This content is located in CAPS under Information Management for Grade 10.

When teaching Grade 10 students about surveys using questionnaires, interviews, and polls, it’s essential to bring this topic to life with practical, interactive approaches. Surveys form a cornerstone of information gathering and analysis, helping students understand how data transforms into actionable insights. Here’s how to make this topic more relatable and engaging for learners.

To begin, introduce the concept of surveys by discussing real-life applications. For example, students encounter surveys when rating apps, completing school satisfaction forms, or voting in polls on social media. These examples show how surveys help organisations understand opinions, improve services, or make decisions.

Actionable Classroom Ideas:

1. Use a Class Poll to Kickstart Engagement
Begin with a live poll using sticky notes, paper slips, or free online tools like Mentimeter. Ask a simple question, such as “What’s your favourite school subject?” Display the results visually (e.g., bar graphs) and discuss how polls provide a snapshot of class preferences. This activity introduces the idea of using surveys for collecting and analysing opinions.

2. Conduct a School-Based Questionnaire Project
Have students create a questionnaire about a topic relevant to their school environment, such as ideas for a fun event or feedback on canteen options. Use Google Forms (if technology is available) or paper-based forms for under-resourced classrooms. Discuss the importance of clear, unbiased questions and how to collect responses efficiently.

• Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Application:
  • Remembering: Define terms like “respondent,” “questionnaire,” and “bias.”
  • Creating: Develop questions for a meaningful survey topic.

3. Simulate an Interview Scenario
Divide the class into pairs where one student plays the role of the interviewer, and the other is the respondent. Provide a basic script or framework for practice, focusing on open-ended questions (e.g., “What do you think of the new computer lab rules?”). Students learn how interviews extract deeper, qualitative data.

• Practical Tip for Under-Resourced Schools: Use clipboards or improvised notebooks to mimic professional interviews.
• Learning Outcome: Students identify how interviews differ from questionnaires in terms of data depth and format.

4. Analyse Real-World Polls and Surveys
Bring in examples of surveys from newspapers or social media (e.g., voting trends, public opinion stats). Discuss how data visualisation, such as pie charts or bar graphs, summarises survey findings. Let students critically evaluate the effectiveness of the questions and the sample size used.

5. Use a Fun “Mystery Survey” Activity
Create a classroom mystery scenario, like “Who took the missing textbook?” Have students design a survey or interview questions to solve the problem, gathering information about potential suspects. This gamifies the process and develops critical thinking.

• Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Application:
  • Applying: Implement the survey design in a playful investigation.
  • Analysing: Evaluate responses to identify patterns and solve the mystery.

6. Discussion on Ethical and Bias Concerns
After completing their surveys, facilitate a discussion about ethics in data gathering. Ask questions like:

• How can leading questions affect survey results?
• Why is confidentiality important?
  This prepares students to approach surveys responsibly, considering data integrity and respect for respondents’ privacy.

Integrating Tools and Techniques:

• Offline Tools: Use printed templates for designing questionnaires, ruler-drawn graphs for analysis, and role-playing for interviews.
• Online Tools: Leverage platforms like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Kahoot for conducting digital surveys and polls if resources permit.

Extending the Learning:

For advanced learners, encourage them to categorise responses (quantitative vs qualitative data) and perform simple analysis, like tallying votes or finding percentages. For example, “Out of 50 respondents, 60% prefer option A.”

Through these activities, students will not only grasp the theoretical aspects of surveys but also appreciate their practical relevance in everyday decision-making.

Let’s Collaborate!
Have you tried teaching surveys in your Grade 10 classroom? Share your unique strategies or challenges in the comments below. Let’s inspire each other with fresh ideas to bring this topic to life!