SW

Statistical analysis software such as SPSS is a valuable tool that helps researchers perform complex calculations. However, to use such a tool effectively, the study must be well designed. The social worker must understand the study’s purpose and select the most appropriate design. The social worker must correctly represent the relationship being examined and the variables involved. Finally, they must enter those variables correctly into the software package. 

In this Assignment, you analyze in detail the decisions made in the Chi-Square case study and the relationship between study design and statistical analysis.

To Prepare

• Access the Social Work Case Studiesmedia and navigate to the Chi-Square case study.  
• As you again review the case, this time focus on the purpose of the evaluation, the choice of a chi-square statistic, and the research design. Consider what the statistical results indicate about the program. 

By Day 7

Submit a 1-page  analyzing the relationship between study design and statistical analysis used in the case study. 

• Explain why you think that the agency created a plan to evaluate the program.
• Explain why the social work agency chose to use a chi-square statistic to evaluate whether there is a difference between those who participated in the program and those who did not. (Hint: Think about the level of measurement of the variables.)
• Describe the research design in terms of observations (O) and interventions (X) for each group.
• Interpret the chi-square output data and provide support for your interpretation. (Hint: Review the value.) What do the data say about the program?

Learning Resources

Required Readings

• Dudley, J. R. (2020). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do  (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
  
  • Chapter 10, “Analyzing Evaluation Data” (pp. 255–275)
• Flannelly, K. J., Flannelly, L. T., & Jankowski, K. R. B. (2018). Threats to the internal validity of experimental and quasi-experimental research in healthcare. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy , 24 (3), 107–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2017.1421019
• Document: A Short Course in Statistics(PDF)

Required Media

• Walden University, LLC. (2022). Social work case studies  [Interactive media]. https://waldenu.instructure.com
  
  • Navigate to the Chi-Square case study.