Research Instruments

Research instruments are the tools that you use to get data (words or numbers).

The instruments commonly used in educational research are: tests, questionnaires, interviews and observations.

Tests are categorized into two types:

1. Objective tests, such as true-false, multiple choice, matching, completion, etc.
2. Subjective tests, such as essay and writing tests.

If you use a test as the research instrument, you need to estimate the reliability and validity of the test. These characteristics of the test will be elaborated in a different entry.

Questionnaires are categorized into two types:

1. Structured: It has a fixed number of questions and a limited choice of answers. The respondents should choose one or more suitable answers. The aim of administering this questionnaire is to get facts.
2. Unstructured: It consists a number of questions. The answers are in the form of essay and the content may vary depending on the respondents. The aim of administering this questionnaire is to explore something.

Interviews are categorized into three types:

1. Structured: It has a fixed number of questions and limited choice of answers. It's like a structured questionnaire, but the questions are spoken by the researcher to the respondents.
   
2. Semi-structured: It has a few questions as guidelines, and can be added when necessary.
3. Unstructured: There are no questions at all in the beginning. The researcher determines the questions after immersing in the field for some time. The things to be asked will appear after the immersion.

Observations are categorized into two types:

1. Participatory: The researcher participates in the activities of the subjects, e.g. You conduct a study in SMA 1 and replace the teacher in the classroom. You teach and observe the students.
2. Non-participatory: The researcher does not participate in the activities of the subjects, e.g. You conduct a study in SMA 1. You only sit in the back of the classroom and observe the teaching-learning process.

When you observe your research subjects, you need one of these two things to help you collect data:

• Checklist: a list of things that you look at when observing something/someone.
• Field notes: anything you write when observing something/someone.