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Diagnose the research design used by the school administrator. Explain why, based on the limitations of this design, the administrator's claim about the tutoring software's success is scientifically invalid.
Case context: A school administrator implements a new online math tutoring software. Immediately after completing the program, the students are surveyed and of them report having more confidence in math. The administrator claims the tutoring software was a major success.
Question: Diagnose the research design used by the school administrator. Explain why, based on the limitations of this design, the administrator's claim about the tutoring software's success is scientifically invalid.
Sample answer: The administrator used a one-group posttest only design. The claim is invalid because there is no comparison group or prior measurement. Without a baseline or a group that did not use the tutoring software, it is impossible to determine if the confidence level was actually caused by the software or by other factors.
Key points:
- Identify the design as a one-group posttest only design.
- State that there is no comparison/control group.
- Explain that without a comparison group, alternative explanations cannot be ruled out.
- Explain that the actual effectiveness of the treatment cannot be determined.
Rubric: A high-quality response must identify the design as a one-group posttest only design, note the lack of a comparison group or pretest baseline, and explain that the lack of comparison makes it impossible to determine if the tutoring software actually caused the increase in confidence.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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