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Chapter 11

Learning Objectives

Revised - 5 December 2005

Outline Content | External Web Sites | Assignments


  1. Explain why probability is a concern when conducting educational research.
  2. State the purpose of inferential statistics.
  3. Differentiate sampling error from measurement error. Describe the relevance of both to inferential statistics.
  4. Define the term null hypothesis and describe its role in inferential statistics.
  5. Define the term level of significance5.1 and describe5.2 its use in inferential statistics. Describe the formats used to report the level of significance associated with an inferential test.
  6. Explain the difference between Type I and Type II errors. 7.1
  7. Explain the meaning of the term statistically significant. Differentiate statistical significance from educational (i.e., practical) significance, and describe the ways researchers report the latter.
  8. Explain the logic of inferential testing.
  9. Identify situations in which you would use a t-test. Differentiate independent samples from dependent samples.
  10. Identify situations in which you would use a one factor ANOVA. Describe the purpose of post-hoc analyses and planned comparisons. Identify five post-hoc procedures.
  11. Differentiate a one factor ANOVA from a factorial ANOVA. Define the terms main effect and interaction effect.
  12. Identify the unique characteristics of ANCOVA. Define the term covariate.
  13. Describe the unique characteristics of MANOVA.
  14. Explain the difference between parametric and non-parametric tests. Identify situations in which you would use a Chi-Square test.
  15. Interpret the inferential analyses15.1 f15.3ound in a research report in terms of the type of the inference (i.e., comparison or relationship)15.2, statistical significance, and the relationship between the results and the research problem15.3.

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