Reference no: EM132220133

Experimental Design and Analysis Assessment -

Part 1 - Partial Research Report

Scenario - The High School Board of Studies (HSBoS) has become concerned over the attrition rates for high schools in the area. Much research has been published in the US about the risk factors related to high school drop out rates, so the HSBoS has decided to conduct a pilot study (a small initial study) to determine if these risk factors are present in New South Wales High Schools as well.

If these risk factors are present, they may be responsible for the recent increase in dropout rates. The good news however from the point of view of the HSBoS is that most of the risk factors identified by the research can be ameliorated or avoided - but first they must be identified.

The US research identifies the following risk factors as related to increased rates of dropping out of high school

• Low Perceived Quality of School
• Low Caregiver Engagement with School
• Low Grades
• Absenteeism

Following the research designs of the US studies, the HSBOS plans to calculate an mean OVERALL risk factor score for each of the two participating schools. These overall risk factor scores will be correlated with drop out rates in a later study.

Two high schools from the local area are chosen to participate in the initial study and just as luck would have it the chosen schools are Summertown High and Winterfield Grammar. This sends Principal Foster into a spin - she certainly doesn't want her school to have a significantly higher overall risk factor than her nemesis Principal Fortescue's school - Winterfield Grammar!

On receiving the news that Summertown High will be part of the pilot study, Principal Foster quickly logs into PsychInfo to search for journal articles regarding high school drop out risk factors in an attempt to see if she can somehow predict the outcome of this initial study by the HSBOS. Her preliminary readings confirm the HSBOS's research measures - the risk factors the HSBOS identified are indeed associated in the literature with increased drop out rates.

Principal Foster thinks quickly about how her students may rate on the risk factors. Firstly, the successes of the drama students and wrestling team surely would have increased morale and good will towards the school - wouldn't they? Secondly, being a performing arts high school, there are a myriad of practical and vocational classes. Thirdly, the significant adults and caregivers in the students' lives are very proactive within the school - helping in the canteen, making sets and costumes etc., that's got to indicate high levels of engagement.

Principal Foster is beginning to grow in confidence and quickly returns to her research. Principal Foster identifies another three risk factors strongly associated with high school drop out rates that the HSBOS did not include in their study variables. These are, gender (males have higher drop out rates than females); low involvement in extra curricular activities; and affinity with the high school attended (E.g., whether the high school is attended by default because it is the local high school, whether the high school was chosen by a significant adult, or chosen by the student themselves as a school that meets their requirements/fulfils an interest).

Based on her research and the scores required by the HSBOS, Principle Foster is confident that the Summertown High students will NOT have a higher overall total risk factor score than Winterfield Grammar.

With renewed enthusiasm, Principal Foster sets out to administer the tests required by the HSBOS to calculate an overall risk factor score. The HSBOS provide her and Principal Fortescue with the following instructions;

At the end of the 2018 School Year

1. Randomly select 24 Year 9 students to participate.

2. Administer the Perceived Quality of School Scale (scored out of 100) and then the Caregiver Engagement Inventory (scored out of 100).

3. Calculate overall grade percentage for each student in the sample based on final exam results across all subjects for the 2016 School Year (out of /100).

4. Calculate the percentage of days each student in the sample was absent for the 2016 School Year (out of /100)

5. Calculate each student's Overall Risk Factor Score (out of /100).

For Part 1, your task is to create a directional hypothesis from the Research Scenario provided. That is, come up with the research question (directional) that you think Principal Foster's research and theorising would predict.

Part 2 - Design Flaws

Identify potential design flaws and/or problems with the procedure that might affect interpretation of the results - at least four issues should be highlighted. You should go beyond issues of sample size and focus on issues with the study that may result in interpretation errors (drawing incorrect conclusions) or testing errors (producing an incorrect result or data that is unreliable).

HINT: Think deeply about how we tested our hypothesis - did our design allow us to answer our research question fully? Also, look at the procedure and how we manipulated our variables, were there any problems? Don't necessarily limit yourself to only four issues if you can identify more, but four major issues are likely to score more marks than six minor issues. You can use point form but you must fully explain each of your design flaws.

Part 3 - Design Effects

Scenario - Mr Boris who teaches the Chemical Special Effects for the Theatre class (and has been teaching at Summertown High for 30 years), is tired of the chemical spills and explosions that keep happening in his classes. They are getting so bad that next year Principal Foster has threatened to deduct the cost of replacing any more equipment directly from his wages. Further, Mr Boris is tired of parents complaining that they have to buy yet another school jumper because there are burn holes in the current one!

Mr Boris already has a topic called Knowledge of Burn Treatment and Evacuation Procedures but it seems the students forget what to do when incidents occur or perhaps cannot remember the chemical compounds likely to result in small explosions or fires? Mr Boris begins to wonder if it is not incompetence around chemicals but a memory problem the students have?

Suddenly Mr Boris remembers an infomercial he saw the night he came home from the Summertown Staff Christmas Party, that advertised a set of CDs on memory training. These CDs were available to purchase in 10 easy payments of $9.99 - a bargain when Mr Boris considers the price of the equipment and furniture he may be forced to replace! Mr Boris gets on the Internet and goes to Homeshop Ltd. and orders his copy. The CDs arrive just in time for the new school year.

The memory programme by famous cognitive psychologist Dr Drack Ular claims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of memory and all you have to do is complete a memory activity each week for the length of the school year. Mr Boris thinks this is worth trying and he administers a standardized memory test in the first week of class.

Mr Boris then diligently gives 39 Year 9 students Dr Ular's set memory tasks at the same time each Friday for the length of the school year. At the end of the year, Mr Boris then re-administers the memory test to see in there has indeed been an improvement. The memory test is an accepted measure of memory and is scored /100. A high score indicates good memory performance and a low score indicates poor memory performance.

Question 1 - What statistical analysis would you use to analyse the data from this design, and why? (Approximately 50 words)

Question 2 - Explain why each of the factors below can (or cannot) be ruled out as a threat to the internal validity of any conclusions Mr Boris and the experimenter may seek to draw.

For each answer,

1. Define the term (using one or more references)

2. State whether the effect can or cannot be ruled out

3. Present an argument /reasoning as to why (or why not) the effect can be ruled out.

You can use e-Topic notes, alongside any additional resources, to complete this question. See also the marking criteria for further details.

a) History effects (Approximately 50 - 70 words)

b) Maturation effects (Approximately 50 - 70 words)

c) Mortality effects (Approximately 50 - 70 words)

d) Regression to the mean (Approximately 50 - 70 words)

e) Testing effects (Approximately 50 - 70 words)

Question 3 - Use the data (in attached file) conduct the appropriate analysis, then write the entire Results section for this experimental finding (No more than 200 words).

Attachment:- Assignment File.rar