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A researcher is interested in investigating how teaching style—structured versus unstructured—affects the learning of vocabulary in children who are developmentally delayed, typically developing, or gifted. The researcher organizes an after-school program, and all participants are given a pretest. The program consists of 30-minute sessions two times a week for four weeks. Participants are randomly assigned to the high-structure course or the low-structure course. All courses focus on word knowledge and vocabulary. At the end of the program, the researcher assesses word knowledge for developmentally delayed, typical, and gifted students in the high-structure group, as well as developmentally delayed, typical, and gifted students in the low-structure group. The researcher is wondering whether the level of structure—high versus low—might affect the participant groups differently.

Respond to other students post with substantive responses in a minimum of 100 words each response: 

In this particular situation, the best statistical test would be that of ratio, the reason being that we will be collecting two sets of data and comparing them against each other while finding the difference in the pretest and posttest in the assessment of word knowledge at the end of the four week course. Additionally, the researcher is measuring how structured vs. unstructured teaching styles are affecting the students in the high vs. low. This means that numbers are being documented in the before and after to identify if there is any improvement in the potential number of words or vocabulary has been made. In the end, with the numbers of the two tests, the researcher would determine the efficacy by objective rather than subjective measurement. Our book states, "...type of analysis is needed when you do not have distinct groups of subjects... individuals are measured on two variables, and each variable has a range of numerical values..." (Cozby & Bates, 2015, p. 245).

The nominal could have been potentially used in a structured vs unstructured as well as high vs low or gifted vs delayed, as well, but for the fact that scores are being compared on the pretest and posttest to analyze if there is any benefit in quantitative rather than just qualitative learning. If the researcher did utilize the nominal route, it would mean that the outcome would be measured subjectively by opinion rather than comparison of the numbers of words or vocabulary that had been learned throughout the study.

Reference

         Cozy, P.C. and Bates, S.C. (2015). Methods in Behavioral Research (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill

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