AN EXPLORATION OF DATA COLLECTION CHALLENGES IN BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH: WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON TEACHER EDUCATION

This study examines the main challenges faced during data collection in behavioural research focusing on teacher education. Behavioural research aims to understand how people act and interact but data collection often faces issues related to time, communication, culture and ethics. The study used a descriptive survey method and included 554 scholars from various academic programmes in rural, semi-urban and urban areas of West Bengal. A self-developed questionnaire measured challenges in five key areas i.e., sampling, tool logistics, data quality, analysis and ethical concerns. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that most participants faced moderate challenges with many responses marked as Neutral. While building rapport and controlling external variables were strengths, difficulties remained in time management, mailing tools, language issues and institutional support. Ethical problems like fear of judgment and social desirability bias affected the openness of responses. The study concludes that behavioural research in teacher education is moderately affected by logistical, cultural and ethical factors. To improve data quality, researchers should plan early use flexible and ethical methods and adopt culturally appropriate tools. These steps can enhance the reliability and validity of behavioural research in educational settings.