DATA ANALYSIS WRITING CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Four, Data Analysis, is the section of the thesis for the action research study that provides the reader with a summary of all data in response to each research question. This power point presentation will help you organize the chapter to make the data summaries, descriptions, analyses, and interpretations clearer to the reader.

Outline for Chapter Four Introduction – restate purpose of study and research questions Methodology for Research – briefly summarize the methodology used for the data collection Demographics Summary for Research Participants-if it supports your research question(s). Question 1 – state first sub-question Briefly state which data collection method(s) was used to collect data to answer this question. Show chart or graph or table to summarize data. Write factual description of data. Write interpretation of data to explain the findings that answer the question. If you have multiple sources of data for one question you may also need a short summary at the end of this section to synthesize for the reader what the findings for this question were.

Outline Continued Question 2 – state second sub-question and follow same outline as for question one. Question 3 – state third sub-question and follow same outline as for question one. Primary Research Question – state question and follow same outline as for question one. Highlights of Data Summary – this section gives a brief summary of the main points synthesized from the data analysis. These main points are used again in chapter five as the basis for the conclusions drawn.

Example – Section 1 -Introduction The purpose of this research study was to determine what the stakeholders indicated as the alternative school’s impact, if any, on reduction of dropouts in grades The research explored whether Aggieville Academy (AVA) has been successful. Success was defined by the co-participant researchers as improving student performance (GPA and FCAT), attendance while reducing behavior referrals for students in the Academy and for the year after they returned to traditional school settings (Rumberger and Palardy 2005). The overarching research question was: “What, if anything, do students, parents, staff, teachers, and the principal indicate as factors in AVA’s effectiveness”? The sub-questions for the study included: Has AVA (an alternative school) been successful with students who are at risk for dropping out of school? Has AVA been successful in reducing dropouts among the minority student population? In what ways did the leadership roles in AVA school contribute to this success or failure?

Example – Section 2 -Methodology Action Research was selected for this study as a strong methodology for reflection and collaboration with stakeholders to determine new information to evaluate success of the alternative school in reducing dropouts (Reason and Bradbury 2001, Mezirow 2000). This concept impacted the design of this study to look at stakeholders’ perceptions of school success and leadership factors. Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were applied through the analysis of statistical data on student performance and the surveying of stakeholders’ perceptions of the relationship between leadership and student success (Day et al. 2008).

Example – Section 2 -continued An analysis of school-administered surveys determined if staff, teachers, students and parents perceived the leadership of the director to be a factor in student success (Heifetz 1994, Heifetz and Linsky 2002, Northouse 2007). An analysis based on a framework drawn from transformative leadership theories (Jahan 2000) was used to select the survey questions about leadership that related to transformative leadership qualities. The qualities in bold and italic font in Table 3 turned out to be the specific qualities that were identified as matching the questions of the surveys conducted in Aggieville Academy.

A. Vision and CommitmentB. Institutional Behavior Equality Equity Empowerment Human Rights Peace Sustainability Shared power, responsibility, Well-being Participatory Egalitarian Responsive Transparent Accountable Non-corrupt Consensus-oriented Empowering Table 3: Qualities Of Transformative Leadership

Example – Section 2 -continued An analysis of school-administered surveys determined if staff, teachers, students and parents perceived the leadership of the director to be a factor in student success (Heifetz 1994, Heifetz and Linsky 2002, Northouse 2007). An analysis based on a framework drawn from transformative leadership theories (Jahan 2000) was used to select the survey questions about leadership that related to transformative leadership qualities. The qualities in bold and italic font in Table 3 turned out to be the specific qualities that were identified as matching the questions of the surveys conducted in Aggieville Academy.

Example – Section 2 -continued An analysis of school-administered surveys determined if staff, teachers, students and parents perceived the leadership of the director to be a factor in student success (Heifetz 1994, Heifetz and Linsky 2002, Northouse 2007). An analysis based on a framework drawn from transformative leadership theories (Jahan 2000) was used to select the survey questions about leadership that related to transformative leadership qualities. The qualities in bold and italic font in Table 3 turned out to be the specific qualities that were identified as matching the questions of the surveys conducted in Aggieville Academy.

Example –Section 3 -Demographics Demographic Information for Sample Student Population The sample population included 23 students who attended AVA in and for whom data was available for prior to attending AVA and for after attending AVA. There were 11 ninth graders and 12 tenth graders; 10 females and 13 males, and 6 Black, 7 Hispanic, and 10 White students as shown in Tables 5, 6, and 7.

Table 5: Grade Levels of Students FrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent Valid Total Sample Data

Sample – Summary of 3 Tables The following summary, Table 8 Demographics of the Survey Population, provides the number of participants by teachers, staff, parents and students. There were 14.6 percent teachers, 7.9 percent staff, 43.8 percent parents, and 33.7 percent students of the respondents to the School Success Surveys.

Sample – Summary Chart FrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent Teachers Staff Students Parents Total

Has AVA been successful in reducing dropouts, specifically among the minority student population? Graph 1: Comparison of Mean GPAs across Grades and Genders

Description and Analysis of Data As shown in Graph 1. Comparison of Mean GPAs across Grades and Genders above, students who attended AVA during the academic year entered from traditional school settings with a mean GPA for females of 1.58 (Grade 9) and.62 (Grade 10) as compared to a mean GPA for males of 1.32 (Grade 9) and 1.38 (Grade 10). The mean GPAs these students achieved in the year they attended AVA ( ) represented a significant gain over the mean GPAs these students achieved the prior year in in traditional school settings: Grade 9 Females moved from 1.58 to 3.00, Grade 9 Males moved from 1.32 to 2.52, Grade 10 Females moved from.62 to 2.87, and Grade 10 Males moved from 1.38 to More importantly these students maintained an increase in their mean GPAs when they returned to other traditional school settings in when compared to the mean GPAs as follows: Grade 9 Females moved from 1.58 to 2.47, Grade 9 Males moved from 1.32 to 1.44, Grade 10 Females moved from.62 to 1.75, and Grade 10 Males moved from 1.38 to The females in both grades showed the greater gains in mean GPAs than the males did.

Below are graphs depicting the GPA results by ethnic groups for , , and Graph 2: – Summary of GPAs by Ethnic Groups (B=black; H=Hispanic; W=white)

Description and Analysis of Data In , when the sample population of students were in the traditional school setting, blacks averaged a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.205, Hispanics averaged a GPA of and Whites averaged 1.528, all falling below graduation requirements.

Graph 3: – Summary of GPAs by Ethnic Groups (B=black; H=Hispanic; W=white)

Description and Analysis of Data In , when the sample population of students were in Aggieville Academy, Blacks averaged a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.815, Hispanics averaged a GPA of and Whites averaged 2.521, all are above graduation requirements.

Graph 4: – Summary of GPAs by Ethnic Groups (B=black; H=Hispanic; W=white)

Description and Analysis of Data In , when the sample population of students returned to other education settings, Blacks averaged a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.397, Hispanics averaged a GPA of and Whites averaged 1.927, Blacks and Whites falling below graduation requirements.

Graph 5: Comparison of Mean GPAs by Gender and Ethnic/Racial Breakdowns

Description and Analysis of Data In Graph 5. Comparison of Mean GPAs by Gender and Ethnic/Racial Breakdowns above, students who attended AVA during the academic year entered from traditional school settings with a mean GPA for Black females of 1.23, for Hispanic females of 1.13, and for White females of 1.25 as compared to a mean GPA for Black males of 1.16, for Hispanic males of 0.84, and for White males of The mean GPAs these students achieved in the year they attended AVA ( ) represented a significant gain over the mean GPAs these students achieved the prior year in in traditional school settings: Black Females moved from 1.23 to 3.21, Hispanic females moved from 1.13 to 2.66, White females moved from 1.25 to 3.0. Black Males moved from 1.16 to 2.03, Hispanic males moved from.84 to 2.74, and White Males moved from 1.64 to More importantly these students maintained an increase in their mean GPAs when they returned to other traditional school settings in when compared to the mean GPAs, except for Black males as follows: Black Females moved from 1.23 to 1.77, Hispanic females moved from 1.13 to 2.52, White females moved from 1.25 to Black Males moved from 1.16 to 0.66, Hispanic males moved from.84 to 1.51, and White Males moved from 1.64 to 1.82.

Summary of Data Analysis In summary, the females in all ethnic/racial groups outperformed the males on mean GPAs and the Hispanic females and White males showed the greater gains in mean GPAs than the other two groups did. Black males seemed to have greater difficulty performing in the traditional school settings than the other two ethnic/racial groups.

Report All Data Findings This format for presenting data collection findings, description of data and data analysis continues for each research question. Question 2 – state second sub-question and follow same outline as for question one. Question 3 – state third sub-question and follow same outline as for question one. Primary Research Question – state question and follow same outline as for question one.

Closing Chapter Four Chapter Four ends with a brief summary of the key findings. Highlights of Data Summary – this section gives a brief summary of the main points synthesized from the data analysis. These main points are used again in chapter five as the basis for the conclusions drawn.