scholarly journals Equity Trends in Mathematics Education: A Content Analysis of Meta-analytic Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-42
Author(s):  
Jamaal Rashad Young ◽  
Jemimah L Young
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Keyword Search ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Analytic Thinking ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Research Praxis ◽  
Meta Analyses

The purpose of this quantitative content analysis (QCA) was to characterize equity-related trends in meta-analyses of mathematics education studies. An a priori keyword search and retrieval process produced an initial pool of 156 studies. After applying the prescribed inclusion criteria, the initial pool of studies was reduced to a final sample of 32 studies. These studies were coded and analyzed as part of the QCA. The coding and analysis were guided by a critical quantitative research lens, which examines how numeric trends can help to unpack systemic and systematic practices that support the agenda of the dominant cultural group. The results indicate that 62.5 percent of the reviewed studies lacked an equity focus, while most equity-focused meta-analyses examined challenges related to student ability. Moreover, 14 out of the 16 or 87.5 percent of the equity-related moderators had a statistically significant influence on effect size variance. The results of this study suggest that across most mathematics education meta-analytic studies effect size magnitude is impacted by equity-related moderators that are often absent. The researchers provide implications for meta-analytic thinking and equitable research praxis in mathematics education.

scholarly journals A content analysis and methodological evaluation of meta-analyses on Turkish samplesTürkiye örnekleminde meta analiz çalışmalarının içerik analizi ve metodolojik değerlendirilmesi

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülşah Başol ◽  
Mehmet Fatih Doguyurt ◽  
Seda Demir
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Model Choice ◽  
Fixed And Random Effects ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Internal And External Validity ◽  
Methodological Evaluation

<p>This content analysis study aims to methodologically evaluate the appropriateness of meta-analyses, conducted on Turkish samples on a variety of topics. Through an exhausting literature review, 80 meta-analyses were gathered together and coded into a detailed Meta-Analysis Evaluation Form.  The form consisted of 59 items (1 = Not Present, 2 = Present and 3 = Not Mentioned) both regarding the study and substantial characteristics. Two researchers coded the studies and the reliability of the coding of five studies indicated no problems with consistencies of the codings (Kappa= .90). According to the results, the most often encountered problem in meta-analyses was reporting both the fixed and random effects analyses without making a priori decision about the model choice. It was found that 60.0% of the meta-analyses investigated by the current study excluded studies conducted abroad which resulted underrepresentation of the literature.  Furthermore, the studies suffered from a small sample size issues. The methodology (how the studies were selected, coding form, reliability of the codings and etc.) was not explained clearly in more than a quarter of the studies. Therefore, it would be hard to claim that they have sufficient level of internal and external validity. It was hoped that researchers may benefit from the results of the current study to conduct better quality meta-analysis in the future.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Özet</strong></p><p>Bu içerik analizi çalışmasının amacı Türkiye'de yapılan meta analiz çalışmalarının metodolojik değerlendirmesinin yapılmasıdır. Meta Analiz Değerlendirme Formu üzerinden Türkiye literatüründeki 80 meta analiz çalışması kodlanmıştır. Değerlendirme formu çalışmaların künyelerini ve meta analiz yönteminin kullanımındaki çeşitlenmeyi içeren 59 (Evet-Hayır-Belirtilmemiş şeklinde cevaplanabilecek) maddeyi kapsamaktadır. İki araştırmacı kodlamaları gerçekleştirmiş ve öncesinde beş çalışmalık bir pilot çalışma üzerinden kodlamaları arasındaki uyum hesaplanmış ve Kappa katsayısı (Kappa= .90) yeterli düzeyde bulunmuştur. Sonuçlara göre meta analiz çalışmalarındaki en belirgin problem herhangi bir tercihte bulunmaksızın sabit ve rasgele etkiler modellerinin birlikte rapor edilmesidir. Çalışmaların %60'ında yurtdışı çalışmalar dahil edilmeksizin Türkiye örneklemindeki çalışmaları kullanarak meta analiz yapılmıştır. Yurtdışı çalışmalara yer veren meta analizlerde ise sayının çok düşük olduğu dolayısıyla örneklemin temsil ediciliğinin düşük olduğu görülmüştür. Meta analizlerde örneklem büyüklüğünün sayıca çok yetersiz olduğu ya da olmadığı görülmüştür. Çalışmaların dörtte birinden fazlasında metodoloji bölümünde çalışmaların nasıl toplandığı, kodlama formu, kodlamaların güvenirliği gibi konular açıklanmamıştır. Bu durum ilgili meta analiz çalışmalarının güvenirlik ve geçerliğini düşürmektedir. Mevcut değerlendirme çalışmasının, gelecekte meta analiz konusunda çalışacak araştırmacılara metodolojik bakımdan daha kaliteli araştırmalar ortaya koymaları hususunda katkı sağlayacağı beklenmektedir.</p>

Unresolved Heterogeneity in Meta-Analysis: Combined Construct Invalidity, Confounding, and Other Challenges to Understanding Mean Effect Sizes

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 343-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R Levine ◽  
René Weber
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Publication Bias ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Graphical Displays ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Effect Heterogeneity

Abstract We examined the interplay between how communication researchers use meta-analyses to make claims and the prevalence, causes, and implications of unresolved heterogeneous findings. Heterogeneous findings can result from substantive moderators, methodological artifacts, and combined construct invalidity. An informal content analysis of meta-analyses published in four elite communication journals revealed that unresolved between-study effect heterogeneity was ubiquitous. Communication researchers mainly focus on computing mean effect sizes, to the exclusion of how effect sizes in primary studies are distributed and of what might be driving effect size distributions. We offer four recommendations for future meta-analyses. Researchers are advised to be more diligent and sophisticated in testing for heterogeneity. We encourage greater description of how effects are distributed, coupled with greater reliance on graphical displays. We council greater recognition of combined construct invalidity and advocate for content expertise. Finally, we endorse greater awareness and improved tests for publication bias and questionable research practices.

How to Detect Publication Bias in Psychological Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 227 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Renkewitz ◽  
Melanie Keiner
Keyword(s):  
Publication Bias ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Type I Error ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Type I ◽  
True Effect Size ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
True Effect ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract. Publication biases and questionable research practices are assumed to be two of the main causes of low replication rates. Both of these problems lead to severely inflated effect size estimates in meta-analyses. Methodologists have proposed a number of statistical tools to detect such bias in meta-analytic results. We present an evaluation of the performance of six of these tools. To assess the Type I error rate and the statistical power of these methods, we simulated a large variety of literatures that differed with regard to true effect size, heterogeneity, number of available primary studies, and sample sizes of these primary studies; furthermore, simulated studies were subjected to different degrees of publication bias. Our results show that across all simulated conditions, no method consistently outperformed the others. Additionally, all methods performed poorly when true effect sizes were heterogeneous or primary studies had a small chance of being published, irrespective of their results. This suggests that in many actual meta-analyses in psychology, bias will remain undiscovered no matter which detection method is used.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis Resulting in a Typology of Elementary Classroom Movement Integration Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridoula Vazou ◽  
Collin A. Webster ◽  
Gregory Stewart ◽  
Priscila Candal ◽  
Cate A. Egan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Dose Intensity ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Movement Integration

Abstract Background/Objective Movement integration (MI) involves infusing physical activity into normal classroom time. A wide range of MI interventions have succeeded in increasing children’s participation in physical activity. However, no previous research has attempted to unpack the various MI intervention approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review, qualitatively analyze, and develop a typology of MI interventions conducted in primary/elementary school settings. Subjects/Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to identify published MI interventions. Irrelevant records were removed first by title, then by abstract, and finally by full texts of articles, resulting in 72 studies being retained for qualitative analysis. A deductive approach, using previous MI research as an a priori analytic framework, alongside inductive techniques were used to analyze the data. Results Four types of MI interventions were identified and labeled based on their design: student-driven, teacher-driven, researcher-teacher collaboration, and researcher-driven. Each type was further refined based on the MI strategies (movement breaks, active lessons, other: opening activity, transitions, reward, awareness), the level of intrapersonal and institutional support (training, resources), and the delivery (dose, intensity, type, fidelity). Nearly half of the interventions were researcher-driven, which may undermine the sustainability of MI as a routine practice by teachers in schools. An imbalance is evident on the MI strategies, with transitions, opening and awareness activities, and rewards being limitedly studied. Delivery should be further examined with a strong focus on reporting fidelity. Conclusions There are distinct approaches that are most often employed to promote the use of MI and these approaches may often lack a minimum standard for reporting MI intervention details. This typology may be useful to effectively translate the evidence into practice in real-life settings to better understand and study MI interventions.

scholarly journals Predictability of rotational tooth movement with orthodontic aligners comparing software-based and achieved data: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 146531252110272
Author(s):  
Despina Koletsi ◽  
Anna Iliadi ◽  
Theodore Eliades
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Tooth Movement ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Enamel Reduction

Objective: To evaluate all available evidence on the prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligners. Data sources: Seven databases of published and unpublished literature were searched up to 4 August 2020 for eligible studies. Data selection: Studies were deemed eligible if they included evaluation of rotational tooth movement with any type of aligner, through the comparison of software-based and actually achieved data after patient treatment. Data extraction and data synthesis: Data extraction was done independently and in duplicate and risk of bias assessment was performed with the use of the QUADAS-2 tool. Random effects meta-analyses with effect sizes and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed and the quality of the evidence was assessed through GRADE. Results: Seven articles were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which three contributed to meta-analyses. Overall results revealed a non-accurate prediction of the outcome for the software-based data, irrespective of the use of attachments or interproximal enamel reduction (IPR). Maxillary canines demonstrated the lowest percentage accuracy for rotational tooth movement (three studies: effect size = 47.9%; 95% CI = 27.2–69.5; P < 0.001), although high levels of heterogeneity were identified (I2: 86.9%; P < 0.001). Contrary, mandibular incisors presented the highest percentage accuracy for predicted rotational movement (two studies: effect size = 70.7%; 95% CI = 58.9–82.5; P < 0.001; I2: 0.0%; P = 0.48). Risk of bias was unclear to low overall, while quality of the evidence ranged from low to moderate. Conclusion: Allowing for all identified caveats, prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligner treatment does not appear accurate, especially for canines. Careful selection of patients and malocclusions for aligner treatment decisions remain challenging.

scholarly journals ‘How to Botox’ on YouTube: Influence and Beauty Procedures in the Era of User-Generated Content

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4359
Author(s):  
Bárbara Castillo-Abdul ◽  
Daniela Jaramillo-Dent ◽  
Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Medical Procedures ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Youtube Videos

The current media environment is complex and has important effects on all aspects of life, including beauty and health. In this sense, YouTube has become one of the main contexts for the dissemination of tutorials and content related to medical procedures such as the application of Botox. Thus, the present study constitutes the first exploratory analysis of YouTube videos in Spanish related to this procedure. A preliminary analysis of 221 YouTube videos yielded a final sample of the 50 most viewed videos within this genre. The analysis was carried out through a quantitative content analysis assessing the popularity of the videos, contact and emotive strategies by the creator, the credibility conveyed, and the characteristics of information about the procedure itself. Results suggest that these influencers align with mainstream Internet celebrity culture in practices that aim at increasing their following and views, as well as calls for subscriptions and visits to other platforms and profiles. Moreover, they include different strategies to establish their credibility but emphasize personal experience. The positive portrayal of the procedure, including positive emotions and content that highlights the benefits, is interesting and supports the commercial nature of much of the content.

EARRINGS: an efficient and accurate adapter trimmer entails no a priori adapter sequences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Hsuan Wang ◽  
Cheng-Ching Huang ◽  
Jui-Hung Hung
Keyword(s):  
Open Source Software ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Supplementary Data ◽  
Comparable Accuracy ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Ngs ◽  
Adapter Trimming ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Abstract Motivation Cross-sample comparisons or large-scale meta-analyses based on the next generation sequencing (NGS) involve replicable and universal data preprocessing, including removing adapter fragments in contaminated reads (i.e. adapter trimming). While modern adapter trimmers require users to provide candidate adapter sequences for each sample, which are sometimes unavailable or falsely documented in the repositories (such as GEO or SRA), large-scale meta-analyses are therefore jeopardized by suboptimal adapter trimming. Results Here we introduce a set of fast and accurate adapter detection and trimming algorithms that entail no a priori adapter sequences. These algorithms were implemented in modern C++ with SIMD and multithreading to accelerate its speed. Our experiments and benchmarks show that the implementation (i.e. EARRINGS), without being given any hint of adapter sequences, can reach comparable accuracy and higher throughput than that of existing adapter trimmers. EARRINGS is particularly useful in meta-analyses of a large batch of datasets and can be incorporated in any sequence analysis pipelines in all scales. Availability and implementation EARRINGS is open-source software and is available at https://github.com/jhhung/EARRINGS. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Treatment of Ureteral Stent-Related Symptoms

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Angela Pecoraro ◽  
Dario Peretti ◽  
Zhe Tian ◽  
Roberta Aimar ◽  
Gabriel Niculescu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Risk Difference ◽  
Ureteral Stent ◽  
Pde Inhibitors ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Alpha Antagonist

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the main classes of drugs used at reducing morbidity related to ureteric stents. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> After establishing a priori protocol, a systematic electronic literature search was conducted in July 2019. The randomized clinical trials (RCTs) selection proceeded in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was registered (PROSPERO ID 178130). The risk of bias and the quality assessment of the included RCTs were performed. Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality of life (QoL) were pooled for meta-analysis. Mean difference and risk difference were calculated as appropriate for each outcome to determine the cumulative effect size. Fourteen RCTs were included in the analysis accounting for 2,842 patients. Alpha antagonist, antimuscarinic, and phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors significatively reduced all indexes of the USSQ, the IPSS and QoL scores relative to placebo. Conversely, combination therapy (alpha antagonist plus antimuscarinic) showed in all indexes of the USSQ, IPSS, and QoL over alpha antagonist or antimuscarinic alone. On comparison with alpha blockers, PDE inhibitors were found to be equally effective for urinary symptoms, general health, and body pain parameters, but sexual health parameters improved significantly with PDE inhibitors. Finally, antimuscarinic resulted in higher decrease in all indexes of the USSQ, the IPSS, and QoL relative to alpha antagonist. <b><i>Key message:</i></b> Relative to placebo, alpha antagonist alone, antimuscarinics alone, and PDE inhibitors alone have beneficial effect in reducing stent-related symptoms. Furthermore, there are significant advantages of combination therapy compared with monotherapy. Finally, PDE inhibitors are comparable to alpha antagonist, and antimuscarinic seems to be more effective than alpha antagonist alone.

scholarly journals A Statistical Method for Synthesizing Meta-Analyses

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liansheng Larry Tang ◽  
Michael Caudy ◽  
Faye Taxman
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Method ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Summary Effect ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Size Estimates ◽  
Similar Search

Multiple meta-analyses may use similar search criteria and focus on the same topic of interest, but they may yield different or sometimes discordant results. The lack of statistical methods for synthesizing these findings makes it challenging to properly interpret the results from multiple meta-analyses, especially when their results are conflicting. In this paper, we first introduce a method to synthesize the meta-analytic results when multiple meta-analyses use the same type of summary effect estimates. When meta-analyses use different types of effect sizes, the meta-analysis results cannot be directly combined. We propose a two-step frequentist procedure to first convert the effect size estimates to the same metric and then summarize them with a weighted mean estimate. Our proposed method offers several advantages over existing methods by Hemming et al. (2012). First, different types of summary effect sizes are considered. Second, our method provides the same overall effect size as conducting a meta-analysis on all individual studies from multiple meta-analyses. We illustrate the application of the proposed methods in two examples and discuss their implications for the field of meta-analysis.

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