In thinking about my own failure to get students to ask follow up
questions to a null hypothesis test I have formulated a couple of possible
reasons. Let me know what you think.
1. Even when we teach statistics in the discipline areas we fail to
integrate it with research. We teach a course in statistics and a course
in research design/methodology as if they were two distinct topics. It
seems to me that this could easily encourage the type of thinking that
leads to substantive questions not being linked to the statistical
hypothesis/procedure selected.
I have often wondered if an integrated course/course sequence might not be
better.
2. Texts of all types often help students by providing bullet lists of
procedures that facilitate carrying out some task in the same way every
time. In at least some statistics books we see a list that starts with
something like "specify the null and alternative hypothesis" and conclude
with "make your statistical decision". The student has only been taught
to specify a null of no difference and the statistical decision is
reject/accept (fail to reject) the null.
At the very least it seems that this list should be amended to include a
step that involves specifying "how much" of an effect was observed. If
your students are sophisticated enough, there should also be an
interpretation step where the student is asked to speculate about
behavioral changes (should anyone change their behavior because of these
results? Why?), need for additional information (is there something else
that people should know before changing their behavior?), and such that
results from the findings.
Michael
*******************************************************************
Michael M. Granaas
Associate Professor [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Psychology
University of South Dakota Phone: (605) 677-5295
Vermillion, SD 57069 FAX: (605) 677-6604
*******************************************************************
All views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect those of the University of South Dakota, or the South
Dakota Board of Regents.
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