In many intervention and evaluation studies, outcome variables are assessed using a multimethod approach comparing multiple groups over time. In this article, we show how evaluation data obtained from a complex multitrait-multimethod-multioccasion-multigroup design can be analyzed with structural equation models. In particular, we show how the…

Mediation analysis is a statistical approach used to examine how the effect of an independent variable on an outcome is transmitted through an intervening variable (mediator). In this article, we provide a gentle introduction to single-level and multilevel mediation analyses. Using single-level data, we demonstrate an application of structural…

As the technology-enriched learning environments and theoretical constructs involved in instructional design become more sophisticated and complex, a need arises for equally sophisticated analytic methods to research these environments, theories, and models. Thus, this paper illustrates a comprehensive approach for analyzing data arising from…

Mediation is usually assessed by a regression-based or structural equation modeling (SEM) approach that we refer to as the classical approach. This approach relies on the assumption that there are no confounders that influence both the mediator, "M", and the outcome, "Y". This assumption holds if individuals are randomly…

This report summarizes the complex research literature on quantitative methods for assessing how impacts of educational interventions on instructional practices and student learning differ across students, educators, and schools. It also provides technical guidance about the use and interpretation of these methods. The research topics addressed…

This article presents a didactic discussion of a multilevel covariance structure modeling approach to estimation of lowest level mediation effect indexes in two-level studies. The procedure is useful when addressing questions about relations among total and indirect effects between variables of interest while accounting for the hierarchical…

Describes the integration of programmatic theory and structural equation modeling to serve as the basic intellectual machinery for designing and evaluating behavioral interventions. Illustrates this integration with the example of a program to reduce sexual risk taking. (SLD)