Understanding Nonrespondents in a School Climate Survey

• In Event: School Climate Measurement and Correlates: Findings From Around the Globe

Abstract

South Carolina school climate parent surveys shifted to online questionnaires in 2021. The transition resulted in heavy losses in response rates in 2021 and 2022, but little is known how the shift has affected data. This longitudinal study aimed to 1) examine the effects of online administration on respondents' demographic characteristics, and 2) profile the characteristics of non-respondents, and 3) evaluate the non-response bias of the data. Results suggested males tend not to respond to the survey, regardless of the format. Online administration is associated with a decreasing proportion of survey responses from non-white respondents with lower socioeconomic status. These findings call for stakeholders’ attention to non-respondents and the potential risks to representativeness and fairness in large-scale online surveys.

Authors

• Tiejun Zhang, University of South Carolina

• Mihaela Ene, University of South Carolina

• Elizabeth Leighton, University of South Carolina

• Christine DiStefano, University of South Carolina

• Diane M. Monrad, University of South Carolina