Although the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) is being rapidly replaced by the third edition of the WISC, questions concerning the construct validity of the WISC-R have not yet been resolved, including the number of factors it measures and whether the same constructs fit across all age levels. This study sought to…

Despite the increasing criticism of statistical significance testing by researchers, particularly in the publication of the 1994 American Psychological Association's style manual, statistical significance test results are still popular in journal articles. For this reason, it remains important to understand the logic of inferential statistics. A…

The research process in studying narrative analysis, or story-telling, is examined, focusing on: (1) how researchers use narrative to position themselves with respect to participants in a study, (2) how researchers use conversational stories to construct and negotiate meaning, and (3) what the absence of certain stories reveals about the…

This book is intended to explain principles of qualitative research to potential researchers and to provide them with a set of tools, and guidelines for critical thinking as they carry out such research. The chapters are organized around the elements of the research process which require decisions. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2…

This manual has been produced to familiarize data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the first follow-up dropout component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Necessary documentation is also provided for use of the data files. The base-year population covered by the NELS:88 included…

A study on sampling errors of variance components was conducted within the framework of generalizability theory by P. L. Smith (1978). The study used an intuitive approach for solving the problem of how to allocate the number of conditions to different facets in order to produce the most stable estimate of the universe score variance. Optimization…

Among the different types of experimental design are two general categories: true experimental designs and quasi- experimental designs. True experimental designs include more than one purposively created group, common measured outcomes, and random assignment. Quasi-experimental designs are commonly used when random assignment is not practical or…

The accuracy of the Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure, Gibbs sampling, was considered for estimation of item and ability parameters of the one-parameter logistic model. Four data sets were analyzed to evaluate the Gibbs sampling procedure. Data sets were also analyzed using methods of conditional maximum likelihood, marginal maximum likelihood,…

Three criticisms of overreliance on results from statistical significance tests are noted. It is suggested that: (1) statistical significance tests are often tautological; (2) some uses can involve comparisons that are not completely sensible; and (3) using statistical significance tests to evaluate both methodological assumptions (e.g., the…

A pivotal theorem which is of critical importance to statistical inference in probability and statistics is the Central Limit Theorem (CLT). The theorem concerns the sampling distribution of random samples taken from a population, including population distributions that do not have to be normal distributions. This paper contains a brief history of…

Although videotape is the preferred method for recording behavior, there are many natural settings in which it is impractical or too intrusive. The ability to collect data in such settings and in real time has been enhanced by the advent of light, powerful laptop computers. This poster (with paper) describes a set of eight programs (developed in…

Statistical power in music education was examined by taking an in-depth look at quantitative articles published in the "Journal of Research in Music Education" between 1987 and 1991, inclusive. Of the 109 articles of the period, 78 were quantitative, with both parametric and nonparametric procedures considered. Sample sizes were those…

This study integrates into one comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation a vast array of previously defined and substantively interrelated research studies of the robustness of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) statistical procedures. Three sets of balanced ANOVA and ANCOVA designs (group sizes of 15, 30, and 45) and one…

An analytical procedure that uses fall kindergarten assessment data to retroactively create equivalent comparison groups for longitudinal research and evaluation studies was designed and tested, and then analytically and empirically compared with random assignment to treatment. Students entering kindergarten in Hawaii are administered the Peabody…

An external evaluation of the impact of the Australian Studies in Student Performance (ASSP) Project on schools and systems is reported. The presented chapters follow in sequence the development of ASSP. The first chapter places the Australian Project in an international context and outlines the major questions dealt with in this evaluation.…