Exercises

Exercise 1. A researcher uses his morning and afternoon history classes to test a new instructional strategy. In the morning class the students are given a pretest to assess their knowledge of WWI and then they are given the opportunity to learn about this topic using a computerized program. In the afternoon class the students are also given a pretest; they learn about WWI through discussion. At the end of six weeks, a final exam is given to both classes. 1. a) How is the research designed? Quasi-experimental (non-equivalent pre-test/post-test) Gr. A (NR)OX1O Gr. B (NR)OX2O

A researcher uses morning and afternoon history classes to test a new instructional strategy. In the morning class the students are given a pretest to assess their knowledge of WWI and then they are given the opportunity to learn about this topic using a program. In the afternoon class the studecomputerized nts are also given a pretest; they learn about WWI through discussion. At the end of six weeks, a final exam is given to both classes. 1. b) How can you analyze the data? Independent sample t-test (to examine their level of knowledge) Paired sample t-test (comparison of the means in pre- and post-tests for both groups)

How can we present this data? Nmeans.d.t Pre-testExperimental * Control Post-testExperimental * Control * p<.05 Table 1 Students’performance results

Exercise 2. A social studies teacher is interested in determining the effects of a new textbook series, which has a multicultural thematic approach. The teacher will teach a unit on colonization in America. After the unit, a multicultural attitude scale will be administered to students. 2. a) How is the research designed? one-shot case study

A social studies teacher is interested in determining the effects of a new textbook series, which has a multicultural thematic approach. The teacher will teach a unit on colonization in America. After the unit, a multicultural attitude scale will be administered to students. 2. b) How can you analyze the data? Descriptive statistics

Exercise 3 A school administration wants to field-test a Methodology curriculum in the ELT course that is offered in the summer. Two classes are to be offered during the summer session. Students in both classes will be given a pretest to measure their knowledge of Methodology. One class will study Methodology using traditional textbook materials with a mostly lecture-style of delivery. Another class, an experimental class, will study Methodology using films and contemporary materials along with presentations by guest speakers. The final exam for the course, a parallel form of the pretest, will be given to both groups. 3. a) How is the research designed? Quasi-experimental (pre-test/post-test nonequivalent comparison groups)

A school administration wants to field-test a Methodology curriculum in the ELT course that is offered in the summer. Two classes are to be offered during the summer session. Students in both classes will be given a pretest to measure their knowledge of Methodology. One class will study Methodology using traditional textbook materials with a mostly lecture-style of delivery. Another class, an experimental class, will study Methodology using films and contemporary materials along with presentations by guest speakers. The final exam for the course, a parallel form of the pretest, will be given to both groups. 3. b) How can you analyze the data? t-test between and within groups

For the following exercises, work in pairs and describe the research design answering following questions: 1. How will the subjects be assigned to groups? 2. Identify relevant variables 3. Describe the treatment design 4. Identify the way the data will be analyzed.

Exercise 4 With the current emphasis on parental involvement in children’s academic endeavors, a researcher is interested in assessing the confidence level of parents who will read orally to children in schools. He also wants to know if there is a difference in the confidence level of parents of different education levels. From a list of volunteers who are interested in reading orally to students, parents will be randomly selected and assigned to one of two conditions—training or no training. Following training of parents in the experimental condition, all parent volunteers will complete a confidence scale. Describe this study using a true experimental posttest- only control group design.

Random assignment for two groups: give a number to each and draw out a number for Group A and then Group B until you finish all the numbers. Indep variable: training parents Dep variable: parents’ confidence level Group A will get training whereas Group B will not. Parents in both groups will read orally to children and then they will be given a confidence scale. T-test for the mean scores obtained from this scale for each group will be found out to see the effect of training on confidence level.

1. How will the subjects be assigned to groups? 2. Identify relevant variables 3. Describe the treatment design 4. Identify the way the data will be analyzed.

Exercise 5/ Assignment The dean of a college of education is interested in determining if the education majors who take an optional course in working with students with disabilities are using the strategies learned in the course. He decides to study this issue. Fifty education majors will be randomly assigned to take the course when they enter as freshman. The control group of fifty education majors will be assigned a multicultural education course. The junior field experience will occur prior to the courses, thus allowing monitoring for strategies prior to taking the course. Students will again be monitored for use of strategies during student teaching. In both the pre-course and post-course field experiences, students will each teach ten lessons in their classrooms. These lessons will be videotaped. A researcher will view the videotapes and observe the lessons to determine which strategies are used. Describe this study using a true experimental, pretest-posttest control group design.

Random assignment for two groups (50 each): give a number to each and draw out a number for Group A and then Group B until you finish all the numbers. Indep variable: taking optional course in education Dep variable: use of strategies Group A will get an optional course whereas Group B will not. Strategies will be observed in pre-course and post-course field experiences (teaching ten lessons in their classrooms). (Paired) t-test for the mean scores obtained from the strategies used in pre-course and post-course field experiences is used. Also possible to use descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis.

Exercise 6/A school district has budgeted some funds for satellite television reception of educational broadcasts. The social studies teachers are interested in assessing the results of news broadcasts on the students’ awareness of international news events in weekly news quizzes in college preparation classes. Students discuss international news events at the beginning of each social studies class. Describe this study using a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design.

Assign one class as the experimental group (Group A) and another class as the control group (Group B) Indep variable: watching news broadcast Dep variable: awareness of international news She gives a pre-test to both groups. Then, students in the experimental group (Group A) discuss news at the beginning of each class; the control group (Group B) does not do this. After 2 months she gives another test (post-test) to both groups. A t-test for the mean scores obtained from the pre- test and post-test of both groups is calculated.

Exercise 7/ A reading researcher is interested in determining which, if any, of three instructional strategies would be best for improving students’ reading comprehension. The three instructional strategies are as follows: Questioning: Teaching student to independently generate inferential questions related to what they have read. Imagery: Teaching students to construct and describe vivid mental images of what they have read. Mapping: Teaching children to construct concept maps of what they have read. Use quasi-experimental, pre-test and post-test design

Assign 3 classes: one for questioning, one for imagery and one for mapping Indep variables: questioning, imagery, mapping Dep variable: reading comprehension She gives a pre-test to all groups. Then, students in the Group A receive questioning strategy; the ones in Group B imagery and the ones in Group C mapping strategies. At the end of instruction, the teacher gives all groups a post-test. ANOVA is used Ind. Var. 1 (Questioning) Ind. Var. 2 (Imagery) Ind. Var. 3 (Mapping) Dep. Var. (Reading Comprehension)

Exercise 8 The mathematics curriculum in a large school district is undergoing a comprehensive review. Some teachers are advocating a new curriculum that is “concept-based” (i.e., it focuses on students’ comprehending mathematics concepts and processes rather than computations). A second group of teachers is advocating an approach that is based on the memorization of various algorithms and formulas for computing the solution to mathematics problems. Finally, there are those in the middle, who are in favor of a “balanced” approach that would use a blend of methods from both points of view. The central administration decides to test each of these approaches for one year with a sample of students in the third, fourth, and fifth grades. Because of the logistical problems that would be associated with randomly assigning students to different treatment groups, the curriculum coordinator in charge of this project decides to use several different schools as the sample, each of which would use a different curriculum. Describe this study using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design.

Assign 3 schools: concept-based, memorization, balanced. Indep variables: concept-based, memorization, balanced Dep variable: mathematics curriculum 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th graders in each school are given a pre-test. In one school concept-based is used; in the other, memorization, and the other balanced approach is used. MANOVA is applied to analyze the data Ind. Var. 1 (concept-based) Ind. Var. 2 (memorization) Ind. Var. 3 (balanced) Dep. Var. 1 – 3 rd graders Dep. Var. 2 – 4 th graders Dep. Var. 3 – 5 th graders