Transcript
Educational Research: Educational Research: Instruments (“Instruments (“caveat emptorcaveat emptor”)”)
EDU 8603
Educational Research
Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.
http://freedownloadbooks.net/
Instruments…Instruments…
tools researchers use to collect data for research studies (alternatively called “tests”)
The types of instruments…The types of instruments…
2. Affective Instruments3. Projective Instruments
1. Cognitive Instruments
1. Cognitive instruments...1. Cognitive instruments...
Measure an individual’s attainment in academic areas typically used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses
Types of cognitive instruments...Types of cognitive instruments...
achievement tests…provide information about how well
the test takers have learned what they have been taught in school
…achievement is determined by comparing it to the normnorm, the performance of a national group of similar students who have taken the same test
aptitude tests…measure the intellect and abilities
not normally taught and often are used to predict future performance
…typically provide an overall score, a verbal score, and a quantitative score
2. Affective instruments...2. Affective instruments...
Measure characteristics of individuals along a number of dimensions and to assess feelings, values, and attitudes toward self, others, and a variety of other activities, institutions, and situations
Types of affective instruments...Types of affective instruments...
attitude scales…self-reports of an individual’s beliefs,
perceptions, or feelings about self, others, and a variety of activities, institutions, and situations
…frequently use Likert, semantic differential, Thurstone , or Guttman scales
values tests…measure the relative strength of an
individual’s valuing of theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political, and religious values
personality inventories…an individual’s self-report measuring
how behaviors characteristic of defined personality traits describe that individual
3. Projective instruments...3. Projective instruments...
Measure a respondent’s feelings or thoughts to an ambiguous stimulus
Primary type of projective test...Primary type of projective test...
associational tests…participants react to a stimulus
such as a picture, inkblot or word onto which they project a description
Selecting an instrument...Selecting an instrument...
2. identify and locate appropriate instruments
1. determine precisely the type of instrument needed
3. compare and analyze instruments
4. select best instrument
Instrument sources…Instrument sources…
Tests in Print
Burros’ Mental Measurements Yearbook
PRO-ED Publications Test Critiques Compendium
ETS Test Collection Database
ERIC/AE Test Review Locator
ERIC/Burros Test Publisher Directory
Rules governing the selection Rules governing the selection instruments...instruments...
2. the highest reliabilityreliability
1. the highest validityvalidity
3. the greatest ease of administration, scoring, and interpretation
4. test takers’ lack of familiarity with instrument
5. avoids potentially controversial matters
Administering the instrument...Administering the instrument...
2. ensure ideal testing environment
1. make arrangements in advance
3. be prepared for all probable contingencies
Two issues in using instruments...Two issues in using instruments...
2. ReliabilityReliability: the degree to which the instrument consistently measures what it purports to measure
1. ValidityValidity: the degree to which the instrument measures what it purports to measure
Types of validity...Types of validity...
2. Criterion-related validity3. Construct validity
1. Content validity
1. Content validityContent validity: the degree to which an instrument measures an intended content area
forms of content validityforms of content validity……sampling validitysampling validity: does the instrument
reflect the total content area?…item validityitem validity: are the items included on
the instrument relevant to the measurement of the intended content area?
2. Criterion-related validityCriterion-related validity: an individual takes two forms of an instrument which are then correlated to discriminate between those individuals who possess a certain characteristic from those who do not
forms of criterion-related validityforms of criterion-related validity……concurrent validity: the degree to which
scores on one test correlate to scores on another test when both tests are administered in the same time frame
…predictive validitypredictive validity: the degree to which a test can predict how well individual will do in a future situation
3. Construct validityConstruct validity: a series of studies validate that the instrument really measures what it purports to measure
Types of reliability...Types of reliability...
2. Equivalence
1. Stability
3. Internal consistency
1. StabilityStability (“test-retest”): the degree to which two scores on the same instrument are consistent over time
2. EquivalenceEquivalence (“equivalent forms”): the degree to which identical instruments (except for the actual items included) yield identical scores
3. Internal consistencyInternal consistency (“split-half” reliability with Spearman-Brown correction formula , Kuder-Richardson and Cronback’s Alpha reliabilities, scorer/rater reliability): the degree to which one instrument yields consistent results
Terms associated with instruments...Terms associated with instruments...
DataData……the pieces of information researchers
collect through instruments to examine a topic or hypothesis
ConstructsConstructs……abstractions of behavioral factors
that cannot be observed directly and which researchers invent to explain behavior
VariableVariable……a construct that can take on two or
more values or scores
Raw scoresRaw scores……the number of items an individual
scored on an instrument
Measurement scalesMeasurement scales……the representation of variables so
that they can be quantified
Measurement scales...Measurement scales...
1. nominal variablesQualitativeQualitative (categorical)
QuantitativeQuantitative (continuous)
2. ordinal variables
3. interval variables
4. ratio variables
1. nominalnominal (“categorical”): classifies persons or objects into two or more categories
2. ordinalordinal (“order”): classifies persons or objects and ranks them in terms of the degree to which those persons or objects possess a characteristic of interest
3. intervalinterval: ranks, orders, and classifies persons or objects according to equal differences with no true zero point
4. ratioratio: ranks, orders, classifies persons or objects according to equal differences with a true zero point
Norm referenceNorm reference……provides an indication about how one
individual performed on an instrument compared to the other students performing on the same instrument
Criterion referenceCriterion reference……involves a comparison against
predetermined levels of performance
Self referenceSelf reference……involves measuring how an
individual’s performance changes over time
OperationalizeOperationalize……the process of defining behavioral
processes that can be observed
Standard error of measurementStandard error of measurement……an estimate of how often a researcher
can expect errors of a given size on an instrument
Mini-Quiz…Mini-Quiz…
True or false…
…a large standard error of measurement indicates a high degree of reliability
false
True or false……a large standard error of
measurement indicates low reliability
true
True or false…
…most affective tests are projective
false
True or false……the primary source of test
information for educational researchers is the Burros Mental Measurements Yearbook
true
True or false……research hypotheses are usually
stated in terms of variables
true
True or false……similar to a Thurstone scale, a
Guttman scale attempts to determine whether an attitude is unidimensional
true
True or false……validity requires the collection of
evidence to support the desired interpretation
true
True or false……researchers should first consider
developing an instrument rather than utilizing a published instrument
false
True or false……a researcher’s goal is to achieve
perfect predictive validity
false
True or false……predictive validity is extremely
important for instruments that are used to classify or select individuals
true
True or false……a high validity coefficient is closer
to 1.00 than 0.00
true
True or false……norm reference and criterion
reference are synonymous terms
false
True or false……“criterion related” refers to
correlating one instrument with a second instrument; the second instrument is the criterion against with the validity of the second instrument is judged
false
True or false……a valid test is always reliable but a
reliable test is not always valid
true
True or false……it is difficult to state appropriate
reliability coefficients because reliability, like validity, is dependent upon the group being tested, i.e., groups with different characteristics will produce different reliabilities
true
True or false……content validity is not compromised
if the instrument covers topics not taught
false
Fill in the blank…
…the tendency of an individual to respond continually in a particular way
response set
Fill in the blank…
…a study which consists of two quantitative variables
correlational
Fill in the blank…
…a study which consists of one categorical and one quantitative variable
experimental or causal-comparative
Fill in the blank…
…a study which consists of two or more categorical variables
correlational or descriptive
Fill in the blank…
…data collection methods which emphasize student processes or products
performance
Fill in the blank…
…data collection methods including multiple-choice, true-false, and matching
selection
Fill in the blank……data collection methods in which
students fill in the blank, provide a short answer, or write an essay
supply
Fill in the blank…
…an instrument administered, scored, and interpreted in the same way no matter where or when it is administered
standardized
Fill in the blank…
…the term that includes the general process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information, whether formal or informal
assessment
Fill in the blank…
…a formal, systematic, usually paper-and-pencil procedure for gathering information about peoples’ cognitive and affective characteristics
test
Fill in the blank…
…the degree to which individuals seek out or participate in particular activities, objects, and ideas
interests
Fill in the blank…
…also called “temperament,” the characteristics representing an individual’s typical behaviors and describes what individual do in their natural life circumstances
personality
Fill in the blank…
…things individuals feel favorable or unfavorable about; the tendency to accept or reject groups, ideas, or objects
attitudes
Fill in the blank…
…deeply held beliefs about ideas, persons, or objects
values
Fill in the blank…
…requires administering the predictor instruments to a different sample from the same population and developing a new equation
cross-validation
Which type of test…
personality inventory
…Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Which type of test…
achievement test
…Stanford-Binet
Which type of test…
interest inventory
…Strong Campbell
Which type of test…
achievement test
…SRA Survey of Basic Skills
Which type of test…
aptitude test
…Weschler Intelligence Scales
Which type of test…
achievement test
…Gates-McGinitie Reading Test
Which type of test…
aptitude test
…Otis-Lennon School Ability Test
Which type of test…
interest inventory
…Kuder Occupational
Which type of test…
projective
…Rorschach Inkblot Test
Which type of test…
personality inventory
…Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator
Which type of test…
achievement test
…Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Which type of test…
projective
…Thematic Apperception Test
Which type of validity…
content
…compares the content of the test to the domain being measured
Which type of validity…
predictive
…Graduate Record Examination
Which type of validity…
criterion-related
…correlates scores from one instrument to scores on a criterion measure, either at the same or different time
Which type of validity…
construct
…amasses convergent, divergent, and content-related evidence to determine that the presumed construct is what is being measured
Which type of reliability…
stability (test-retest)
…scores on one instrument are consistent over time
Which type of reliability…
scorer/rater
…the extent to which independent scorers or a single scorer over time agree on the scoring of an open-ended instrument
Which type of reliability…
equivalence and stability
…scores correlate between similar version of an instrument given at different times
Which type of reliability…
equivalence (alternate forms)
…scores correlate between two versions of a test that are intended to be equivalent
Which type of reliability…
internal consistency
…the extent to which items included on an instrument are similar to one another in content
Which type of response scale…
semantic differential
…an individual gives a quantitative rating to a topic where each position on the continuum has an associated score value
Which type of response scale…
Likert
…value points are assigned to a participant’s responses to a series of statements
Which type of response scale…
Thurstone
…participants select from a list of statements that represent differing points of view from those which participations agree
This module has focused on...This module has focused on...
…which describes the procedures researchers use to select individuals to participate in a study
instruments
The next module will focus on...The next module will focus on...
...the tools researchers use to gather data for a study
qualitative research
top related