Understanding the Reluctance Towards Survey Participation
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Chapter 1: The Challenge of Survey Participation
Last summer, my supervisor asked me to oversee the administration of surveys at my school. My first question, which every educator should consider, was whether the role was compensated. The answer was no, yet his flattering remarks about my attention to detail convinced me to accept the task. I thought, how stressful could it be to ask students and families to complete surveys?
Fast forward a year, and my role as the survey coordinator has taught me a lot about these assessments. I've been tasked with encouraging participation in various surveys that seem to rank low on most people's priority lists. Currently, our district has rolled out five different surveys targeting students, parents, and teachers.
I'm frequently bombarded with inquiries from district administrators about our school's survey completion rates and how we stack up against other institutions. The responsibility of ensuring high submission rates has proven to be far more stressful than I anticipated. While I recognize the importance of these surveys for institutional feedback, I've come to realize that most individuals are reluctant to participate—and honestly, I understand why.
I’ve had to complete a few surveys myself, and I find them exceedingly tedious. They are often excessively lengthy, and there’s little to no benefit for those who complete them. The only deterrent for not finishing seems to be the risk of being pestered again.
As someone with experience in survey administration, here’s what I've discovered about the common reasons behind low participation rates:
Section 1.1: Lack of Incentives
No Tangible Benefits for Completion
For the majority of individuals filling out these surveys, there are no rewards for their efforts. The only "incentive" is the relief from my persistent reminders. For the family survey, I even resorted to offering candy to students who encouraged their parents to complete it. While I realize this might seem inappropriate, many students know me well enough to understand my intentions.
The key takeaway? Incentives can significantly boost participation if they are feasible.
Section 1.2: Length of Surveys
Excessive Duration
The days of quick surveys with a handful of questions are long gone. Today’s surveys often stretch to 30 minutes and contain hundreds of queries, with no option to skip any. The student surveys can be particularly grueling, especially for those who struggle with reading. Our school serves many students facing systemic challenges, including poverty, with a significant percentage having disabilities.
From the students’ perspective, asking those who cannot read to tackle a lengthy, complicated survey is nothing short of torturous, and it doesn’t yield accurate data in a system that values response rates over quality.
Section 1.3: Accessibility Issues
Technical Barriers
While confidentiality is crucial, many surveys require unique usernames and passwords. Not everyone is inclined to dig through their emails for obscure login details. This technical barrier can deter participation, particularly among older demographics who prefer traditional paper methods.
Takeaways
Creating a survey that is excessively long, with numerous questions and no incentives, amounts to asking a significant favor from respondents. People lead busy lives and are unlikely to spend 30 minutes on a survey unless they feel strongly about the topic.
Despite my best efforts to emphasize the importance of each survey—whether for our public charter school’s renewal process or feedback gathering—surveys typically fall to the bottom of people's priority lists. Consider your own feelings when a company sends you a survey without any reward. Most likely, you’d prefer to ignore it in favor of more pressing tasks.
If you ever find yourself in a position of needing survey participation, keep these factors in mind when designing your survey.
Chapter 2: Understanding Survey Fatigue
This video discusses the pitfalls of paid online surveys and why they may not be worth your time.
In this video, explore eight websites that offer substantial payments for survey participation, revealing opportunities for earning money.