Using Emojis and drawings in surveys to measure children’s attitudes to mathematics

Massey, Simon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0550-0613 (2022) Using Emojis and drawings in surveys to measure children’s attitudes to mathematics. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25 (6). pp. 877-889. ISSN 1364-5579

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Abstract

This article considers the implementation of Emojis as responses within survey research, measuring attitudes towards mathematics in children aged eight and nine years old. Participants answered two multi-item scales. The first required them to provide an Emoji to provide their responses to statements, whilst the second additionally required them to draw the Emoji they wished to use. The rationale was to allow children to feel more familiar with the common means of communication used in a ‘digital era’ in order to aid reliability and validity of thge measures. Evidence suggests that future research be carried out to measure and assess children’s attitudes with techniques from the current study to help them understand the nature of what is being researched. This article concludes that children as young as eight years old can be deemed reliable respondents for survey methods and that more research should be carried out to capture children’s attitudes to concepts.