the presentation of a questionnaire in a pilot study to a representative sample of the respondent population in order to discover any problems with the questionnaire prior to full-scale use
A smaller version of the study conducted with 20 to 30 respondents prior to the actual data collection period; a pretest is conducted to evaluate the validity of the survey instrument and to identify any potential problems with the study
A test or measurement taken before services or activities begin It is compared with the results of a posttest to show evidence of the effects of the services or activities being evaluated A pretest can be used to obtain baseline data
An evaluation of students prior to instruction to determine what level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude they are bringing to instruction (Bennett and Clasper)