DEVELOPING ON-LINE QUESTIONNAIRES FOR MATHEMATICIANS

In this paper I will discuss the development of an on-line questionnaire that I have designed for my dissertation research. By employing this questionnaire, I aim to gauge university mathematicians ’ use of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) in undergraduate mathematics courses and to understand their thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of CAS use in university-level teaching. The development of the questionnaire is based on an interview study with mathematicians that I conducted in 2005. Thus, I integrate issues that emerged from this earlier study with concerns described in the mathematics education literature. The complexity of the questionnaire design is complicated by the fact that I am examining mathematicians in three countries, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which requires me to consider different aspects of international comparative research and differences in cultures. I will report on the difficulties that I encountered during the design process of this questionnaire and highlight issues which researchers must pay attention to when they decide to use on-line questionnaires