CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION IN MOZAMBIQUE

The quality of a research is determined by the rigor of its methods. Successful data collection depends on the robustness of the instruments used to obtain them, according to their validity, objectivity and reliability. Thus, this qualitative literature review aims to analyze the models of elaboration and validation of data collection instruments in educational research of Mozambican Higher Education institutions. To this end, 30 undergraduate and 30 master's degree final projects were reviewed, with analysis focusing on the methodological part, namely regarding the procedures for developing the instruments and their validation. The results revealed that the instruments are created by the students and reviewed by their supervisors and co-supervisors. Methodologically, the works analyzed make limited mention (three dissertations) of the adoption of some process that can be recognized as an effort to validate research instruments; however, they do not strictly adopt the technical criteria for this purpose. Therefore, for the research findings to be even more qualified, it is suggested that the final projects in Mozambique, both undergraduate and postgraduate, begin to adopt greater methodological rigor regarding the procedures for developing and validating the instruments for obtaining data.