Survey research is widely used for solving the problems of education including education policy formulation purposes. Its main purpose is to gather information about the variables from the group of objects (populations). Survey to cover the whole population (object) is called a census. While the survey is to learn some of the population is called the sample survey. For the purposes of education, surveys typically reveal problems with regard to how many students who applied and were accepted at a school? What is the average number of students in one class? How many teachers who have met predetermined qualifications? Quantitative questions like that is needed as a basis for planning and problem-solving education in schools. At a later stage can also be a comparison or analysis the relationship between these variables.
Surveys can also be done to determine variables such as opinions, perceptions, attitudes, achievement, motivation, and others. For example, perceptions of principals toward educational autonomy, the perception of teachers to the curriculum, parents' opinions about the SBM, and others. Researchers can measure these variables in a clear and definite. The information obtained is probably important for certain groups although less so useful to science.
Surveys in both education benefits to solve many practical problems as well as to ingredients in the formulation of education policy studies even for education in relation to development. Through this method may be disclosed actual problems and describe it, studying the relationship between two variables or more, comparing the conditions that exist with established criteria, or assess the effectiveness of a program.
