ARKEN RESEARCH
In evaluating professional learning or the deployment of key instructional initiatives, we often use self-report surveys to measure teacher use or implementation of key instructional practices. This is a good practice, but it is unfortunate that the way we define, measure, and analyze the data about these instructional practices undermines the meaning and narrative that […]
The development and use of tools that define implementation integrity or maturity is often looked upon as a luxury or an afterthought in our school systems today. As district leaders, we often think about developing tools that describe implementation only after we have already launched an instructional initiative. We wait until teachers complete professional learning, […]
In developing programs aimed at changing systems, structures, or behaviors, we often rely on self-report surveys to help us measure progress. We typically use Likert or other numeric scales to gather input from program participants or their beneficiaries to quickly assess their perceptions, then use those data to evaluate program effectiveness or identify opportunities for […]
Part 3: Better Items for Better Meaning The ubiquity of self-service survey tools in the data landscape today has democratized the survey administration process. Affordable, easy-to-use survey tools have bolstered the prevalence of evidence-based management in education, where data scarcity had previously inhibited our understanding of what is working in our particular contexts. Fifteen years […]
Part 2: Drawbacks What exactly are some of the main drawbacks to using Likert-scale items in educational settings, or for the evaluation of learning programs? What are some ways we can address these drawbacks? Much has been written elsewhere about the drawbacks of Likert-scale items and their interpretation by scholars and evaluation specialists. Their work […]
Part 1. Surveys in Educational Settings In education, we tend to use Likert-scale surveys to measure just about everything. In our quest to become more evidence-based in our planning and decision-making, we often resort to survey instruments, and in particular, Likert-scaled instruments, to measure key outcomes, get feedback from stakeholders, and evaluate programs and solutions. […]