HOW ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE GRADUATE STUDENTS ACQUIRE STATISTICAL COMPUTING SKILLS

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-85
Author(s):  
ALLISON THEOBOLD ◽  
STACEY HANCOCK
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Graduate Degree Programs ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Improve Instruction ◽  
Apply Statistics

Modern environmental science research increasingly requires computational ability to apply statistics to environmental science problems, but graduate students in these scientific fields typically lack these integral skills. Many scientific graduate degree programs expect students toacquire these computational skills in an applied statistics course. Agap remains, however, between the computational skills required for the implementation of statistics in scientific research and those taught in statistics courses. This qualitative study examines how five environmental science graduate students at one institution experience the phenomenon of acquiring the computational skills necessary to implement statistics in their research and the factors that foster or inhibit learning. In-depth interviews revealed three themes in these students’ paths towards computational knowledge acquisition: use of peer support, seeking out a singular “consultant,” and learning through independent research experiences. These themes provide rich descriptions of graduate student experiences and strategies used while developing computational skillsto apply statistics in their own research, thus informing how to improve instruction, both in and out of the formal classroom. First published November 2019 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF CONFIDENCE INTERVALS IN PSYCHOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-62
Author(s):  
NOELLE M. CROOKS ◽  
ANNA N. BARTEL ◽  
MARTHA W. ALIBALI
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
Null Hypothesis ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Sample Mean ◽  
P Values ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Graduate Psychology Students

In recent years, there have been calls for researchers to report and interpret confidence intervals (CIs) rather than relying solely on p-values. Such reforms, however, may be hindered by a general lack of understanding of CIs and how to interpret them. In this study, we assessed conceptual knowledge of CIs in undergraduate and graduate psychology students. CIs were difficult and prone to misconceptions for both groups. Connecting CIs to estimation and sample mean concepts was associated with greater conceptual knowledge of CIs. Connecting CIs to null hypothesis  significance testing, however, was not associated with conceptual knowledge of CIs. It may therefore be beneficial to focus on estimation and sample mean concepts in instruction about CIs. First published May 2019 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals EVALUATION OF THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE, AND STATISTICS SURVEY (CLASS)

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-164
Author(s):  
AMY E. WAGLER ◽  
LAWRENCE M. LESSER
Keyword(s):  
Statistics Education ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Introductory Statistics ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Diverse Student Populations ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
Improve Instruction ◽  
User Friendly

The interaction between language and the learning of statistical concepts has been receiving increased attention. The Communication, Language, And Statistics Survey (CLASS) was developed in response to the need to focus on dynamics of language in light of the culturally and linguistically diverse environments of  introductory statistics classrooms. This manuscript presents a cross-cultural evaluation of the characteristics of the CLASS III (third generation of the  instrument) and provides a user-friendly cross-culturally valid version of the CLASS. Mixed methods are employed to investigate further characteristics of the CLASS III and provide a scale (CLASS IV) that may be utilized in diverse settings. These research results have implications for instructors, professional developers, and researchers to improve instruction with culturally and linguistically diverse  student populations. First published May 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals Claiming Space: An Autoethnographic Study of Indigenous Graduate Students Engaged in Language Reclamation

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari A. B. Chew ◽  
Nitana Hicks Greendeer ◽  
Caitlin Keliiaa
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Heritage Languages ◽  
Graduate Degree Programs ◽  
Personal Accounts

This article explores the critical role of an emerging generation of Indigenous scholars and activists in ensuring the continuity of their endangered heritage languages. Using collaborative autoethnography as a research method, the authors present personal accounts of their pursuit of language reclamation through graduate degree programs. These accounts speak to the importance of access to Indigenous languages and the necessity of space at universities to engage in language reclamation. The authors view higher education as a tool—though one that must be improved—to support Indigenous language reclamation efforts.

scholarly journals STATISTICS ANXIETY AND WORRY: THE ROLES OF WORRY BELIEFS, NEGATIVE PROBLEM ORIENTATION, AND COGNITIVE AVOIDANCE

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-75
Author(s):  
AMANDA S. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Canonical Correlation ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Cognitive Avoidance ◽  
Statistics Anxiety ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Negative Problem Orientation ◽  
Multivariate Relationship

Statistics anxiety is a common problem for graduate students. This study explores the multivariate relationship between a set of worry-related variables and six types of statistics anxiety. Canonical correlation analysis indicates a significant relationship between the two sets of variables. Findings suggest that students who are more intolerant of uncertainty, believe that worry is beneficial, possess a negative approach to problems, and utilize cognitive avoidance as a coping strategy are more likely to have higher levels of the six types of statistics anxiety. These results highlight the complexity of graduate students’ statistics anxiety. Suggestions for intervention are discussed. First published November 2015 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals CALIBRATION OF SELF-EFFICACY FOR CONDUCTING A CHI-SQUARED TEST OF INDEPENDENCE

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-92
Author(s):  
WHITNEY ALICIA ZIMMERMAN ◽  
DEBORAH D. GOINS
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
The Self ◽  
Knowledge Assessment ◽  
Test Of Independence ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Demographic Survey ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Prior Experiences

Self-efficacy and knowledge, both concerning the chi-squared test of independence, were examined in education graduate students. Participants rated statements concerning self-efficacy and completed a related knowledge assessment. After completing a demographic survey, participants completed the self-efficacy and knowledge scales a second time. Individuals with and without prior experiences with the topic were compared; those with prior experiences gave significantly higher self-efficacy ratings and had higher demonstrated knowledge scores, although the latter difference was not statistically significant. While self-efficacy and knowledge scores did not differ significantly between the two administrations, individuals without prior topic experience saw greater improvements in self-efficacy calibration. Findings suggest that self-efficacy calibration may be improved through completing an assessment. First published November 2015 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals A GROWTH MINDSET PILOT INTERVENTION FOR A GRADUATE-LEVEL BIOSTATISTICS COURSE

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-119
Author(s):  
BETTY S. LAI ◽  
MICHELLE S. LIVINGS ◽  
MICHELLE P. D’AMICO ◽  
MATTHEW J. HAYAT ◽  
JEREMIAH WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Attitudes Toward Statistics ◽  
Student Grades ◽  
Over Time

A growth mindset emphasizes the malleability of intelligence. The purpose of this pilot study was to implement and evaluate a growth mindset intervention for graduate students. Participants were twenty graduate students recruited from an introductory public health biostatistics class. Students were assessed three times during one semester. At each time point, students completed assessments of growth mindset, grit, social and emotional health, and attitudes toward statistics. Student grades were collected from the course instructor. Descriptive results indicate that growth mindset, grit, and social and emotional health fluctuated little over time. Mean scores for four attitudes toward statistics components improved over time. We found limited relationships between growth mindset and final grades. Growth mindset-based strategies may be more impactful at a persona, rather than academic, level. First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals A RESPONSE TO WHITE AND GORARD: AGAINST INFERENTIAL STATISTICS: HOW AND WHY CURRENT STATISTICS TEACHING GETS IT WRONG

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
JAMES NICHOLSON ◽  
JIM RIDGWAY
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Inferential Statistics ◽  
P Values ◽  
Logical Basis ◽  
Research Journal

White and Gorard make important and relevant criticisms of some of the methods commonly used in social science research, but go further by criticising the logical basis for inferential statistical tests. This paper comments briefly on matters we broadly agree on with them and more fully on matters where we disagree. We agree that too little attention is paid to the assumptions underlying inferential statistical tests, to the design of studies, and that p-values are often misinterpreted. We show why we believe their argument concerning the logic of inferential statistical tests is flawed, and how White and Gorard misrepresent the protocols of inferential statistical tests, and make brief suggestions for rebalancing the statistics curriculum. First published May 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

Statistics Education Research Journal

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 58-58
Author(s):  
Flavia Jolliffe ◽  
Iddo Gal
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Statistics Education Research ◽  
Research Journal

scholarly journals Study on the 3D Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Velocity Uniformity of a Gravity Flow Circular Flume

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 927
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Longxi Han ◽  
Lina Chen ◽  
Chenfang Wang ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Longitudinal Velocity ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Hydrodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Straight Channel ◽  
Uniformity Coefficient ◽  
Annular Flume

Flumes have been widely used in water conservancy science and environmental science research. It is of great significance to obtain the hydrodynamic characteristics and flow field uniformity in the flume. In this study, a new type of annular flume was taken as an example. The 3D flow field was simulated by using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, and was also measured by acoustic doppler velocimeter (ADV) to verify the simulation results. The average relative error range was between 8.37% and 9.95%, the simulated results basically reflected the actual situation of the flow field. On this basis, the structural characteristics of flow field were analyzed. A new calculation method of flow velocity uniformity was presented according to the flow characteristics of natural open channels. The velocity uniformity in the straight channel was calculated and analyzed based on this method, and the influence of speed on the velocity uniformity was further discussed. The length of uniform section was negatively correlated with the rotational speed (average velocity), which was between 39 cm and 101 cm in the straight, and the uniformity coefficient was less than 10%. Finally, the water flow characteristics in the straight channel without wheel were compared with the natural open channel flow. The longitudinal velocity was well fitted with the Prandtl logarithmic distribution formula (R2 > 0.977), and the application feasibility of the flume was analyzed. This study can provide technical support for the development and application of annular flume.

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