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Reply to other classmates’ threads, providing commentary, feedback, suggested reading, or questions for consideration. Reply must be 200 words and provide 1 reference in APA format.

Student 1 Response

Single-Subject Design Top of Form

I feel that students can be validly studied by looking at various individual student documents like progress reports and interns, report cards, or individualized education plan (IEP) and 504s. The aforementioned documents can be analyzed to create a valid narrative of student achievement. Check and Schutt (2012) state that single-subject research design (also called single-case or single-system designs) can focus on a single participant (p. 214) Single-subject participants can include individual classrooms or individual schools as opposed to group entities.

Single-subject designs consists of at least three phases to include repeated measurement, baseline phase and treatment phase. The basis for intervention, successful implementation and modifications for the student or individual classroom must adhere to some form of measurement or assessment. Check and Schutt (2012) wrote that successful measurement of the targeted problem must occur prior to implementation and continue throughout the process. However, threats to validity does exist in the single-subject study. Thus. the repeated baseline measurements help decrease validity threats (Check & Schutt, 2012). When emerged into any setting, there must be a sense of control and awareness of the students, environment, and data-driven processes to ensure student, classroom and teacher success. The more data collected about the problem over time creates a traceable baseline pattern with the ultimate goal of a stable line because of its ability to build confidence in the process and detect changes (Check & Schutt, 2012).  Identifying changes within the student or classroom creates a foundation for measurement that can be used to determine growth. For example, Virginia utilize standards of learnings (SOLs) to determine overall growth but pretests, posttests, chapter tests and benchmarks create data-driven information that can be used to modify the teacher’s instructions, delivery method and student instruction.

Continuity and consistency are the key to ensuring single-subject validity. Check and Schutt (2012) acknowledges that casual invalidity can take place due to the time lapse between gathering baseline data and intervention data. As studied in previous chapters, there must be consent and assent when dealing with minors and complete transparency about the research process from start to finish. Careful evaluation of the learning process and monitoring the individual students or individual classrooms can yield better data-driven teacher practices and student achievement (Check & Schutt, 2012). While teachers tend to be compassionate and follow their hearts, the Lord will direct their steps (Proverbs, 16:9, King James Version, 1769/2017).  Hence with the Lord and the steps of the single-subject research, successful research can be achieved.              

References

Check, J., & Schutt, R. (2012).  Research methods in education. SAGE Publishing, Inc.

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

Bottom of Form

Student 2 Response

Single Subject DesignTop of Form

Check and Schutt (2012) explained teachers can use single-subject research designs to validly study an individual student.  Single-subject research designs focus on a single participant and are useful for measuring educational interventions at all levels and in many situations.  Single-subject research designs focus on an intervention, taking preintervention measurements, providing the intervention, taking additional measurements, and making decisions about the efficacy of the intervention (Check & Schutt, 2012).  

Single-subject research designs are not only used to evaluate practice but to also monitor progress of a single class or student.  Single-subject research designs include the following: (1) repeated measurement to identify the subject’s status, (2) a baseline phase, and (3) a treatment phase (Check & Schutt, 2012).  

Single-subject research designs require the repeated measurement of a dependent variable.  The dependent variable is the focus of the intervention or the target problem (Check & Schutt, 2012).  Measures of the target problem should take place prior to implementing the intervention. 

Check and Schutt (2012) explained the baseline phase, in a single-subject research design, is the period in which the intervention to be evaluated is not offered to the subject.  During the baseline phase, repeated baseline measurements are taken until a pattern emerges.  A minimum of three measures are required in the baseline phase.  

The treatment phase represents the time period during which the intervention is implemented (Check & Schutt, 2012).  Repeated measurements of the same dependent variable using the same measures are obtained during the treatment phase.  The patterns and magnitude of the data points are compared to the data points in the baseline phase to determine if there was a change.

Check and Schutt (2012) listed three questions to be considered about measurement to ensure validity of a single-subject research design.  These three questions are: (a) what should be measured, (b) how it should be measured, and (c) who will do the measuring.  The dependent variable in a single-subject research design is the issue that is the focus of intervention (Check & Schutt, 2012).  Once the target of the intervention has been identified, the researcher must determine how the outcome will be operationalized.   Considering who will collect the data is important to consider.  A problem in gathering data is reflectivity.  Reflectivity is wanting measures that do not influence the responses that people provide (Check & Schutt, 2012).  

Single-subject research designs can be used as a research tool, as a method to assess instructional or behavioral outcomes, and as a tool to monitor student progress.  Check and Schutt (2012) explained the goal of a research experiment is to test the efficacy of an intervention to enhance educational knowledge about what works.  The focus of practice evaluation is to describe the effectiveness of the intervention and the purpose of monitoring is to keep track of a student’s progress (Check & Schutt, 2012).  

The use of single-subject research designs helps to validity study an individual student.  Single-subject research designs are useful to understanding the process of change and how change occurs with students.  As I think about single-subject research designs I think of Proverbs 3:13 (English Standard Version), “Blessed is one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.”

 

Reference

Check, J., & Schutt, R. (2012).  Research methods in education. SAGE Publishing, Inc.Bottom of Form