Ideas for initial quantitative survey data

Phase 1 will be an initial survey to paint a basic picture of knowledge in schools. This survey I aim to do with a large number of respondents to get a broad picture of a range of schools and scale to have more reliable data to be able to group and analyse.

This will be followed up with semi structured interviews to add more detail and to explain and better understand the findings. This will be smaller in scale but across a cross section of participants from a range of settings.

*This in terms of Dewey is going to help identify the extent of the problem and help reflect on the problem. Any findings can also be located in literature to triangulate and discuss.

Phase 2 will be focus groups exploring a range of knowledge concepts and resources (suggested solutions) with both teachers and learners to identify their level of understanding of each of them is and what could be realistically embedded into the curriculum and at what point or made visible and understood in the education space to raise awareness eg posters and knowledge prompts.

This will be getting participants to construct a meaningful understanding of what would/ could/ wouldn’t work in education. The knowledge at this stage will be more open ended and co-constructed between the participants and researcher.

*This in terms of Dewey is (after suggesting a solution backed up by literature) to reflect on the effects and beliefs of the solution by participants to review it. Many of these findings will potentially be new but may exist in literature to cross reference other similar studies to confirm or discuss ideas.

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Aim to explore: 

1, What is currently known about basic digital accessibility in schools by pupils and teachers at key stages of education (by last year of primary and last year of secondary)

2, What key concepts relating to basic digital accessibility can be understood and how and when could they potentially be introduced or integrated into the school curriculum?

Use resources being currently developed at: https://georgiekhaynes.wixsite.com/learntoenabledigital

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INITIAL SURVEY  IDEAS

What age and school year?

Subjects they learn at school (as this may slightly differ in those in their last years of school studying their GCSE choices).

Teachers and subjects they teach.

Contact details if they are willing to be contacted and interviewed for this research. A privacy statement will be available so they know how their data will be used.

What digital tools are used (eg Word, PowerPoint, video creation), how often and in what curriculum subjects?

When do learners change from consumers to become creators of content. How frequent it is as they go through their education? What do they most regularly create?

What training and guidance have they had in how to create content using the tools eg PowerPoint, word, video?

Have they had any lessons about what it means to be disabled and/or disabilities, when and how often is it referred to. What subjects was this discussed?

Do you have a family member, friend or someone you know that has some form of disability or related difficulties, are you able to describe their impairments?

Can you name a range of different disabilities (physical, mental, permanent, temporary), as many as you know or are aware of?

Have they ever been made aware of digital accessibility in any lessons? If so can you describe which lesson and you were told.

Do they know what is meant by the term digital accessibility and can they describe it?

Do you know what a screen reader is and how it works? Do you know any other forms of assistive technology?

These questions will be an initial survey of quantitative data to gauge an early baseline understanding of the situation. It should help to identify some early categories of digital usage, digital accessibility knowledge or personal experience of disabilities and related knowledge. Teachers of ICT and/or media may have more detailed knowledge and use and also will be analysed and compared against those in other subjects.

This initial survey will be followed up with a cross section of participants to delve a little further into these questions to get a clearer and more detailed picture to describe the current situation and awareness in the schools setting.  

Answers will be categorised by school group (primary and secondary) as well as teachers as a separate group and both together. I will also compare the answers of those who know someone disabled against those who don’t to see if this has any impact on responses.  

Teachers can potentially fill this out as an online survey whereas pupils may need questions explaining to ensure they clearly understand the questions and respond as accurately as possible, this maybe conducted within a classroom context. It would need to be made clear this needs to be a personal response and not use the internet to inform answers eg what is digital accessibility/ what is a screen reader, to ensure it’s a true reflection of their personal understanding.

Create as a Microsoft Form (on my student account)
Pilot with a range of users to ensure it is understood and capturing accurate and reliable responses.