Unit name | Multivariate Statistical Methods in Education |
---|---|
Unit code | EDUCM5507 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Leckie |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Familiarity with basic descriptive and inferential statistics and the SPSS software to the level covered in EDUCM5504 Statistics in Education / EDUCM0003 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences. Students should therefore be confident producing and interpreting standard summary statistics, data tabulations, graphs, 95% confidence intervals around sample means, t-tests and correlation coefficients. |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The unit will introduce students to a range of multivariate statistical methods widely applied in quantitative educational research. The philosophy of this course is that students will learn more by applying these methods using the SPSS software and to real education and social science datasets than by focusing solely on their underlying statistical theory. Methods covered include: analysis of variance, factor analysis, linear regression, and multilevel modelling.
The unit aims to:
Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate that they:
This unit will be taught using a blended approach consisting of a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous activities including lectures, computer practicals using SPSS software, and critical reading and discussion of published quantitative articles.
Formative assessment: Regular SPSS worksheets will be provided in which students attempt to apply the taught methods to data and to interpret the results. Annotated answers will then be provided, allowing students to check their progress.
Students will also have the opportunity to post questions and receive feedback on the unit material, SPSS and general questions about the assignment.
Summative assessment:
The summative assessment consists of a structured assignment with several sections. In each section, students will be required to identify the appropriate method for the given research question and SPSS dataset. They will then have to apply the method and associated descriptive statistics in SPSS, present the results in the format of an academic report, and give a critical interpretation of the findings, reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of their analyses, and suggest potential improvements. (4,000 words equivalent). ILOs 1-4
Field A. (2013) Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (4th Edition). London, Sage
Miles, J. & Shevlin, M. (2001). Applying Regression & Correlation: A Guide for Students and Researchers. Sage Publications Ltd.
Modules 1 to 5 of the LEMMA on-line multilevel modelling on-line course: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmm/learning/online-course/course-topics.html
Taylor, Alan (2004). A Brief Introduction to Factor Analysis. http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/psystat/other/FactorAnalysis.PDF