Education survey: Questions, templates, and examples

Get needed feedback with our free education survey templates.

One of the best ways for educators to better understand the needs of their students is with an education survey. Online surveys aren't just for big businesses. They also come in handy in the education field. Insights from such questionnaires can be used to help students and are ideal for every type of school, from preschool to college. Discover how to use a questionnaire on education to improve your school and get needed feedback with our free education survey templates.

Ways to use education survey questions

Know how students feel about school or which teachers they most admire? An education questionnaire has many different uses, but most importantly, it can help gather honest feedback that can't be discovered any other way. Allowing students, parents, and teachers an opportunity to voice their opinions anonymously can help steer a school in the right direction.

Get parents involved

When parents aren't involved with their children's education—or there are problems at home—a student's grades often suffer. By sending parents a questionnaire, educators can ascertain if there are ways to better accommodate certain students who need extra help. Survey questions can also ask about the involvement level of parents. Such surveys can alert both private and public schools to the need to reach out to parents who require advice or ideas to better support their child's education.

Track the health and habits of students

What goes on outside of a classroom can have a big impact in it. For instance, children who don't burn off energy with exercise might act up or have a hard time focusing in class. An education survey questionnaire that asks about outside-of-school habits can help educators implement new courses or programs that will benefit students' well-being.

Surveys about online learning can help track potential changes in the study habits of students during periods away from in-person schooling. This can help collect valuable data regarding how to organize classes.

Take care of teachers' mental health

When teachers and staff feel satisfied and supported, they do a better job and are less likely to quit. Retaining high-quality teachers is one of the best ways to help students receive an excellent education. Surveys can help examine how educators feel and what could make them more inspired and satisfied with their work.

Better understand student learning styles with surveys

Not every student learns the same way. Some prefer lectures with visuals, while others need more hands-on experiences. By sending students a learner survey that asks about their preferred learning style, teachers have a better chance of understanding the most effective way to reach them. This leads to more class engagement, better retention, and higher grades. Online learning surveys are simple to create and not too demanding of respondents. We recommend trying them.

Measure student satisfaction

Measure student satisfaction with questionnaires about teacher performance. It's just as important to know how motivated students are about attending their school as it is to understand how satisfied teachers are. A good starting point is a student satisfaction survey that detects the overall happiness level of students. With quality education surveys, students can express everything from their opinions about teachers to program quality to campus safety. Does a school need more extracurricular activities or different elective courses? Education surveys can provide all the insight, information, and data that schools need to help students be more productive at school.

Learn more about student surveys

Obtain teacher and course feedback

If a school has an amazing teacher but a not-so-amazing course, administrators need to know. The more positive students feel about instructors and courses, the more likely they are to stay engaged and do well. A questionnaire regarding teacher performance can provide information about which instructors and courses students favor and those that need improvement. With quality questions, the exact changes necessary to improve teacher and course satisfaction can be determined.

Learn more about teacher surveys

Academic surveys

To deepen knowledge about a particular subject, academic surveys are invaluable. Coming up with a hypothesis is hard enough. A well-designed survey—with carefully constructed questions—will provide the opportunity to test how viable it actually is.

Learn more about academic surveys

Student surveys for teachers

Teachers benefit greatly from education surveys. At the end of every semester, students have the opportunity to complete a feedback survey about what interested them the most, what they enjoyed about the class, and how their teacher can improve in the future. This type of feedback helps teachers better meet the needs of students and continuously improve over time.

Learn more about teacher surveys

Dissertation surveys

One of the most powerful tools for getting valuable insights and data for the culmination of a research path is dissertation surveys. Though a stressful and time-consuming task, useful data from a representative sample that can be analyzed and presented as part of a dissertation is invaluable. At SurveyPlanet, we’re committed to making it as easy and stress-free as possible to use such powerful tools.

Learn more about dissertation surveys

Question teachers about teaching

Are educators and staff happy with their jobs? Are they set up for success? By questioning teachers and faculty, administrators can garner needed information to better support them.

Sending a periodical teacher satisfaction survey is an easy way to check in with staff and discover areas that need improvement.

Given the increased use of online learning, our templates also include examples of survey questions about online learning that will help heighten the quality of such classes.

Learn more about online education surveys by reading our blog about the how to make a questionnaire regarding the impact of eLearning.

Survey questions for educational programs

Survey questions for educational programs should be thoughtfully designed to gather valuable insights and feedback from participants. The questions should aim to assess various aspects of the program's effectiveness and impact. Key areas to explore might include participant satisfaction, learning outcomes, the quality of instructional materials, and the overall organization of the program.

Additionally, questions about the relevance of the content, the clarity of communication, and suggestions for improvement can provide educators and program administrators with valuable data for making informed decisions and enhancements. Crafting clear, concise, and unbiased questions is essential to ensure that the survey results are reliable and can contribute to the ongoing improvement of educational programs.

Examples of educational program survey questions

Here are some examples of educational program survey questions:

  • On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the overall quality of this educational program? (1 = Very Dissatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied)
  • Did this program meet your expectations in terms of content and learning objectives? Please explain.
  • How would you rate the effectiveness of the instructors in delivering the material and engaging with students? (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent)
  • Were the course materials (e.g., textbooks, online resources) relevant and helpful in your learning experience? Please elaborate.
  • Did you find the pace of the program to be appropriate? Was it too fast, too slow, or just right?
  • How well did the program foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills?
  • Were the assessments and assignments reflective of the course content, and did they contribute to your learning experience?
  • Did you feel supported by the educational institution or program administrators throughout your participation in the program? Please provide details.
  • Were there any challenges or obstacles you encountered during the program that you believe need improvement?
  • Would you recommend this educational program to others? Why or why not?

Best practices for education surveys

To gain the most insight, it's important to understand best practices. Setting a specific goal for a survey is a good start. Although it might feel tempting to cover a wide range of topics with one survey, doing so often leads to poor survey completion rates. Our blog about the subject will help you better understand Find out what is a good survey response rate by reading our blog about the subject.

Staying on topic with quality questions will help respondents provide valuable information—accurately and quickly. Our guidelines on creating an engaging survey will help you do so.

Online education questionnaires are powerful resources for gathering data, with the ultimate goal being to improve a school's performance. Data collection is only the first step. With the help of this blog, learn how to analyze survey data and interpret the findings.

It's a best practice to use a consistent rating scale for questions. Instead of a yes/no response option for every question, give respondents a range to choose from. Scaled answers will provide more insight and make it easier to analyze responses.

Finally, don't forget to test a survey before sending it out. Ask other faculty members to do so to ensure it corresponds well with your audience and doesn't contain errors.

To sum things up, education survey best practices include:

  • Set a specific goal
  • Stay on topic with questions
  • Use a consistent rating scale for questions
  • Test your survey before sending it out

General education survey question examples

Here are some examples of general education survey questions that you can use for various purposes, such as gathering feedback, assessing educational programs, or conducting research:

  • On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the quality of education you have received at [Institution Name]?
    1. Very Dissatisfied (1) - Very Satisfied (5)
    2. What is your preferred learning style?
    3. Visual
    4. Auditory
    5. Kinesthetic
  • How often do you use online resources (e.g., websites, videos, forums) for educational purposes?
    1. Daily
    2. Weekly
    3. Monthly
    4. Rarely
    5. Never
  • Do you believe that the current curriculum adequately prepares students for the real world?
    1. Strongly Disagree
    2. Disagree
    3. Neutral
    4. Agree
    5. Strongly Agree
  • How would you rate the accessibility of educational materials and resources (e.g., textbooks, online lectures) at your institution?
    1. Poor
    2. Fair
    3. Good
    4. Very Good
    5. Excellent
  • What types of extracurricular activities or clubs would you like to see offered at [Institution Name]?
  • In your opinion, how effective are the teaching methods used in your classes?
    1. Not Effective
    2. Somewhat Effective
    3. Effective
    4. Very Effective
  • How often do you communicate with your professors or instructors outside of class?
    1. Daily
    2. Weekly
    3. Monthly
    4. Rarely
    5. Never
  • Are you satisfied with the variety of courses offered in your major or program?
    1. Very Dissatisfied
    2. Dissatisfied
    3. Neutral
    4. Satisfied
    5. Very Satisfied
  • How would you rate the support services available to students (e.g., counseling, career advising) at your institution?
    1. Poor
    2. Fair
    3. Good
    4. Very Good
    5. Excellent
  • Do you believe that the cost of education is reasonable given the quality of the education you receive?
    1. Strongly Disagree
    2. Disagree
    3. Neutral
    4. Agree
    5. Strongly Agree
  • Have you encountered any barriers to accessing education, such as financial, technological, or personal challenges? Please explain.
  • How do you typically prepare for exams and assessments?
    1. Self-Study
    2. Group Study
    3. Tutoring
    4. Review Sessions
    5. Other (Please Specify)
  • Are there any specific improvements or changes you would like to see in the education system or at your institution?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [Institution Name] to a friend or family member?
    1. Not Likely (1) - Very Likely (10)

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