Open AccessOvercoming Challenges in School-Wide Survey Administration
Author(s) -
Catherine N. Rasberry,
India D. Rose,
Elizabeth Kroupa,
Andrew Hebert,
Amanda Geller,
Elana Morris,
Catherine A. Lesesne
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
health promotion practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.483
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1552-6372
pISSN - 1524-8399
DOI - 10.1177/1524839917733476
Subject(s) - data collection , protocol (science) , medical education , survey data collection , promotion (chess) , administration (probate law) , survey methodology , psychology , medicine , political science , sociology , alternative medicine , social science , statistics , mathematics , pathology , politics , law
School-based surveys provide a useful method for gathering data from youth. Existing literature offers many examples of data collection through school-based surveys, and a small subset of literature describes methodological approaches or general recommendations for health promotion professionals seeking to conduct school-based data collection. Much less is available on real-life logistical challenges (e.g., minimizing disruption in the school day) and corresponding solutions. In this article, we fill that literature gap by offering practical considerations for the administration of school-based surveys. The protocol and practical considerations outlined in the article are based on a survey conducted with 11,681 students from seven large, urban public high schools in the southeast United States. We outline our protocol for implementing a school-based survey that was conducted with all students school-wide, and we describe six types of key challenges faced in conducting the survey: consent procedures, scheduling, locating students within the schools, teacher failure to administer the survey, improper administration of the survey, and minimizing disruption. For each challenge, we offer our key lessons learned and associated recommendations for successfully implementing school-based surveys, and we provide relevant tools for practitioners planning to conduct their own surveys in schools.