Design and Validation of Survey Instruments Using Mixed-Methods and Data Mining

Survey instruments enable informed decision-making and policy formulation. This study proposes a comprehensive methodology for crafting survey instruments to assess government programs specifically the Philippine Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTE) Act. A mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, was employed. Initial engagements with key stakeholders, including students and Program Implementers, led to the development of three distinct questionnaire types: Entry and Exit surveys for freshmen and graduating students respectively, and for Program Implementers. To ensure validity, professional experts reviewed and finalized the instruments, removing questions that violated the Data Privacy Act. To promote inclusivity, the finalized surveys were translated into the three main local languages: Filipino, Bikol, and Iloko. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using BERTopic, a technique for identifying themes in large text datasets, which revealed topics such as financial support, aspirations, and neutral feedback. This methodology is adaptable for evaluating similar programs in other contexts.