Quasi-Experimental Design Research

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of maker-centred learning methodology on the motivation of secondary school students towards science learning using a quasi-experimental design pretest–posttest. For this purpose, a sample of 200 students in eighth grade (110 boys and 90 girls) was selected from two different schools in Madrid during 2017–2018 academic year. The experimental group selected covered the learning standards by doing a project in the makerspace, and the control group covered the same standards by traditional learning in the classroom. Data were collected through a Students’ Motivation Towards Science Learning questionnaire developed by Tuan, Chin and Shieh (2015). The results of the data analysis revealed a significative difference between groups in the post-test, finding a higher level of motivation towards science in the experimental group (maker-centred learning based), in comparison with the control group (traditional learning based). Findings in thi...

Sustained mass media campaigns have been recommended to stem the tobacco epidemic in the United States. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to estimate the effect of awareness of a national smoking cessation media campaign (EX 1 ) on quit attempts and cessation-related cognition. Participants were 4,067 smokers and recent quitters aged 18-49 in Downloaded from targeted U.S. media markets. Controlling for potential confounders through PSM and regression analysis, confirmed awareness of EX was not significantly associated with either outcome at 6-month follow-up. Matched analyses excluding 217 quitters resulted in a significant effect of EX on both outcomes.

An approach to early childhood education that integrates visual and performing arts throughout the preschool curriculum-Art as a Way of Learning-was implemented in a program (Promoting and Supporting Early Literacy through the Arts) designed to improve the emergent literacy and school readiness of at-risk young children in community-based preschool settings. A quasiexperimental pre-post treatment-only design was used to explore this program's potential effects in a real-world setting. Preliminary results revealed improvements in young children's emergent literacy on a number of targeted and standardized measures after participation in the program. This arts-integrated approach to the teaching of and learning in young children shows considerable promise and warrants a rigorous test of its effects.

Operational since 1998, the Konkan Railway is one of the biggest railway construction endeavour in independent India, traversing over 760 km along the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka – a hitherto backward region, characterized by out-migration for employment. The region is also known to be ecologically sensitive, which is why the railway was frequently contested for its potential impacts on the local ecosystem. We employ a theory-based evaluation approach to provide empirical evidence and explore causal mechanisms of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the Konkan Railway. We find that the Konkan Railway had a positive effect on population sizes, female to male sex ratio and a negative effect on male main workers leading to the plausible conclusion that the railway access has reinforced the pre-existing pattern of high levels of male migration. We also find an increase in crude workforce participation rate driven by an increase in marginal workers and other workers. However, the results are insignificant for cultivators and agricultural labour. These results led us to conclude that the railway has encouraged diversification into non-agricultural economic activities and also of workplaces through easier access to employment opportunities via daily rural-urban commutes and seasonal migration. We only find insignificant changes in forest cover and water bodies in close proximity to the railway stations. The analysis, hence, could not substantiate the concerns raised during the time of the construction of the Railway regarding environmental degradation, at least not on a large scale. The findings encourage policymakers to take into consideration the risk and uncertainty which characterize the attainment or non-attainmet of desired benefits and expected outcomes. and the impact of transport infrastructure on migration, geographic labour mobility and labour market outcomes in sending and receiving regions.

Using market data, we assess the effectiveness of an eco-marketing campaign on purchases of 'green' vehicles. The eco-marketing was designed as a quasi-experiment, having one region exposed to the marketing while the other region was the control. A two-level nested-logit model consistent with utility maximization reveals the campaign had shortterm positive effects on green-car sales. Results also indicate green-car buyers come from highly educated communities. Age has a positive but non-linear effect on green car sales.

History educators highlight the significance of historical reading and writing to foster students’ historical reasoning or narrative competence. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a writing intervention on the development of narrative competence among Swiss-German sec-ondary students (10th and 11th school year). The intervention effects were high in terms of pro-gress in narrative competence. The intervention supported weaker and average writers, while the strong writers improved less in terms of the text analysis criteria applied. In summary, nar-rative competence can be effectively promoted by means of targeted promotion of subject-specific reading and writing strategies in upper secondary history education.

This study investigated whether a computer-based self-regulation intervention increases physical exercise in individuals with or without depressive symptoms. A total of 361 individuals in orthopedic rehabilitation, 36 of them with depressive symptoms, were recruited in Germany. In a quasi-experimental study, individuals were allocated to either a computer-based self-regulation intervention or an online questionnaire. Exercise was measured at the beginning of rehabilitation and six weeks after rehabilitation. Depressive symptoms were assessed at the end of rehabilitation. An analysis of covariance was conducted, controlling for exercise baseline, sex, and phase of assessment. A main effect for depressive symptoms (p = .005) and intervention group (p = .011), as well as a marginal interaction of intervention x depressive symptoms were found (p = .076). Results indicate that the self-regulation exercise intervention in an orthopedic rehabilitation setting seem to be only effective in non-depressed individuals. Future research should examine how health behavior change programs can be designed more effectively for individuals with depressive symptoms.

Interrupted time series analysis provides a powerful and increasingly popular quasi-experimental alternative to randomized controlled trials. This design is also particularly amenable to clinical and other health-related research, especially for situations in which observational data are already available. Furthermore, interrupted time series methods are relatively simple, based on regression techniques most researchers will already be familiar with. The current paper provides a beginners guide to interrupted time series analysis, for both single series and comparative designs, with an overview of the procedure, implementation of the analysis, and interpretation of results, along with a fictional example. A macro for performing these analyses in SAS software has also been written and is discussed.

NOTE JUNE 10, 2019: The macro now calculates standard error for the sum of b1+b3 coefficients (post interruption trend) and 95% confidence intervals for all results

Updated September 2, 2019 (corrected section for appending treatment and control series which was missing ; in the first line)

There have been many teaching media used by English teachers: e.g. cassette players, Over Head Projectors (OHP), Flash Cards, Computer, Laptop and LCD . from so many  media which have been developed, the writer believes that there is still a few English teachers apply Adobe Audition, which is usually used in the Audio recording, as teaching media, this may be caused that teaching English using Adobe Audition needs special capability. Therefore, the writer is interested to write this topic. Adobe Audition 1.5 is an audio recording, editing, and mixing application for Windows 2000 and XP. It has been developed in the work of broadcasting, post production facilities, audio designers, video production houses, and multimedia developers. It has the function to import  audio from CD, play audio, record audio, select audio data, select  frequencies in spectral view, copy audio, delete  audio, paste  audio, loop, and reduce the noise. In this presentation the writer is intending to share ideas with English teachers of Junior and senior High School and English  lectures, How to teach English through Adobe Audition:  songs in MP3 format Based Materials. In this presentation the writer is intending to share ideas with English teachers of Junior and senior High School and English  lectures, How to teach English through Adobe Audition:  songs in MP3 format Based Materials

During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims around the globe are obligated to fast. Fasting requires the abstinence from food and drink. Our study aims to profile the effects of fasting on the cognitions of normal subjects. We conducted an experiment amongst the students of Bahria University Karachi Campus.  The test that we used to check the cognitions of fasting (14 females 21 males) and non- fasting (19 females 16 males) subjects was the Stroop test. We conducted the Stroop test on non-fasting and fasting students (N=35). The results were on the basis of right answers and time consumed. This was a Quasi experiment that was conducted during day time and the subjects were fasting for approximately ten hours now. The results, however, showed that fasting did not have any negative effect on cognitions rather there was a slightly positive effect seen as the fasting individuals scored better.
Keywords: fasting, cognitions, Stroop test, Quasi

This study investigated whether a computer-based self-regulation intervention increases physical exercise in individuals with or without depressive symptoms. A total of 361 individuals in orthopedic rehabilitation, 36 of them with depressive symptoms, were recruited in Germany. In a quasi-experimental study, individuals were allocated to either a computer-based self-regulation intervention or an online questionnaire. Exercise was measured at the beginning of rehabilitation and six weeks after rehabilitation. Depressive symptoms were assessed at the end of rehabilitation. An analysis of covariance was conducted, controlling for exercise baseline, sex, and phase of assessment. A main effect for depressive symptoms (p = .005) and intervention group (p = .011), as well as a marginal interaction of intervention x depressive symptoms were found (p = .076). Results indicate that the self-regulation exercise intervention in an orthopedic rehabilitation setting seem to be only effective in non-depressed individuals. Future research should examine how health behavior change programs can be designed more effectively for individuals with depressive symptoms.

Credit momentum policies, or performance-based financial aid policies, have become increasingly popular among policymakers seeking to improve degree completion rates. This paper examines Indiana’s 30-credit-hour completion policy on first-time, full-time students who receive the Twenty-First Century Scholars (TFCS) Promise Program. Using administrative data from the Indiana University’s University Institutional Research and Reporting, representing 7842 low-income students who enrolled shortly before the policy was implemented, I use a difference-in-differences framework to explore the heterogeneous treatment effects of a credit (academic) momentum policy that was supported by the Complete College America 15 to Finish initiative on the academic progression and completion of promise scholarship recipients at Indiana University Bloomington and Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, compared to non-TFCS Pell recipients from the Fall 2011 cohorts through the Fall 2014 cohorts. I find some evidence to suggest that credit momentum policies are associated with small increases in cumulative credits and grades but had no effect on degree completion status (Year 4 Graduation Status, Year 6 Graduation Status). I also find evidence that TFCS female and first-generation recipients responded positively to the policy change but find no evidence that the policy affects promise recipients differently by race/ethnicity. While consistent with prior work on credit momentum, these findings are among the first to explore the academic performance of college promise recipients. Together, these findings indicate that credit momentum policies may improve academic progression and completion for low-income, first-generation students who receive a promise scholarship. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

The study on the Effect of Video Presentation and Printed Reading Materials on the Pupils’ Comprehension skills was conducted on the pupils of St. Scholastica’s Academy in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental Philippines. This study was only limited to the Four Levels of Comprehension namely: Literal, Inferential, Evaluative, and Appreciative Comprehension. Based on the results of the tests, it showed that there was an increase in scores. The pretest scores of the Experimental Group is 4.53 the Controlled Group is 4.47. The posttest score of both groups is 5.08. Results presented that the Controlled Group has a higher mean difference. The Mean and T-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means were used to interpret the data gathered. Comparing the two values, the T-test shows that the difference of 0.056 between the values is not significant wherein the p-value is equivalent to 0.862.

It was recommended that the administrators must ensure that the educators must be prepared in implementing technology inside the classroom. The teachers must check the current standing of the pupils to determine the strength and weaknesses in comprehension. The parents should let their children explore technology and books; and further studies must focus on the upper level to determine if there are changes on the different grade levels as well determine the factors that affect the student’s learning: motivation, learning style and strategies, learning environment, and classroom pedagogy.

This document does not follow standard publication format and instead presents a brief walkthrough for methods involved in propensity score matched analyses for observational data. There are many reasons why propensity score methods are increasing in popularity over more typical regression-adjustment when observational data are used to answer research questions. Briefly, propensity score analyses are used to simulate the process of random assignment when a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is not possible, either for ethical, economic, or other reasons, and when observational data are already available. The processes involved in propensity score methods include balancing the treatment and control groups on covariates that may influence whether or not a person receives treatment. By balancing treatment and control groups based on relevant characteristics, we can minimize or eliminate covariate effects on receipt of treatment to more accurately estimate the effect of treatment on an outcome.

ABSTRACT
Hafsah B. Mama and Johanisa M. Dibagulun. “Difficulties encountered in solving word problems in Mathematics”. An Undergraduate Thesis, Secondary and Elementary teaching Department, College of Education, Mindanao State University, Marawi City, June 2016.

Thesis Adviser: Prof. Teodoro M. Drilon

Word problems are consistently used as practice exercises and illustrations throughout Mathematics curriculum. However, problem solving is a difficult task as it involves a lot of steps. People have to hurdle the challenges in going from one step to another although the steps may not necessarily have to take in sequential manner. This study employed the mixed method design, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. It aims to determine the difficulties encountered in solving word problems in Mathematics by the Grade six pupils in Amai Pakpak Central Elementary School. There were forty seven (47) pupils who participated in the study. Data were gathered through administering 10-item researchers’ made test regarding word problems. The test were administered right after it was statistically proven to be reliable using Richard-Kurson with value 0.84. Moreover, one-on-one interview with the respondents also took place. The interview questions were based on the three problems which most of the pupils answered incorrectly. Results showed that most (55.3%) of the respondents have satisfactory grades in English. Moreover, almost the same number of percentages (48.9% &46.8%) had passing and satisfactory grades in Mathematics. In addition, more than half of the respondents failed the test. It is also found that there is a significant relationship between English grade, Mathematics grade and performance in solving word problems. Findings revealed that pupils have difficulties in solving word problems in Mathematics. Some difficulties were lack of comprehension, lack of strategy, incorrect use of operations, inability to translate the problems in Mathematical equation, interchanging values and computational errors. After thorough analysis, it is suggested that students should enhance their skills in solving and vocabulary to understand the problem so that they could carry out the required solution. Furthermore, future researchers may consider the comprehension level of the pupils perhaps administering comprehension test simultaneously.

Keywords: English Grade, Mathematics Grade, Difficulty, Solving, Word problem

Chui, M. H. L., Mak, B. C. N., & Cheng, G. (2022). Exploring the potential, features, and functions of small talk in digital distance teaching on Zoom: A mixed-method study by quasi-experiment and conversation analysis. In W. Jia et al. (Eds.), Emerging technologies for education (pp.364-372). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. ISBN: 978-3-030-92836-0.

Small talk has existed across different face-to-face settings in human communication, but it remains unclear what subtle impact it can have on digital distance teaching. This study employed a mixed method to explore the potential, features, and functions of small talk in distance teaching on Zoom. The first phase, quantitative in nature, conducted a quasi-experiment to test whether the in-class small talk of a teacher, Tom, would have a significant impact on his students' perceived level of satisfaction in learning experience on Zoom. The second phase, qualitative in nature, analyzed Tom's recordings of teaching on Zoom to elucidate any recurring procedures or sequences of in-class small talk using conversation analysis. The first phase showed that students in a Zoom lesson with Tom's small talk were associated with a statistically significantly larger mean level of satisfaction in learning experience than those in the same mode but without his small talk. The second phase, though, indicated that Tom's students only occasionally responded to his small talk. Even when they did so, they tended to delay and chose to respond in the chatbox. The study concludes that teacher small talk will have a positive but invisible impact on student learning experience online. It is suggested that developers of online teaching software should consider designing commands to create multimodal effects to aid teacher users to perform small talk in an easy way and in a friendly manner.

Experimental research is a quantitative and empirical research carried out on the philosophical basis of positivism. It is based on the experimental manipulation of the research variables during the study. A number of scientifically agreed steps are carried out from the formulation of research problems to writing the research report in experimental design. In this article different experimental designs including pre-experimental designs, true experimental designs, and quasi-experimental designs are identified and illustrated comprehensively. This article provides a rationale foe carrying out different kinds of experimental research designs in different social contexts. It discusses varied variables as the central manipulative and static devices in experiments. Finally internal and external validity in experimental research design is described followed by potential threats to validity and some suggestions to avoid such threats jeopardizing validity of experimental research.

This chapter presents a sociocultural instructional model designed to raise L2 learners' awareness to the vital importance of developing their critical thinking competence, especially in global crisis times. For this purpose, a pilot study was launched to explore English learners' attitudinal factors based on their critical thinking responses to rhetoric passages with a high sociolinguistic content component. This study, part of a more extensive quasi-experimental UAM-TeLL project, was implemented in a high school of Cartagena with first-year baccalaureate students. This educational approach's structure allowed the researchers to measure the dynamic of participants' feelings and reflective attitudes. The study's analytical instruments included three dimensions pre-and post-questionnaires, specific tasks on judgment and inference, guided interviews, rubrics, and field observation. This chapter reports on the initial qualitative findings and confirm students' engagement and awareness of their critical thinking skills.

Bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan hubungan sebab-akibat dengan cara melibatkan kelompok kontrol di samping kelompok eksperimen.
Pemilahan kelompok sampel tidak dilakukan menggunakan teknik acak.
sehingga kelemahan quasi eksperimen adalah tidak dapat sepenuhnya Mengontrol variabel-variabel luar yang dapat memengaruhi pelaksanaan eksperimen

Kemajuan teknologi dan industri baik di ranah nasional maupun
internasional menyebabkan meningkatnya kebutuhan terhadap SDM ahli
khususnya programer ahli. Akan tetapi dari sisi SDM dapat dikatakan sulit untuk
menjadi seorang programer ahli. Dalam penelitian yang dilakukan Wislow
disebutkan bahwa butuh waktu 10 tahun bagi seorang programer pemula untuk
menjadi programer ahli. Kelleher menyebutkan bahwa taksonomi tertinggi dalam
programming environment adalah teaching system. Bagaimana dapat membentuk
SDM yang ahli jika sistem pembelajaran tidak mendukung ? Oleh karena itu
peneliti mengambil studi di kampus UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta pada mata
kuliah pemrograman terstruktur tahun 2012/2013. Pembelajaran pada mata kuliah
pemrograman terstruktur adalah menggunakan C Free. Peneliti mengusulkan
penggunaan IndoBlockly yaitu tool pemrograman visual untuk mempermudah
pemahaman algoritma. IndoBlockly menggunakan puzzle sebagai media untuk
memprogram dan tidak menggunakan text sehingga sangat meminimalisir error
syntax yaitu masalah yang sering dijumpai oleh programer pemula.
Penelitian ini lebih ditekankan pada hubungan penggunaan IndoBlockly
terhadap hasil belajar mahasiswa pada mata kuliah pemrograman terstruktur.
Analisis yang digunakan meliputi analisis deskriptif, perhitungan index gain,
analisis inferensi dan analisis korelasi. Data yang kami analisis adalah data nilai
mahasiswa hasil dari pretes dan postes. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah berupa
kesimpulan apakah penggunaan IndoBlockly mempunyai pengaruh terhadap hasil
pembelajaran mahasiswa pada mata kuliah pemrograman terstruktur.
Analisis uji hitpotesis beda rata-rata untuk data pretes menghasilkan pvalue
0,749 > 0,05 sehingga H0 diterima yaitu tidak ada perbedaan rata-rata pretes
kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol. Ini menjadi bukti bahwa kelas kontrol dan
kelas eksperimen keduanya homogen. Sebaliknya analisis beda rata-rata postes
kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol menghasilkan p-value 0,000 < 0,05, H0
ditolak kesimpulannya adalah rata-rata kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol
berbeda. Perhitungan gain diperoleh rata-rata gain kelas eksperimen sebesar 0,63
adalah gain sedang dan kelas kontrol 0,16 adalah gain rendah, ini menunjukkan
bahwa nilai gain kelas eksperimen lebih besar dari kelas kontrol. Analisis korelasi
menghasilkan koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,43. Kemudian dilakukan uji
signifikansi koefisien korelasi diperoleh p-value 0,022 < 0,05, H0 ditolak dan
disimpulkan bahwa kontribusi variabel independen (X) yaitu penggunaan
IndoBlockly terhadap variabel dependen (Y) yaitu hasil belajar mahasiswa
adalah signifikan. Hasil perhitungan determinasi yaitu r2 sebesar 0,1849 atau
18,49 % menunjukkan bahwa IndoBlockly memberikan pengaruh 18,49 %
terhadap peningkatan hasil belajar pemrograman terstruktur. Jadi model
pembelajaran menggunakan IndoBlockly terbukti lebih baik dibandingkan dengan
model pembelajaran konvensional dengan pengaruh sebesar 18,49 % terhadap
peningkatan hasil belajar.

Speaking ability indicates that the learner knows how they use that
language. However, speaking a foreign language is not an easy ability to
be mastered by students. This research was aimed to find out the effect
on the application of Three-Step Interview technique to the 7th grade of
Junior High School. This was quasi experimental study with single-test-
double-trial (pre-test & post-test). The population was the 7F and 7 G
who have had almost the same ability in the academic year 2018/2019.
Live monologue was used as the speaking test (students told the topic
given unaccompanied). T-test was used for analysing the data. In the end
the result revealed that t-value (1.361) was higher than statistical value
of t-table (1,297). Hence the students who were taught using Three-Step
Interview technique had better procuration in speaking ability rather than
those who were not taught using the technique. So the hypothesis says
that the application of Three-Step Interview technique is effective for
teaching was accepted.

When evaluating the quality of an educational assessment, reliability, validity and item bias are critical to the process. This study applied the Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory to evaluate the quality of an assessment constructed to measure college students' achievement in mathematics. The sample for this study consisted of the junior and senior Mathematics and English major teacher-education student from the University of Eastern Philippines in Northern Samar. A sample of 80 students was drawn for this study. The Mathematics Achievement Test for college students developed by the author was used. Data were analyzed in two dimensions: First, psychometric properties were analyzed using CTT and IRT; Second, detection of item biased was performed using a method for Differential Item Functioning (DIF).

The combined quasi–experimental and qualitative research methods using Focus Group Discussion with Interview Guide Questionnaire assessed the intervention effect of the traditional and peer tutoring methods of teaching in academic achievement and the attitude towards peer tutoring and Logic as a subject of the 2 nd year Tertiary BEED Students of CSU-PC, School Year 2015-2016. The employed quasi-experimental process revealed that the traditional teaching is advantageous over peer tutoring method of teaching. The FGD uncovered that the student-participants are not being favored to the peer tutoring in Logic class because Logic is difficult to understand. But they are inspired, because of the value and usefulness of logical concepts not only as students or future teachers but also as an individual who makes short or long term decisions on a daily basis that should be grounded on logical models. Peer tutoring and logic as a subject is never a waste of time according to the student-participants since they also learned from it. The paper recommended that the traditional, peer tutoring or other forms of instructional techniques and strategies may be employed in the classroom setup as long as students are well prepared, informed and favorable with the method of teaching being applied to ensure cooperation and effective learning in Logic and in any other field of specialization; Difficulty in understanding Logic can be overcome by giving focus, attention, value and application of the concepts; Faculty members may give encouragement among students to apply logical concepts in their daily life to familiarize the subject matter and letting them realized that theories are not enough unless it is being applied; and further quasi-experimental research could be designed and conducted to discover and address relevant issues in instruction.

In present study Polypropylene and Low density Polyethylene films were used to determine Permeability P, Diffusion Coefficient D and solubility S. For PP film Isostastics and for LDPE film quasi-isostastic method is used to determine P, D, and S. at 220C. Limonene and ethylene acetate used as permeant in PP and LDPE film respectively. Thickness of PP, LDPE is 1.5 and 2 mil respectively. Permeability P, Diffusion D, Solubility S of PP were found 3.16E-16 g*m/ (sec*Pa*m^2), 2.79E-15 m^2/s, 0.1135 g/ (m^3*Pa) respectively. And for LDPE 1.1E-15 kg*m/m2*sec*pa, 2.50E-13 m2/sec, 4.54E-03 kg/m3pa respectively. Consistency test were performed to make sure there were no any abnormal condition during resulted error is in the acceptable limit and found that the consistency test is does not meet

This classroom-based study investigated the development of learners’ ability to summarize short stories in English in a way that requires them "to attribute intentions and mental states to others and reason from this to a conclusion about why others performed certain actions"(Robinson, 2010: 253). Two groups of 30 second-year Japanese English majors completed a similar reading and discussion course. In both of the sections, learners were acquainted with the task and goals, and provided with the same amount of reading, discussion and task performance opportunities. However, in one group, instruction followed the SSARC model of task sequencing (Robinson, 2010), whereas in the other group learners were left to their own devices in using the classroom activities to reach the task performance goal in their own ways. Written pre-test and post-test scores were compared between and within groups to determine whether and to what extent learning outcomes varied. Although findings showed that the SSARC group demonstrated a consistently higher rate of gain over the course of instruction, and felt the course to be better suited to their level of ability, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups on measures of the syntactic complexity, intentional reasoning or grammatical accuracy of story summaries following the respective courses of instruction.

When evaluating programme impact in a context where a randomised control trial is
either infeasible or not appropriate, the quasi-experimental approach of Propensity
Score Matching (PSM) is often used to construct a counterfactual. However, if there
are imbalances remaining after PSM, selection bias may persist. Increasingly,
researchers combine PSM and Difference-in-Differences (DID) to counter such
imbalances. While there is guidance on applying this combined approach using panel
data, applications of this approach in repeated cross-section settings are less frequent.
In this paper, we present an innovative approach to combining PSM and DID when only
cross-sections of data are available. We illustrate the methodology in the evaluation of
EQUIP-T, a UK Department for International Development-funded education
intervention in Tanzania. EQUIP-T is a four-year programme focused on improving
teacher performance, school leadership, and community participation, aiming to
increase the quality of primary education and improve pupil learning outcomes. This
study is likely to represent the first practical application of this PSM with DID procedure
for a repeated cross-section in an education evaluation. This paper will review the
implementation of the methodology in the context of the EQUIP-T programme. It will
also discuss strengths, appropriate contexts, and caveats to the approach, considering
unobservable characteristics, time-variant imbalances, implementation of concurrent
programmes, and challenges in calculating standard errors. In the first approach, the
Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) was compared across time, between
baseline and midline. In the second, PSM was used to match treatment units (pupils
and teachers in EQUIP-T schools) over time to construct a pseudo panel from repeated
cross-sections to estimate overall ATT. In the absence of panel data, the conventional
PSM approach of matching individuals at baseline and then calculating impact at
endline is not possible. The innovative pseudo panel approach addresses this,
following a suggestion by Blundell and Costa Dias (2000, p. 451). Impact estimates on
pupil tests are presented. Pupils’ test results were classified into one of five
curriculum-linked performance bands in Swahili and in Mathematics. The PSM-DID
analysis finds strong evidence that EQUIP-T has reduced the proportion of pupils in the
bottom performance band for Swahili in programme schools. These results remain
strong and highly significant across both our PSM with DID strategies.

This article is a theoretical contribution to the debate about which qualitative intervention methodology is best suited to building stronger partnerships between researchers and practitioners in educational research. In the first part of this article, two types of intervention methodologies gaining impact in the field are contrasted in light of Yrjö Engeström’s criticism. This discussion lays the groundwork for the main claim in the second part of this article that dialogical work between researchers and practitioners focusing on ‘contradictions’ and the ‘object of activity,’ can provide analytical tools to improve understanding of challenges in intervention research.

A non-randomized pretest posttest quasi-experimental design with reading graded readers in class as the independent variable was used to determine if reading graded readers improved students’ spelling, reading levels, vocabulary levels, and grammar. An independent samples t-test was used to compare the means on the pretests and posttests. The Written Spelling-Fourth Edition (TWS) (1994), the Edinburgh Extensive Reading Project Reading (EPER) Levels Test (a cloze test), the Receptive Vocabulary Levels Test (RVLT) (2001) (a multiple-choice test), and the Oxford Online Placement Test (OOPT) (2009) were used as the pre and posttests. The results of this study indicate that reading graded readers in class for approximately 15-20 minutes four times a week has a significant impact on the spelling and reading levels of UAE male students aged 18-30 at p<.05 (t(265)=1.93, p=.054 and t(221)=2.74, p=.006 respectively), the vocabulary levels at p<.06 (t(265)=1.93, p=.054), and increases the mean score of the treatment group on an English proficiency test by 4.4 points.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of narrative therapy on mental health of addicts' wives treated in the addiction treatment centers in Khomeini Shahr. Methodology: This study was conducted based on the quasi-experimental method with pretest, posttest, and control group. The population of this study was included all the wives of the addicts who were under the therapy of the addiction treatment centers in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan, Iran. In this study, the addicts' wives were aware that their husbands were under the therapy in addiction treatment centers and were randomly put into the experimental group (15 individuals) and control group (15 individuals). The instrument of the research was General Health Questionnaire of Goldberg (1987). First, a pretest was taken from the experimental group and control group. Then, four sessions, which were 1 h were held for the experimental group. Finally, a posttest was taken from these two groups. Data were analyzed with the analysis of covariance. Result: Findings showed that narrative therapy had a statistically significant effect on the mental health of addicts' wives treated in the addiction treatment centers in Khomeini Shahr and increased their mental health (F = 8.96, P < 0.05). Conclusion: As a result, the narrative therapy approach is a change in their mental health for addressing consumers' wives tales about their position, family, and wife.

The study aims to see how effective the use of Flipped Classroom learning models with the Google Classroom application improves students' listening skills. This study was conducted at SMKN 6 Bone. The method used is quasi-experimental. The sample of this study was 56 students of class X SMKN 6 Bone who were selected using purposive sampling techniques. The research instruments used are the results of student writing tests, namely pretest and posttest. The ultimate goal of the study is intended to find out how effective the application of flipped classroom models with the Google Classroom application is to improve student learning outcomes in class X listening skills at SMKN 6 Bone.

The study aimed to find out the effect of a developed laboratory manual in Physics on the conceptual understanding of Industrial Technology students. A pretest-posttest matched group design with experimental and control groups, consisted of 21 students each that undergone matching procedures were used in the conduct of this study. Descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviations, and t-tests were used to interpret and analyze the data. Cohen’s d effect size measure was also employed in order to measure the practical significance of the instructional material. This effect size can be operationally defined as learning gains due to experimental treatment. Findings suggest that the developed laboratory manual in Physics was found to be effective in enhancing the conceptual understanding of the students during their Physics laboratory class. Thus, this positive result indicates a strong support for a utilization of the learning material for instructional and institutional use. Ar...

Contradictory results have been presented on how music listening affects patients' blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of music listening on blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate on operation day, and on the first, second, and third postoperative days in abdominal surgery patients. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design, 168 abdominal surgery patients were assigned every second week to the music group (n = 83) or to the control group (n = 85) for 25 months. In the music group, the respiratory rate was significantly lower after intervention on both the first and second postoperative days compared with the control group. A significant reduction in systolic blood pressure was demonstrated in the group that received music compared with the control group on both the first and second postoperative days. Evaluation of the long-term effects of music on physiological factors showed that the respiratory rate in the music group was significantly lower compared with the control group. Nurses should offer music listening to surgery patients because of its potential benefit.

A teaching-learning sequence on a socio-scientiic issue: Analysis and evaluation of its implementation in the classroom) This study investigates the efectiveness of a teaching-learning sequence on mining to improve understanding of the inluences and interactions between a technology (mining) and society, also known as interactions between science, technology and society and nature of science. The aim of the study is to show the possibility of teaching and assessing the most innovative issues and aspects of scientiic competence on understanding the nature of science, which are addressed in this study. The methodology uses a quasi-experimental, pre-post-test design with control group; the pre-post-test diferences are the empirical indicators of improved understanding. The improvements are modest, as the empirical diferences (pre-post and experimental-control group) are not large, though experimental group clearly over scores control. Further, the features that display relevant changes are identiied. The contributions of the study are the standardized teaching learning sequence and assessment instrument, as they are functional and transferable, to allow researchers and teachers, teaching and assessing the nature of science in the classroom.

En este trabajo se explora el efecto de las instituciones electorales en la composición de los electorados, particularmente el tipo de inscripción y el carácter de voluntariedad/obligatoriedad del voto. Explotando la reciente reforma electoral en Chile a través de un diseño cuasi-experimental, se comparan la composición de los electorados antes y después de la reforma, en base a los principales predictores sugeridos por la literatura especializada. Entre los hallazgos centrales se encuentran: un fuerte efecto de la edad en ambos contextos normativos, la importancia de la educación y de atención política tras la reforma, y la heterogeneidad de estos efectos entre las generaciones políticas. Adicionalmente, se cuantifica el efecto de la reforma electoral para distintos grupos, mostrando que ésta no afectó a todos por igual. Finalmente, se concluye ofreciendo una discusión de las implicancias democráticas de la reforma electoral y sus consecuencias en el sistema político.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of Alternative Energy Resources Curriculum on the problem-solving skills and achievement levels of the 7th-grade of primary school students. This study has been conducted with a total of 24 students in two classes equal to each other in the first term of 2009-2010 academic year in ITU‟s Development
Foundation Private Primary School of Natuk Birkan. These groups are formed according to their teachers‟ views and the students‟ grades, taken from the examinations at the end of the first unit for a science education course. These classes are divided into two groups: Control and experimental group. While students in the experimental group learn Science Education Course with the problem-solving ability, control group learns this lesson with traditional methods. Problem-solving ability and the student achievement test are applied to the students during their study. Scales are applied to the students before the practice as a pre-test and after the practice as a post-test. After six weeks the achievement test has been applied to the students as a retention test. For analyzing the data, Mann Whitney U tests and Related Groups Wilcoxon tests are used. At the end of the study, the following are obtained:
1. The level of students‟ success, according to the results of the problem-solving experiment group and traditional control group‟s pre and protest, any significant difference with contrast to each other is not found.
2. The ability of problem-solving, according to the results of the problem-solving experiment group and traditional control group‟s pre and protest, any significant difference with contrast to each other is not found.
3. According to a result of retention test, between problem-solving ability approach experimental group and the traditional control group a considerable difference in favour of the experimental group is found.
4. According to a result of retention test, between problem-solving ability experimental group and the traditional control group a considerable difference in favour of the experimental group has been found.

Effects of a stroke rehabilitation education programme for nurses Aims. This paper reports a study which aimed to explore the effects of education on the practice of nurses working in stroke rehabilitation units. Background. It has been suggested that a key component of the success of stroke units in reducing mortality and disability is the contribution made by nurses, but debate continues around their specific role. Literature has concentrated on nurses' perceptions of their role rather than their actual activities with patients. In studying the effects of education on nurses' practice with stroke patients there is a need to identify what nurses actually do, rather than what they say they do. Methods. A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design was used to study two stroke rehabilitation units. Non-participant observation was conducted during morning care sessions, focusing on styles of physical interaction. Base-line observations were recorded in each unit, after which the staff in the intervention unit received 7 hours' education, specifically focused on therapeutic handling in relation to morning care activities. Following this, postintervention observations were conducted and comparisons of interaction styles made between units. Results. Twenty-six staff and 37 patients took part in the study. Following the education, staff in the intervention unit showed a change in physical interaction style more in line with therapeutic practice, with the proportion of 'doing for' interventions reducing (45AE4% vs. 33AE2%; P < 0AE05). The proportion of facilitatory interventions increased (3AE9% vs. 6AE1%) however, this difference was not statistically significant (P ¼ 0AE098). The change in styles of practice was achieved with no increased demand on nurses' time. Conclusion. Education for nurses which aims to change styles of interaction with stroke patients can be effective. However, further research is required to identify the effect of nursing interventions on patient outcomes following stroke.

Electrodeposition can enable stoichiometric control of deposited samples through variation of electroplating potential. We demonstrate an in-situ technique for deposit analysis and stoichiometric control by interspersing periods of open-circuit during deposition. Opening the circuit in an organic Cu-In-S plating bath allows greater incorporation of Cu, In, and/or S into deposited films, based upon the open-circuit voltage the film/electrolyte interface is allowed to achieve. With the same deposition potential, samples can be made to vary from highly Cu-rich to highly In-rich through selection of an appropriate open-circuit voltage limit.

Video Analysis (VA) is an emerging technology currently used in sports, transportation, and security systems. VA is a method where an actual event is filmed, and the video is analysed and modeled using a software. The software involved generation of numerical values, equations, and graphs. This method can be applied to different experiments, such as those in Physics. However, there is a little knowledge on how this tool affects the motivation of students in learning the subject. In this study, the effect of VA on students’ motivation towards learning Physics is investigated. This study was implemented in a high school for six to eight weeks and utilized two groups, the VA group and Non-VA group. Each group comprised of thirty-five Grade 9 students. The study reveals that both groups have statistically indistinguishable self-efficacy (p = 0.067) and stimulation of learning environment (p = 0.086). On the other hand, students who used VA have statistically higher active learning strat...

While calls have been made for a multi/plural turn in Applied Linguistics, there remains a paucity of research investigating instruction that addresses the turn and its effects on student learning compared with monolingual one-languageonly instruction. This study examines the effects of plurilingual instruction on students' plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC) relative to monolingual English-only instruction. Moreover, it investigates potential additional affordances. Seven teachers in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program in a Canadian university taught two intact groups for four months: treatment (plurilingual instruction, n = 79) and comparison (monolingual instruction, n = 50) groups. Results from pre-and post-tests of the PPC scale show that students in the treatment group had higher PPC levels over time relative to students in the comparison group. Moreover, analyses of diaries and focus groups with students in the treatment group show that plurilingual instruction offers affordances such as cognition, empathy, and criticality. These results are significant as they suggest that plurilingual instruction may be more effective than monolingual instruction in the development of PPC and it offers several additional affordances.

The present study investigated the effect of two types of attention drawing techniques (i.e., choice and underlining) on the learners' intake of English connectors. The design of the study was a quasi-experimental research. Participants took a homogeneity test and were assigned to two experimental and a control group in Kalam Language Institute of Shoush. Then, sixty-nine learners were divided into three groups. The two experimental groups used attention drawing techniques to choose or underline the correct connectors in the texts. The control group, however, was simply exposed to read the text and exercise the drills of grammar in their text. Results indicated that both attention drawing techniques had a significant effect on the intake of the targeted forms of connectors. Implications of the study for practical teaching suggest that the attention drawing techniques can enhance learning connectors and they may be effective in teaching grammar to the pre-intermediate learners.

This article elucidates the effectiveness of the use of syntactic tree program in analyzing tagmemic structures in understanding linguistic elements.  Above and beyond, this study aims at knowing the effectiveness of this software to the university students to comprehend syntactic parsing in case of statistic results. Hence, the writer uses quantitative method in investigating the effectiveness of this program by using quasi-experimental technique. The results show that the students taught using this program are better in comprehending syntactic description and analysis meanwhile the students in control group find difficulties in parsing the linguistic elements in tagmemic structures. So, this program is proposed to use in syntactic parsing to linguistics classes.
Keywords: syntactic tree program, tagmemic structures, linguistics, statistics, effectiveness.

Using a quasi-experimental design, the author examined the effects of the Professional Development School Partnerships Deliver Success educational model on student academic achievement in science and mathematics in 12 high-needs, urban elementary, middle, and high schools in the southeastern United States. Student achievement was measured for first to eighth grade students by the State Criterion-Referenced Competency Test and for 11th-grade students by the State High School Graduation Test. 6 ANOVAs were used to compare baseline and year 1 performance data. Student ethnicity was used to disaggregate the data to investigate the extent, if any, to which achievement gaps narrowed. For the different ethnic groups, the small changes in proportion passing across the first year of implementation were not correlated with mean scale score changes as measured by Hedges's g effect sizes. This result has national implications for the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 policy in terms of reporting results. Three of the 6 ANOVAs showed significant change in achievement means for the PDS schools when using PDS school data only. However, when data from both PDS and matched comparison schools were analyzed, the overall results indicated no statistically significant gains in mathematics and science means for the professional development schools in relation to the comparison schools for the first year of professional development school implementation.