Intro to Quantitative Education Research Methods

Wednesday 1:30pm-4:00pm UMC 247

Mini Workshop

Convener

Tim Shipley, Temple University

This session is for those who want to increase their ability to conduct education research and to evaluate published research. Participants will have a chance to learn about principles of statistical testing and interpretation, limitations on interpretation, current concerns about false positives in research reports, and will have time to work on application to research plans. This session is intended to complement but not require the research design workshop.

Goals

Understand when to use the most common statistical tests (t-test, ANOVA, Correlation)
Understand the difference between significance level, power, effect size
Understand how to minimize false positive results
Practice aligning statistical tests to research questions

Program

1:30 Welcome

1:40 Survey participants for areas of research interest

1:45 Statistical testing

Important concepts (variability, significance level, power, effect size)

Common statistical tests (t-test, ANOVA, Correlation)

Integrating design and statistical testing

2:30 Small group practice

2:30-3:00 Comparing tests within a group

3:00-3:30 Comparing groups

3:30-3:45 Group discussion of observations and potential pitfalls in making inferences from statistical results

3:45 Discussion of possible statistical approaches to education research of interest to the group (e.g., how to test the effectiveness of a teaching idea)

4:00 Complete workshop survey

4:15 Adjourn