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ERIC Number: EJ1402272
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1934-5747
EISSN: EISSN-1934-5739
Available Date: N/A
Conjuring Power from a Theory of Change: The PWRD Method for Trials with Anticipated Variation in Effects
Timothy Lycurgus; Ben B. Hansen; Mark White
Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, v16 n4 p707-733 2023
We present an aggregation scheme that increases power in randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiments when the intervention possesses a robust and well-articulated theory of change. Intervention studies using longitudinal data often include multiple observations on individuals, some of which may be more likely to manifest a treatment effect than others. An intervention's theory of change provides guidance as to which of those observations are best situated to exhibit that treatment effect. Our power-maximizing weighting for repeated-measurements with delayed-effects scheme, PWRD aggregation, converts the theory of change into a test statistic with improved asymptotic relative efficiency, delivering tests with greater statistical power. We illustrate this method on an IES-funded cluster randomized trial testing the efficacy of a reading intervention designed to assist early elementary students at risk of falling behind their peers. The salient theory of change holds program benefits to be delayed and non-uniform, experienced after a student's performance stalls. In this instance, the PWRD technique's effect on power is found to be comparable to that of doubling the number of clusters in the experiment.
Descriptors:
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Related Records: ED625397
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS); Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1646108; R305A120811; R305D210029
Author Affiliations: N/A