Teaching Survey Research in Software Engineering

TL;DR

This paper offers a comprehensive guide for teaching survey research in software engineering, including syllabi, teaching strategies, and online resources, based on international experiences and large-scale survey publications.

Contribution

It provides a detailed syllabus, practical teaching advice, and online resources for effectively instructing survey research in software engineering.

Findings

Developed a comprehensive survey research teaching syllabus

Provided actionable teaching strategies for each topic

Shared online resources and course materials

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide advice on how to effectively teach survey research based on lessons learned from several international teaching experiences on the topic and from conducting large-scale surveys published at various scientific conferences and journals. First, we provide teachers with a potential syllabus for teaching survey research, including learning objectives, lectures, and examples of practical assignments. Thereafter, we provide actionable advice on how to teach the topics related to each learning objective, including survey design, sampling, data collection, statistical and qualitative analysis, threats to validity and reliability, and ethical considerations. The chapter is complemented by online teaching resources, including slides covering an entire course.