The OurSCHOOL survey is made up of individual questions, or ‘items,’ that provide valuable information on a wide array of topics. When combined, items create powerful measures which can be used to investigate a construct of interest. Read The advantage of using measures article to find out why we use measures on the OurSCHOOL survey, and why measures are better to use compared to individual questions.
What are items?Items are the individual questions within the survey. They are carefully selected and organized into groupings based on research and statistical analysis. When items are combined, they create valid and reliable measures. |
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What are measures?A measure is formed when the results from more than one individual item (or survey question) are compiled to produce a single score. |
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What are constructs?A construct is the characteristic or attribute we want to measure. |
For Example...
In the OurSCHOOL survey, the construct sense of belonging is defined as students ‘feelings of being accepted and valued by their peers, and by others at their school’. The measure developed to look at this construct is called Sense of Belonging. Students are asked 4 – 6 items for this measure. Here is an example of one of the items students are asked:
‘I feel accepted for who I am (Strongly disagree – strongly agree).’