statistics · Year 4 · Suggested learning sequence
Survey questions and fair samples
A good survey question matches your goal, is fair, and lets people give a real answer. A leading question pushes people towards one answer. A yes/no question cannot tell you which choice is the favourite. The people you ask matter too: friends, or a group gathered in one place, often think alike, and a very small group can easily be unusual. Before believing a claim about everyone, ask who was surveyed.
Sample questions
Ava wants to find out how the children in the class usually get to school. Which question is best for the survey? A: "How do you usually get to school?" B: "Do you come to school by car?" C: "Walking is the best way to get to school, isn't it?" D: "What time do you go to bed?"
- A good survey question matches the goal, does not push people towards an answer, and lets them give a real choice.
- Option C pushes an answer, B can only be answered yes or no, and D asks about something else.
- The best question is A.
Answer: A
Omar wants to find out which fruit the class would like at fruit break. Which question is best for the survey? A: "Do you eat fruit?" B: "Which fruit would you most like at fruit break: apple, banana or orange?" C: "Bananas are the healthiest fruit, so you want bananas, don't you?" D: "What is your favourite TV show?"
- A good survey question matches the goal, does not push people towards an answer, and lets them give a real choice.
- Option C pushes an answer, A can only be answered yes or no, and D asks about something else.
- The best question is B.
Answer: B
Omar wants to find out how long the children in the class spend reading each week. Which question is best for the survey? A: "About how many hours do you spend reading each week?" B: "Do you like reading?" C: "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" D: "You read a lot every week, don't you?"
- A good survey question matches the goal, does not push people towards an answer, and lets them give a real choice.
- Option D pushes an answer, B can only be answered yes or no, and C asks about something else.
- The best question is A.
Answer: A