Conducting and Evaluating Multilevel Studies: Recommendations, Resources, and a Checklist

Multilevel methods allow researchers to investigate relationships that expand across levels (e.g., individuals, teams, and organizations). The popularity of these methods for studying organizational phenomena has increased in recent decades. Methodologists have examined how these methods work under different conditions, providing an empirical base for making sound decisions when using these methods. In this article, we provide recommendations, tools, resources, and a checklist that can be useful for scholars involved in conducting or assessing multilevel studies. The focus of our article is on two-level designs, in which Level-1 entities are neatly nested within Level-2 entities, and top-down effects are estimated. However, some of our recommendations are also applicable to more complex multilevel designs.

Connecting information literacy and social capital to better utilise knowledge resources in the workplace

Human resources and intellectual capital are best utilised through an ongoing interaction between individual and social processes. Still there is a research gap of empirical multilevel studies, focusing both on individual and organisational aspects of knowledge processes. To fill this gap, this article reports on a quantitative study, where the relationship between information literacy and social capital, representing the individual and social contexts affecting organisational knowledge processes, is explored. Structural equation modelling-based analysis of 378 employees working in different companies in Finland demonstrated that information literacy supports all three dimensions of social capital at workplace. Strong information handling skills enable better access to knowledge beyond the resources of an individual, that is, social capital. The results of the study contribute to a better understanding of how to manage human resources and the information and knowledge processes that employees are expected to be involved in.

Promoting Knowledge Accumulation About Intervention Effects: Exploring Strategies for Standardizing Statistical Approaches and Effect Size Reporting

Toward the goal of more rapid knowledge accumulation via better meta-analyses, this article explores statistical approaches intended to increase the precision and comparability of effect sizes from education research. The featured estimate of the proposed approach is a standardized mean difference effect size whose numerator is a mean difference that has been adjusted for baseline differences in the outcome measure, at a minimum, and whose denominator is the total variance. The article describes the utility and efficiency of covariate adjustment through baseline measures and the need to standardize effects on a total variance that accounts for variation at multiple levels. As computation of the total variance can be complex in multilevel studies, a shiny application is provided to assist with computation of the total variance and subsequent effect size. Examples are provided for how to interpret and input the required calculator inputs.

School Matters: The Effects of School Experiences on Youth’s Attitudes toward Immigrants

Although schools have been described as an important socialization context for the development of intergroup attitudes, longitudinal multilevel studies are still rare within this field. This 3-wave study (with annual assessments) of German adolescents (N = 1292; Mage = 13.86; 51.8% female) examined the role of school experiences (perceived multicultural education, supportive peer relations in class, democratic classroom climate) in the development of youth’s negative attitudes toward immigrants. Longitudinal multilevel analyses revealed that a democratic classroom climate predicted youth’s attitudes at the individual level. At the classroom level class-average perceptions of a democratic classroom climate, supportive peer relations in class, and multicultural education (the latter solely among male, higher track students) were associated with less negative attitudes toward immigrants. In addition, age moderated the effect of school experiences on attitudes, showing that perceptions of a democratic climate at the classroom level mattered in particular among older adolescents. The findings suggest that school experiences are related to youth’s negative attitudes toward immigrants and can therefore help to reduce the risk of prejudice development.

Experimental analysis of crack resistance indicators of demineralized tooth enamel after combined infiltration treatment

Objective. To study the indicators of crack resistance of the demineralized enamel treated with combined infiltration method using the method of scratch testing. Materials and methods. To study the elastic-strength properties of the enamel in vitro, 24 intact teeth removed by orthodontic indications were used, on the vestibular surface of the crown of which, there was modelled an artificial caries of the enamel by the patented technology. A number of multilevel studies confirmed the formation of caries. Scratch testing was performed on the sections of the intact enamel; demineralized enamel infiltrated by light composite using the modified method with a four-minute regime of conditioning; enamel laminated with bioactive hybrid glass ionomer. Results. The developed model of artificial caries corresponded to the enamel in vivo. The critical load of the start of formation of the intact enamel microcracks (Lc1) was 9.82 0.81 N; demineralized enamel 6.34 0.92 N; infiltrated by modified method 8.23 0.61 N; bioactive glass ionomer 0.82 0.17 N. The critical load of formation of the chevron cracks (Lc2) of the intact enamel was 18.21 0.68 N; demineralized 14.21 1.35 N; after infiltration 10.1 0.30 N; in bioactive glass ionomer, no parameters were registered on all the tested samples. The critical load of formation of the intact enamel chips (Lc3) was 15.73 0.73 N; demineralized enamel 5.02 0.64 N; after infiltration 22.43 0.44 N; bioactive covering 2.21 0.12 N. Conclusions. A comparative analysis of the results of scratch testing of the enamel permitted to characterize the biomaterial from the position of physical material science, determine the critical loads of the start of forming microcracks, double-helical cracks, chips.

ANALYSIS OF TEACHING METHODS WITH THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE STUDY OF HIGHER MATHEMATICS BY TECHNICAL STUDENTS

The researchers of methodological tools for differentiation of training higher mathematics at technical universities are chosen different methods approach to teaching mathematics, which provides the organization of mastering the content of professionally directed training of mathematics preparation students through the introduction of a teaching productive learning method. To identify methodological features of using productive learning methods of training higher mathematics engineer students at technical universities. We can’t underestimate the important role of mathematical training in the professional development of personality of the students in technical universities. Objectives of higher technical education is to produce creative person, able to work in a rapidly changing environment. Therefore, the use of productive learning methods of training higher mathematics engineer students at technical universities such as project method, multilevel studies, case-method, method teaching in groups, training in cooperation, the method portfolio, the method of problem-based learning, heuristic method, research training and so contributes to personal development, able to quickly make the right decisions. The author analyzed, examined the particular use of productive learning methods as multi-level learning, method of teaching in groups, training in cooperation, heuristic method, problem-based learning. The features of these methods use the example parts of Mathematics «Indefinite and definite integrals». Of the proposed methods of teaching higher mathematics promotes students' cognitive activity, ability to work independently with new information, the ability to analyze data subcritical. These methods can be used in the process of learning about blended learning model both individually and in combination with each other. Are the same methods the teacher can use in different ways, directing the activities of students or to reproduce previously acquired knowledge (reproductive activities) or meet new independent learning tasks (creative activity).

Rediscovering the Cooperative Enterprise: A Systematic Review of Current Topics and Avenues for Future Research

For decades, the cooperative enterprise (CE) produces market goods and/or provides services in the interest to its members, such as communities, customers, and suppliers. The upsurge of interest in social enterprises, and their balancing of social and economic interests, has also led to a renewed interest in CEs, often seen as a specific type of social enterprise. However, from an organizational perspective, this renewed interest has been both limited and scattered over a variety of fields. In this paper, we systematically review papers on CE in the mainstream organizational literature, defined as literature in the fields of economics, business, management and sociology. Our review integrates and synthesizes the current topics in the mainstream organizational literature and provides a number of avenues for future research. In addition, we compare our findings in the organizational literature to the social issues literature as these appeared to be quite complimentary. We found multilevel studies, determination of social impact—in particular measurable impact, managerial practices for sustainable (organisational) development, and the entrepreneurial opportunity generation process as the four key avenues for future research.

Does the School Context Really Matter for Teacher Burnout? Review of Existing Multilevel Teacher Burnout Research and Results From the Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 in the Flemish- and French-Speaking Communities of Belgium

It is widely believed that the school context plays a crucial role in teacher burnout. Against that background, we (1) critically review existing empirical multilevel studies on teacher burnout and (2) use data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 to assess the school-level variance and its correlates in emotional exhaustion, cynical depersonalization, and personal accomplishment in 2,300 primary (183 schools) and 2,700 lower secondary (190 schools) teachers in the Flemish-speaking community of Belgium, and 2,135 lower secondary (120 schools) teachers in the French-speaking community of Belgium. Our results reveal that (1) conceptual confusion exists surrounding school-context variables and (2) the between-school variance in teacher burnout is small. Implications for educational policy and teacher burnout research are discussed.

Reporting Practice in Multilevel Modeling: A Revisit After 10 Years

Multilevel modeling (MLM) is a statistical technique for analyzing clustered data. Despite its long history, the technique and accompanying computer programs are rapidly evolving. Given the complexity of multilevel models, it is crucial for researchers to provide complete and transparent descriptions of the data, statistical analyses, and results. Ten years have passed since the guidelines for reporting multilevel studies were initially published. This study reviewed new advancements in MLM and revisited the reporting practice in MLM in the past decade. A total of 301 articles from 19 journals representing different subdisciplines in education and psychology were included in the systematic review. The results showed improvement in some areas of the reporting practices, such as the number of models tested, centering of predictors, missing data treatment, software, and estimates of variance components. However, poor practices persist in terms of model specification, description of a missing mechanism, power analysis, assumption checking, model comparisons, and effect sizes. Updates on the guidelines for reporting multilevel studies and recommendations for future methodological research in MLM are presented.

Promoting firm innovativeness through servant leadership and corporate social responsibility to employees

PurposeBased on the upper echelons and organisational identification theories, this paper focuses on the relationship between servant leadership and firm innovativeness, as well as the underlying mechanisms that explain this relationship. More specifically, we analyse the relationship between servant leadership, firm innovativeness and corporate social responsibility to employees (CSRE).Design/methodology/approachA total of 285 Spanish firms took part in the study, and 570 questionnaires were gathered. Structural equation modelling was used to validate the proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults suggest that servant leadership has a positive relationship with firm innovativeness, and this relationship is fully mediated by CSRE.Research limitations/implicationsHR managers have an overall view of their company and of the behaviour of other leaders. However, future research should also consider employees perceptions. The present study is cross-sectional, and it would be interesting to study the development of the interaction between leaders and followers, which calls for longitudinal and multilevel studies.Practical implicationsAccording to our results, managers could foster firm innovativeness if they select and promote leaders who display the different leadership behaviours related to servant leadership: empowerment, servitude, accountability, courage, authenticity, humility and stewardship. Moreover, training programmes should also foster these behaviours.Originality/valueFew empirical studies analyse the relationship between servant leadership and innovation. The main contribution of the present research is to further the current knowledge of this relationship by disentangling the mediating role of corporate social responsibility to employees.