PIRLS 2006 Contextual Questionnaires

In order to measure trends and collect baseline information about key factors related to students’ home and school environments, PIRLS 2006 administered questionnaires to students, parents, teachers, and school principals. Additionally, PIRLS 2006 included a curriculum questionnaire that provided information about the reading curriculum. Based on the contexts for learning to read, as defined in the PIRLS framework, the information from the five questionnaires complements the fourth-grade students’ reading achievement results.

Each one of the PIRLS 2006 contextual questionnaires can be downloaded free of charge below.

Download Questionnaires

Publications are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you need to download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which will enable you to read and print the reports, press the Acrobat icon.

Download all of the PIRLS 2006 Contextual Questionnaires (Zip 2.4MB)

Download the questionnaires separately:

Student Questionnaire (1.4MB PDF)

Each student completed a Student Questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about home resources, languages spoken in the home, students’ reading habits both inside and outside of school, students’ reading self-concept and their attitudes towards reading, classroom instructional practices related to teaching reading, and school safety.

Learning to Read Survey (Home Questionnaire) (484KB PDF)

The parents or guardians of each student completed a Learning to Read Survey. The questionnaire asked about preparations for primary schooling, including attendance in preschool and literacy-centered activities in the home before the child began school, such as reading books, singing songs, or writing letters or words. Parents answered questions about home resources in addition to information about their highest level of education and employment situations.

Teacher Questionnaire (588KB PDF)

Teachers of the assessed classes responded to the Teacher Questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on reading activities and materials used for reading instruction and the assessment of students’ performance in reading. Teachers were asked to refer specifically to the class of students selected for the PIRLS assessment. Teachers also answered questions about their professional preparation and experience in teaching reading.

School Questionnaire (524KB PDF)

The principal of each school sampled for PIRLS completed a School Questionnaire. Principals answered questions about the emphasis on the reading curriculum in the school, the availability and use of materials to teach reading, and whether the school provided programs and services that involve the students and their families. Additionally, the questionnaire asked school principals general questions about their school’s demographic characteristics, resources, and environment.

Curriculum Questionnaire (48KB PDF)

The National Research Coordinator within each country was responsible for completing the Curriculum Questionnaire. Questions primarily centered on the defined national or regional curriculum in fourth grade, including what it prescribed and how it is disseminated. NRCs also answered questions about requirements for teachers and how teachers are informed about the reading curriculum. An addendum to the curriculum questionnaire asked about country level policies regarding entry to primary school as they related to the student tested in PIRLS 2006.