Research Proposal PSY 520

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Grand Canyon University *

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520

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Arts Humanities

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Jan 9, 2024

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1 Research Proposal Tyria Foster College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University PSY-520: Graduate Statistics Yanran Chen June 28, 2023

2 Background Information Currently, there is a concern in our local elementary school about the effectiveness of the math curriculum for 5th graders. Over the past few years, there has been a noted decline in the math performances of 5th graders at our local elementary school. There have been increasing complaints from parents about their children struggling with the current math course content and teachers are also finding it challenging to teach some concepts effectively. These issues highlight an urgent need for a change in the curriculum to not only boost students' performance but also enhance teaching efficiency. The importance of this issue stems from the fact that mathematics forms a fundamental component of a child’s academic journey and plays a crucial role in shaping their problem-solving skills (O’Connell & Johnson, 2021). The declining trend is concerning because mathematical competency is essential for both daily life and future academic success. Furthermore, it signifies possible gaps in learning that may affect their overall educational progress. As such, it's become apparent that the current curriculum might not be effectively catering to 5th graders' math learning needs - hence necessitating a review and potential change. Therefore, addressing this problem will significantly impact on the overall success of our learners (Brown & Davis, 2017). Hypothesis The research question that emerges from this situation is: "Will implementing a new math curriculum improve the mathematical performance of 5th-grade students?" To statistically test this question, we would set up null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis (H0) would state: There is no significant difference in the math scores of 5th graders after the implementation of the new curriculum. In notation, H0: μ1 = μ2 where μ1 refers to mean score before curriculum change and μ2 refers to mean score after curriculum change. Conversely, our alternative

3 hypothesis (Ha) would posit: The new curriculum significantly improves math scores among 5th graders. Notationally represented as Ha: μ1 < μ2. Collecting Data Collecting relevant data is key towards testing these hypotheses. We first need demographic information such as age and gender of students, years of experience and qualification levels of teachers. All without violating privacy norms surrounding sensitive demographic details. We'd then require data on current student grades and teacher feedback regarding difficulties faced in imparting education under existing system. To gather these, we might employ techniques like surveys/questionnaires for parents/teachers/students alike or conduct controlled experiments comparing results achieved using both old/new teaching methodologies. Based on the nature of this study, a comparison of means before and after an intervention, the appropriate statistical test would be a paired-samples t-test (also known as a dependent samples t-test) (Smith & Jones, 2018). This test compares the means from two related groups to determine if there exists a statistically significant difference between them, ideal for pre- and post-intervention comparisons like ours. According to Fraenkel et al., (2019), paired-samples t- tests are well-suited for education-based studies involving measurement of achievement over time or under differing conditions. Having collected pertinent data, we would need to decide upon an appropriate statistical test for analysis, I suggest using ANOVA (Analysis Of Variance). This method allows us to compare means from more than two groups which fits our case as we're comparing performances across different sets/groups: those taught under old system versus ones receiving instruction via new program. Several studies support use of ANOVA in educational settings

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