Individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) projects obtain, check, harmonise and synthesise raw data from multiple studies. When undertaking the meta-analysis, researchers must decide between a two-stage or a one-stage approach. In a two-stage approach, the IPD are first analysed separately within each study to obtain aggregate data (e.g.,…

Conventional random-effects models in meta-analysis rely on large sample approximations instead of exact small sample results. While random-effects methods produce efficient estimates and confidence intervals for the summary effect have correct coverage when the number of studies is sufficiently large, we demonstrate that conventional methods…

Increased technological advances within marine biology requires professionals to become versed in interdisciplinary computer-based skills. Computational thinking (CT) is a contemporary concept used in educational settings across the globe to meet this need. CT has been incorporated into many curricula; however, incorporation strategies are vague…

Universal voucher programs for schools are rapidly expanding across the country. Under these programs, states give parents stipends to either homeschool their children or send them to private school. The growing popularity of vouchers raises a host of crucial questions and concerns. Key to informing the debate are questions of public finance and…

The synthetic control method (SCM) is a popular approach for estimating the impact of a treatment on a single unit with panel data. Two challenges arise with higher frequency data (e.g., monthly versus yearly): (1) achieving excellent pre-treatment fit is typically more challenging; and (2) overfitting to noise is more likely. Aggregating data…

This article aims to problematize the role of programming in mathematics education. Problematizing involves acknowledging a deeper complexity in the understanding of programming than originally perceived and questioning its assumed value in mathematics education. This approach entails identifying its underlying paradigmatic assumptions in relation…

Mathematical self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform tasks and solve problems in mathematics. This Snapshot examines gender differences in mathematical self-efficacy and the levels of confidence that students feel in doing a range of formal and applied mathematics tasks. It also examines the extent…

We propose a simple computational model that describes potential mechanisms underlying the organization and development of the lexical-semantic system in 18-month-old infants. We focus on two independent aspects: (i) on potential mechanisms underlying the development of taxonomic and associative priming, and (ii) on potential mechanisms underlying…

The purpose of this study is to look at how a music programming course affects the development of computational thinking in undergraduate music conservatory students. In addition to teaching the fundamentals of computational thinking, music programming, and logic, the course addresses the Four C's of education. The change in students' attitudes…

The partial correlation coefficient quantifies the relationship between two variables while taking into account the effect of one or multiple control variables. Researchers often want to synthesize partial correlation coefficients in a meta-analysis since these can be readily computed based on the reported results of a linear regression analysis.…

Multistate models are often used in social research to analyze how individuals move between states. A typical application is the estimation of the lifetime spent in a certain state, like the lifetime spent in employment, or the lifetime spent in good health. Unfortunately, the estimation of such quantities is prone to several biases. In this…

Valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR) as explained in most textbooks predicts that substituents bonded to a central atom in AX[subscript n]E[subscript z][superscript c] species (A = main-group central atom, X = substituent, E = lone pair on central atom, c = charge) will change their X-A-X angles to bend away from the lone pairs.…

Latent class analysis (LCA) refers to techniques for identifying groups in data based on a parametric model. Examples include mixture models, LCA with ordinal indicators, and latent class growth analysis. Despite its popularity, there is limited guidance with respect to decisions that must be made when conducting and reporting LCA. Moreover, there…

Constantly on the lookout for Canadian mathematics education matters, because if Canadian mathematics education matters then Canadian mathematics education matters, three young university bookstore employees, university students, unable to make proper change when I handed them a five dollar bill for a sticker I was purchasing for my laptop,…

In learning to program and understanding how a programming language controls a computer, learners develop both insights and misconceptions whilst their mental models are gradually refined. It is important that the learner is able to distinguish the different elements and roles of a computer (compiler, interpreter, memory, etc.), which novice…