Determining the Effects of Response Mode and Incentives on Survey Response Rates of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers: An Experimental Study

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Determining the Effects of Response Mode and Incentives on Survey Response Rates of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers: An Experimental Study
Language: English
Authors: Doss, Will (ORCID 0000-0002-3163-7528), Rayfield, John, Lawver, David, Burris, Scott
Source: Journal of Agricultural Education. 2022 63(4):151-167.
Availability: American Association for Agricultural Education. P.O. Box 7607, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Raleigh, NC 27695. Web site: https://jae-online.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2022
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Agriculture Teachers, Response Rates (Questionnaires), Surveys, Incentives, Responses, Interaction, Social Exchange Theory, Scores, Cost Effectiveness
DOI: 10.5032/jae.2022.04151
ISSN: 1042-0541
2162-5212
Abstract: A decline in response rates was found for agricultural education research studies using survey research methods. The use of incentives and various response modes can affect survey response rates and were the focus of this experiment. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of survey response mode and incentives on response rates when surveying SBAE teachers. Findings revealed a significant increase in response rates for groups receiving an incentive. No significant differences were found between groups using different survey response modes. When examining summated scale scores for each construct in the questionnaire, participants answering on paper scored more positively in four of the six constructs compared to web responses. Recommendations for practice included using mixed response modes when financially feasible and oversampling to achieve the desired sample size to represent a population. Further research on the effects of communication mode on response rates is needed. An examination of why differences in scale scores occur with different response modes is recommended.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1367039
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:A decline in response rates was found for agricultural education research studies using survey research methods. The use of incentives and various response modes can affect survey response rates and were the focus of this experiment. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of survey response mode and incentives on response rates when surveying SBAE teachers. Findings revealed a significant increase in response rates for groups receiving an incentive. No significant differences were found between groups using different survey response modes. When examining summated scale scores for each construct in the questionnaire, participants answering on paper scored more positively in four of the six constructs compared to web responses. Recommendations for practice included using mixed response modes when financially feasible and oversampling to achieve the desired sample size to represent a population. Further research on the effects of communication mode on response rates is needed. An examination of why differences in scale scores occur with different response modes is recommended.
ISSN:1042-0541
2162-5212
DOI:10.5032/jae.2022.04151