Quantitative Surveys
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23715424 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elvis Wagner (0000-0003-2332-3323, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-5 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1129.pub2 |
| OpenAlex | W4416917755 |
| ISBN | 9781405198431 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
Research involving the use of surveys to collect data has long been prevalent in applied linguistics. Survey research differs from experimental research in that the researcher does not try to manipulate or control the setting or variables being studied. Rather, the researcher seeks to compile or gather information that usually cannot be observed directly or examined through performance data. Surveys are useful in collecting data that respondents are able to report about themselves including factual information and behaviors such as habits, personal history, or learning strategies. Survey research has been used extensively in applied linguistics to operationalize and measure abstract psychological constructs including language learner attitudes and beliefs, motivation, and anxiety. This entry focuses on the use of questionnaires in survey research, exploring the different types of questionnaires used, items used in questionnaires, scale creation, and issues with data collection and analysis. A number of critiques of the use of surveys in applied linguistics research are also discussed, including the lack of systematic sampling that can make the results more generalizable; concerns about the validity of using questionnaires to measure complex, abstract, and dynamic psychological constructs; and reliability shortcomings of questionnaires in language‐related research. Even with these shortcomings, however, survey research has had and will continue to have an important role in furthering our understanding of language learners' attitudes, beliefs, anxieties, motivation, and other complex psychological constructs.
Control (management) · Data collection · Measure (data warehouse) · Operationalization · Psychological research · Reliability (semiconductor) · Scale (ratio) · Survey methodology
| Highly cited | No |
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