Opinion Polling and the Measurement of Americans' Attitudes Regarding Education

Autor/inn/en	Billingham, Chase M.; Kimelberg, Shelley McDonough
Titel	Opinion Polling and the Measurement of Americans' Attitudes Regarding Education
Quelle	In: Journal of Education Policy, 31 (2016) 5, S.526-548 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0268-0939
DOI	10.1080/02680939.2015.1135255
Schlagwörter	Public Opinion; Educational Attitudes; Surveys; National Surveys; State Surveys; Public Schools; Educational Trends; Educational Policy; Discourse Analysis; Accountability; Educational Change; Policy Formation; Content Analysis; Test Construction; Test Items; Data Collection; Social Science Research; Coding; Discipline Problems; Behavior Problems; Drug Use; School Funds; Curriculum; School Choice; Nontraditional Education; Standardized Tests; Teacher Effectiveness; Interviews + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Öffentliche Meinung; Educational attitude; Bildungsverhalten; Erziehungseinstellung; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Bildungsentwicklung; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Diskursanalyse; Verantwortung; Bildungsreform; Politische Betätigung; Inhaltsanalyse; Testaufbau; Test content; Testaufgabe; Data capture; Datensammlung; Social scientific research; Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung; Codierung; Programmierung; Drug consumption; Substance abuse; Drogenkonsum; Curricula; Lehrplan; Rahmenplan; Choice of school; Schulwahl; Non-traditional education; Alternative Erziehung; Standadised tests; Standardisierter Test; Effectiveness of teaching; Instructional effectiveness; Lehrerleistung; Unterrichtserfolg; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik
Abstract	The meaning, measurement, and implications of "public opinion" have long been a source of debate. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the educational priorities of elites in the US reflect the educational priorities of the American public. To do so, we focus on one particular segment of the education policy-making elite -- education poll creators. Through a content analysis of questions asked between 1969 and 2013 in the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools, we examine the salience of key educational issues over time. We compare these trends to the proportion of poll respondents who label those issues the "biggest problem" facing schools, thereby approximating two different conceptions of public opinion regarding education. We find that the issues that receive the most coverage by pollsters do not typically match the issues that respondents claim to be the biggest problems in schools. In light of the important role that opinion polls may play in shaping discussion and debate over educational issues, we argue that further study of the construction of public opinion is warranted. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01