basis is a quasi-experimental survey study testing different forms of digital, hybrid or in-person supervision, that took place in 2021 in secondary schools in Germany (N=923). Aim of this study is testing how aspects of data quality – item-nonresponse, interview duration, drop-out-rate and response patterns – differ between these forms of supervision. Results could help researchers surveying young people to decide (1) whether they allow confidants or other adults to be present during interviews, (2) if they can rely on teachers alone when surveying classrooms and (3) if it is cost-efficient to send out external supervisors for classroom sessions. While dropout-rates do not differ, item non-response, interview duration, and response patterns differ significantly, students supervised at home by external interviewers answered more questions, took more time to answer and are less likely to give potentially meaningless answers in grid questions. The implications drawn from the findings question the common approach to solely rely on teachers for survey administration without the support of external supervisors or adequate training. Recruiting respondents via schools and surveying them online in their homes during school hours shows to be a robust method with regard to the analyzed indicators.
Keywords
Standardized survey research; nonresponse; adolescents; data quality; third party effects; interviewer effects; school; education
Subject
Social Sciences, Education
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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