scholarly journals Doing it your way: The Variation in, and Importance of, Personal Style in Teaching Quantitative Methods for University Social Science Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Fisher ◽  
Nicola Brimblecombe
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Personal Style

scholarly journals Engaging Social Science Students with Statistics: Opportunities, Challenges and Barriers

Numeracy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Brookfield ◽  
Malcolm Williams ◽  
Luke Sloan ◽  
Emily Maule
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quantitative Approaches

In 2012, in a bid to improve the quantitative methods training of social science students in the UK, the £19.5 million Q-Step project was launched. This investment demonstrated a significant commitment to changing how we train social science students in quantitative research methods in the UK. The project has involved eighteen higher education institutions exploring and trialling potential ways of engaging social science students with quantitative approaches. This paper reflects on the activities of one Q-Step centre based in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University. As well as describing some of the pedagogic changes that have been implemented, the paper draws on data to begin to evaluate the success of new approaches. Specifically, data showing the proportion of students undertaking a quantitative final-year dissertation project is used to measure the impact of these activities. The data presented in this paper suggest that resistance to learning quantitative research methods and engaging with such techniques has decreased. The data also indicates that students see this learning as beneficial for their own employability. Despite this, closer analysis reveals that several students change their mind about employing quantitative methods in their own research part way through their dissertation journey. We argue that while social science students are comfortable learning about quantitative approaches, they are less confident at applying these techniques. Thus, the paper argues that there is a wider challenge of demonstrating the relevance and appropriateness of such approaches to understanding the social world.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitudes and practice in regard to aids: The case of social science students at the University of Bophuthatswana

Curationis ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. O. Kaya ◽  
M. Kau
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
Changing Attitudes ◽  
Educational Campaigns ◽  
The University

The necessity of AIDS educational campaigns is to reduce the spread of HIV infection by changing attitudes and practices related to high-risk behaviours. However, before such programmes are implemented a needs assessment should be conducted This includes the existing knowledge and attitudes and sexual practices of the specific risk-group. In this study the risk-group were social science students at the University of Bophuthatswana. The majority of the respondents showed a general knowledge about AIDS in terms of its main symptoms, common modes of transmission and the non-availability of a cure. They, however, expressed the need for more information about AIDS. Lack of enough knowledge was shown by their negative altitudes towards those who had already contracted the disease and the number of sexual partners they had Furthermore, despite the realization of the necessity to use condoms during sexual intercourse, the majority of them did not use them. The study also revealed the minimal role parents, teachers and lecturers play in the dissemination of information about AIDS. The findings call for more AIDS educational programmes to clear away misconceptions about the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus; and the need to involve parents, schools and universities actively in the dissemination of information about AIDS.

scholarly journals Using History as Evidence in Philosophy of Science: A Methodological Critique

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. McAllister
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Scientific Realism ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
History Of

Abstract This article offers a critical review of past attempts and possible methods to test philosophical models of science against evidence from history of science. Drawing on methodological debates in social science, I distinguish between quantitative and qualitative approaches. I show that both have their uses in history and philosophy of science, but that many writers in this domain have misunderstood and misapplied these approaches, and especially the method of case studies. To test scientific realism, for example, quantitative methods are more effective than case studies. I suggest that greater methodological clarity would enable the project of integrated history and philosophy of science to make renewed progress.

Introduction to the Special Issue “Causal Complexity and Qualitative Methods”

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Goertz
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
The Other ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Political Analysis ◽  
Empirical Social Science ◽  
Causal Complexity

This special issue of Political Analysis engages in a dialogue between qualitative and quantitative methods. It proposes that each has something to say to the other and more generally has a contribution to make to empirical social science.

Scientific Creativity in Psychology

2021 ◽  
pp. 145-167
Author(s):  
Christiane Kirsch ◽  
Todd Lubart ◽  
Herie de Vries ◽  
Claude Houssemand
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Scientific Creativity ◽  
Artistic Creativity ◽  
Divergent And Convergent Thinking ◽  
Everyday Creativity

The present research investigates the cognitive and conative profile underlying scientific creativity in psychology. An innovative creativity test including both divergent and convergent thinking was used. Intelligence and personality were also measured. The sample consisted of 121 social science students. Intelligence played a major role for scientific creativity in psychology. With regard to personality, openness and negative agreeableness favored additionally scientific creativity in psychology. In future research, the profile of scientific creativity could be compared with profiles of artistic creativity and everyday creativity.

scholarly journals Student Concepts after a Didactic Experiment in Heritage Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Trabajo-Rite ◽  
Jose María Cuenca-López
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Citizen Education ◽  
Critical Knowledge ◽  
Heritage Education ◽  
Before And After

This work highlights the importance of heritage education as a vehicle for citizen education. We present an analysis of concepts of heritage, citizenship, and territory held by third-year social science students. The results are obtained from statistical analysis of a questionnaire given before and after a didactic intervention and the application of a table of categories drawn up based on heritage education in terms of the parameters we consider desirable, from a holistic, socio-critical, motivating, and participatory perspective. The outcomes show the success of the intervention, with the students presenting better reflective and critical knowledge of their environment, showing appreciation, respect, protection, and dissemination of heritage as a symbol of identity and favoring the commitment to sustainable actions.

scholarly journals The Difference of Knowledge and Behavior of College Students on Plastic Waste Problems

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7851
Author(s):  
Rospita Odorlina P. Situmorang ◽  
Ta-Ching Liang ◽  
Shu-Chun Chang
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Environmental Sciences ◽  
Chi Square Analysis ◽  
And Behavior

Environmental education in the academic level is the most effective way to increase environmental awareness of college students particularly in handling plastic waste problems. This study aimed to compare the student’s knowledge and behavior on plastic waste problem between environmental science and social science students and to examine the correlation of knowledge and behavior to reduce plastic waste. Through survey of 98 students of National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, we compared the students’ knowledge and behavior on plastic waste problems by t-Test and Chi-square analysis, and we used Kendall’s rank correlation to evaluate the correlation of knowledge and behavior. This study found that the differences in majors resulted in the significant differences in knowledge on the negative impacts of plastic waste, where the students who are majoring in environmental sciences have higher score than the students in social science. Relating behaviors, the differences in majors also resulted in the significant different behaviors to reduce plastic usage, where the students with major in environmental sciences have the better behavior to reduce plastic usage for daily life than the social science students. These behaviors were shown in purchasing products with plastic packaging, preparing shopping bag, re-using plastic bags, taking own meal box, and having food on the sites to reduce single used plastic package. This study also found the positive correlation between environmental knowledge on plastic waste and behavior to reduce plastic waste in the daily life.

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