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Articles 1 - 19 of 19

Full-Text Articles in Other Statistics and Probability

Exploring The Impact Of Statistics Course Modality On Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Becky Kelleman Nov 2025

Exploring The Impact Of Statistics Course Modality On Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Becky Kelleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of statistical literacy has become increasingly evident, as individuals grapple with interpreting statistics to inform critical decisions. Despite the recognized significance of statistical literacy, challenges persist in both educators’ and students’ efforts to navigate the complexities of statistics education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of different course modalities on undergraduate students’ academic performance in introductory statistics courses. Using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework, this research aims to shed light on the complex dynamics influencing statistical literacy attainment. By addressing gaps and inconsistencies in the current literature, this study seeks to …


Meditation In Qualitative Research For Bracketing And Beyond, Katalin Grajzel Jan 2025

Meditation In Qualitative Research For Bracketing And Beyond, Katalin Grajzel

Research Methods and Statistics: Graduate Student Scholarship

In this study, I recounted my experience using mantra meditation during a phenomenological study for the purposes of bracketing. The efficacy and purpose of bracketing have been debated from Husserl (1931), whose aimed was to achieve objectivity, to Heidegger (1962) who advocated for immersion of the researcher, through the French school (Merleau-Ponty, 1964) of middle ground, by whom bracketing was seen as the process to unearth and suspend biases for the better understanding of participants’ experiences (Arsel, 2017; Creswell & Creswell, 2017; Creswell & Poth, 2016; Fischer & Guzel, 2023). In this study, however, I propose another approach to bracketing …


Evaluating Trauma-Informed Design In A Mental Health Setting: A Community-Based Research Case Study, Marie Spence Nov 2024

Evaluating Trauma-Informed Design In A Mental Health Setting: A Community-Based Research Case Study, Marie Spence

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study utilized a community-based research framework to explore how the Trauma-Informed Design framework can be implemented in a mental health setting. This study focused on the site of Empower Therapy Practice, a private mental health practice in the Denver Metro Area, to engage clients and staff to participate in advisory boards and inform the interior design of a new office space. To explore the application of Trauma-Informed Design, participants engaged in a variety of research activities, including an evaluative questionnaire, Photovoice, and focus group. Advisory board members identified various aspects of Trauma-Informed Design which meaningfully translate to therapeutic …


The Naked Truth Of My Voice: Surveying The Soul Of An Aspiring Educator From Dusk To Dawn: An Arts-Based Auto-Criticism Inquiry, Siddharth Maan Aug 2024

The Naked Truth Of My Voice: Surveying The Soul Of An Aspiring Educator From Dusk To Dawn: An Arts-Based Auto-Criticism Inquiry, Siddharth Maan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is based on auto-criticism, a new qualitative inquiry that combines educational criticism and arts-based research. It focuses on my own experiences as an aspiring educator who struggles with stuttering and public speaking anxiety. The study aims to describe, interpret, evaluate, and thematize my experiences of dealing with public speaking anxiety and stuttering before, during, and after classroom teaching. In addition, this dissertation highlights the potential contributions of auto-criticism as a methodology to qualitative research and higher education. I utilized journaling to document data. Photos and music were also used to enhance the understanding of my lived experiences and …


Comparing The Preparation Of Youth Services Librarians To Their On-The-Ground Experiences: A Grounded Theory Study Incorporating Criticism And Connoisseurship, Anne Holland Jun 2024

Comparing The Preparation Of Youth Services Librarians To Their On-The-Ground Experiences: A Grounded Theory Study Incorporating Criticism And Connoisseurship, Anne Holland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the on-the-ground preparation of youth services librarians, in contrast to their professional training in Master’s of Library Science (MLIS) programs. Classic Grounded Theory was the predominant methodology for this qualitative study, and elements of Criticism and Connoisseurship were also utilized. Document review, interviews, and journaling activities with ten participants were the primary methods of data collection. Key findings from this dissertation include a grounded theory explaining the current state of preparation for youth services librarianship, and multiple avenues for further study.


Extending The Utility Of Ant Colony Optimization Through The Incorporation Of An Intraclass Correlation Coefficient To Assess For Rater Consistency, Mark Leveling Jun 2024

Extending The Utility Of Ant Colony Optimization Through The Incorporation Of An Intraclass Correlation Coefficient To Assess For Rater Consistency, Mark Leveling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a flexible algorithm designed to solve complex combinatorial problems. While the method was derived from the behavior of ants by researchers in the field of computer science, its application to solving complex combinatorial problems is widespread in a growing number of fields in behavioral science, including psychometrics. Over the last two decades, psychometricians have adapted ACO to measurement model specification problems with the intention of generating measurement models that express measurement model fit and reliability within the standards of what is considered acceptable. Additionally, psychometricians have used ACO to generate shortened versions of existing measures …


Phenomenological Inquiry Into Middle School Teachers’ Perception Of Creativity, Katalin Grajzel Mar 2024

Phenomenological Inquiry Into Middle School Teachers’ Perception Of Creativity, Katalin Grajzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers do agree that creativity is an ability that can be developed and should be fostered (Guilford, 1958; Parnes, 1961). Teachers play an important role in creativity development and often serve as gatekeepers to identify gifted and talented students (Bianco et al., 2011; Novak & Jones, 2021; Schack & Starko, 1990). However, teachers’ judgment of their students’ creativity often only correlates weakly with the results of creativity measures (Kettler et al., 2018; Torrance, 1963). Therefore, in this study I explored teachers’ perception of creativity and creative students as well as factors that support or hinder creativity. The findings revealed that …


The Use Of Regularization To Detect Racial Inequities In Pay Equity Studies: An Empirical Study And Reflections On Regulation Methods, Christopher M. Peña Nov 2023

The Use Of Regularization To Detect Racial Inequities In Pay Equity Studies: An Empirical Study And Reflections On Regulation Methods, Christopher M. Peña

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the late 1970s, multiple linear regression has been the preferred method for identifying discrimination in pay. An empirical study on this topic was conducted using quantitative critical methods. A literature review first examined conflicting views on using multiple linear regression in pay equity studies. The review found that multiple linear regression is used so prevalently in pay equity studies because the courts and practitioners have widely accepted it and because of its simplicity and ability to parse multiple sources of variance simultaneously. Commentaries in the literature cautioned about errors in model specification, the use of tainted variables, and the …


Expanding The Network Evaluation Toolkit: Combining Social Network Analysis & Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Debbie Gowensmith Jan 2022

Expanding The Network Evaluation Toolkit: Combining Social Network Analysis & Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Debbie Gowensmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collective action networks are complex systems of interrelated individuals or groups that come together for a common social change purpose (Ernstson, 2011). Researchers have used social network analysis (SNA) to examine the relationship structures and characteristics of collective action networks. However, determining whether collective action networking produces outcomes has been challenging because networks are complex, affected by context, and produce interdependent data. I addressed these challenges by pairing SNA with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a configurational comparative method. Using QCA, researchers can tease out which conditions are necessary or sufficient to produce an outcome. I analyzed a collective action network …


Using The Fraction Of Missing Information (Fmi) In Selecting Auxiliary Variables To Impute Missingness In Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Cfa), Dareen Taha Alzahrani Jan 2022

Using The Fraction Of Missing Information (Fmi) In Selecting Auxiliary Variables To Impute Missingness In Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Cfa), Dareen Taha Alzahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using the fraction of missing information (FMI) to select auxiliary variables in imputing missing data in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). This was done by conducting two studies (a simulation study and an empirical study). A Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to compare the performance and the effect of the restrictive strategy based on FMI and the inclusive strategy on parameter estimate bias and parameter estimate efficiency. The missing data mechanisms, missing data proportion, correlation strength between the analysis variables and auxiliary variables, and the inclusive and restrictive strategies were assessed in …


Examining The Credibility Of Story-Based Causal Methodologies, Megan E. Kauffmann Jan 2022

Examining The Credibility Of Story-Based Causal Methodologies, Megan E. Kauffmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how evaluators justify using story-based methodologies when examining causality. The two primary research questions of the study included: 1) what arguments are made by evaluators to justify the credibility of story-based causal methodologies to evaluation stakeholders; and 2) from the perspective of evaluators, how do contextual factors influence whether story-based causal methodologies are perceived as credible by evaluation stakeholders? A case study was conducted to examine the cases of four evaluators who had experience implementing a story-based methodology in an evaluation. Data collection procedures included two interviews with each participant and a …


Moving Past ‘One Size Fits All’: Developing A Trajectory Deviance Index For Dynamic Measurement Modeling, Yixiao Dong Jan 2021

Moving Past ‘One Size Fits All’: Developing A Trajectory Deviance Index For Dynamic Measurement Modeling, Yixiao Dong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic Measurement Modeling (DMM) is a recently developed measurement framework for gauging developing constructs (e.g., learning capacity) that conventional single-timepoint tests cannot assess. Like most measurement models, overall model fit indices of DMM do not indicate the measurement appropriateness for each included student. For this reason, other measurement modeling paradigms (e.g., Item-Response Theory; IRT) utilize person-fit or model appropriateness statistics to indicate whether a measurement model appropriately describes the data from each individual student. However, within the extant DMM framework, no statistical index has yet been developed for this purpose. Thus, the current project advanced a person-specific DMM Trajectory Deviance …


Statistical Modeling Of Positive Peer Support On Longitudinal Adolescent Substance Use, Kady Rost Jan 2021

Statistical Modeling Of Positive Peer Support On Longitudinal Adolescent Substance Use, Kady Rost

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To evaluate this study’s research question of ”Does the latent construct of Positive Peer Support (PPS) relate to the construct of Adolescent Substance Use (ASU) over time, controlling for neighborhood safety, race, and sex?”, Structural Equation (SEM) and Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM) were used to investigate trajectories. Secondary longitudinal data from Zimmerman (2014) of 604 students enrolled for four consecutive years in public schools located in Flint, Michigan. In the secondary data resource, students who participated were declared “at risk” by GPA. Significant relationships were found in SEM: Positive Peer Support to Adolescent Substance Use, All Control Variables to …


Use Of Research Tradition And Design In Program Evaluation: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Of Practitioners’ Methodological Choices, Margaret Schultz Patel Jan 2021

Use Of Research Tradition And Design In Program Evaluation: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Of Practitioners’ Methodological Choices, Margaret Schultz Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this explanatory sequential mixed method study was to assess whether there were observable trends, associations, or group differences in evaluation methodology by settings and content area in published evaluations from the past ten years (quantitative), to illuminate how evaluation practitioners selected these methodologies (qualitative), and assess how emergent findings from each phase fit together or helped contextualize each other. In this study, methodology was operationalized as research tradition and method was operationalized as research design. For phase one (quantitative), a systematized ten-year review of five peer-reviewed evaluation journals was conducted and coded by journal, research tradition, research …


Assessing The Variations Of Educational Attainment At National And Subnational Levels Using Hierarchical Linear Models, Bingxin Qi Jan 2021

Assessing The Variations Of Educational Attainment At National And Subnational Levels Using Hierarchical Linear Models, Bingxin Qi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education is a human right, and equal access to education is not only crucial for an individual’s well-being, but also essential for eradicating poverty, ensuring long-term prosperity for all, transforming the society, and achieving sustainable development. Measuring education development, especially the variations of educational attainment, in a timely and accurate manner can help educators, practitioners, scientists, and policymakers compare and evaluate various education indicators at both subnational and national levels. This research presents an approach that combines multi-source and multidimensional data including population distribution, human settlement, and education data to assess and explore educational attainment trajectories at both national and …


A Grounded Theory Inquiry Into The Pedagogical Socialization Of Graduate Students Within Graduate Quantitative Methods Courses, Amanda Kay Thomas Jan 2021

A Grounded Theory Inquiry Into The Pedagogical Socialization Of Graduate Students Within Graduate Quantitative Methods Courses, Amanda Kay Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quantitative methods are one of the most highly technical fields of study within social sciences graduate programs. Although classroom pedagogy is an important factor connected to student success within graduate quantitative methods courses little is known on the pedagogical socialization experiences of masters and doctoral students. The purpose of this grounded theory inquiry was to discover graduate students perspectives on their pedagogical socialization experiences and the norms, values and role expectations transmitted during the teaching and learning of quantitative methods. Narrative data was collected from in-depth interviews among a theoretical sample of 31 masters and doctoral students enrolled in introductory, …


The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Behavioral Outcomes, Jennifer Thomas Jan 2020

The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Behavioral Outcomes, Jennifer Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study intends to explore the intersection of two vulnerable populations, early childhood development and risks associated with exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This study examines how age plays a role in the long-term relationship between ACEs and internal and external behaviors. This study seeks to answer the question of: How does age influence the relationship between number of ACEs and internal and external behaviors? The participants in this study include those aged 0 – 16 from the National Survey of Child and adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) dataset. The NSCAW study consists of five waves of data where Wave I …


Comprehensive Research Synthesis: An Approach To Mixed Methods Research Syntheses, Lilian Linialy Chimuma Jan 2020

Comprehensive Research Synthesis: An Approach To Mixed Methods Research Syntheses, Lilian Linialy Chimuma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mixed methods research synthesis (MMRS) is an emerging application of both mixed-methods research (MMR) and review research. MMRS promises to comprehensively address intricate contemporary research and evaluation questions given diverse evidence sources (across quantitative, qualitative, and MMR primary studies). The significance of concurrently addressing methodological issues for new research developments is widely noted in the literature. Current efforts attempt to streamline methodological practices along with application of the MMRS approach. Researchers have proposed conceptual frameworks to guide the application and practice of MMRS studies. Despite these efforts, complications and disagreements persist. In response to these concerns, this study developed a …


Parental Involvement, Students' Self-Engagement, And Academic Achievement: A Structural Equation Model, Cuirong Wu Jun 2015

Parental Involvement, Students' Self-Engagement, And Academic Achievement: A Structural Equation Model, Cuirong Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the ever-evolving landscape of China's education system, the gap between the rural and urban was always an important issue, not only the multifaceted interplay of parental involvement, student self-engagement, and academic performance. This study utilized a comprehensive national survey dataset through a thorough understanding of cultural nuances and educational intricacies specific to the Chinese context. Its aim was not only to decipher the underlying constructs of parental involvement and student self-engagement but also to investigate how these factors impacted academic achievement among students. The research unfolded in several stages using a representative sample of 10750 students from 112 schools …