Results from two Monte Carlo studies in item response theory (comparisons of computer item analysis programs and Bayes estimation procedures) are analyzed with inferential methods to illustrate the procedures' strengths. It is recommended that researchers in item response theory use both descriptive and inferential methods to analyze Monte Carlo…

Studied the impact of changes in item difficulty on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) estimates over time through a Monte Carlo study that simulated the responses of 1990 NAEP mathematics respondents to 1990 and 1996 NAEP mathematics items. Results support the idea that these changes have not affected the NAEP trend line.…

Researchers, journal editors, textbook authors, and those responsible for writing publication manuals must work together to enhance the thoughtful reporting of statistical results and to make clear the necessity for reporting effect sizes. (SLD)

Suggests that researchers should report the results of appropriate significance tests and the effect sizes associated with each test. Discusses the roles of textbook authors, publication manuals, and journal editors in leading the movement to better statistical reporting. (SLD)

Documents the recent use of one-tailed F-tests in communication journals, and examines the arguments both for and against their use. Examines the use of these tests within the broader unresolved controversy surrounding the use of one-tailed tests. Recommends that future researchers should most often avoid one-tailed Fs, and generally exercise…

Since the 1993 APA task force of the Society of Clinical Psychology developed guidelines to apply data-based psychology to the identification of effective psychotherapy, there has been an increasing number of texts focussing on Empirically based Psychotherapy and Empirically Supported Treatments. This manuscript examines recent key texts and…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review research published by Educational Administration Quarterly (EAQ) during the past 10 years to determine if confidence intervals and effect sizes were being reported as recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual. Research Design: The author examined 49 volumes of…

Multilevel models are proven tools in social research for modeling complex, hierarchical systems. In multilevel modeling, statistical inference is based largely on quantification of random variables. This paper distinguishes among three types of random variables in multilevel modeling--model disturbances, random coefficients, and future response…

There is much research that documents what many teachers know, that students struggle with many concepts in probability and statistics. This article presents two sample activities the authors use to help preservice teachers develop ideas about how they can use technology to promote their students' ability to understand mathematics and connect…

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…

Sixty-seven educational research journals were investigated to determine the frequency of usage of inferential statistical techniques therein. The most frequently used statistical methodologies in the literature reviewed, which utilized inferential approaches, are the following: analysis of variance, correlation, t-test, multiple analysis of…

An on-going study is examining a method proposed by S. Goetz and D. Debertin for estimating demand for educational attainment at the county level by using secondary data. The method produces compact information showing the relationship between employment, occupation, and educational attainment, information not available at the county level. The…

This collection of activities is designed to show how graphing calculators can be used to explore statistics. The activities address such topics as data representation, distributions, and statistical tests. Teaching notes and calculator instructions are included as are blackline masters. (MM)

Describes a technique for statistically comparing bibliometric models and illustrates its use with two examples using Lotka's hypothesis of author productivity and one example using library circulation frequencies. Topics discussed include nested statistical models, analysis of variance, regression, log-linear models, and the likelihood ratio…

This paper argues that judgment-based assessment of data from multiply replicated single-subject or small-N studies should replace normative-based (p=less than 0.05) assessment of large-N research in the clinical sciences, and asserts that inferential statistics should be abandoned as a method of evaluating clinical research data. (Author/JDD)