Group design studies in education include groups such as students, teachers, caregivers, schools, or districts assigned to conditions, typically treatment and control, to compare outcomes between the groups. Although the use of group designs in education has become more frequent and robust, the use of group designs in rural education lags far…

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is helpful for laypersons' decision-making. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning materials on the essential components of EBM for laypersons. We conducted a web-based, open-label, randomized controlled trial with laypersons in Japan aged [greater than or equal to]20 years who used the internet.…

Context: Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in educational research compare innovative academic programs to business-as-usual instruction (BAU), with the goal of drawing causal inferences regarding their efficacy. However, the changing landscape of education matched with variations of content standards, teaching approaches, and local…

This study examined bias reduction in the eight nonequivalent comparison group designs (NECGDs) that result from combining (a) choice of a local versus non-local comparison group, and analytic use or not of (b) a pretest measure of the study outcome and (c) a rich set of other covariates. Bias was estimated as the difference in causal estimate…

The randomized trial of the Making Socially Accepting Inclusive Classrooms (MOSAIC) program included intensive coaching from research staff to support teachers' implementation of MOSAIC strategies and resulted in positive student outcomes (Mikami et al., J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 51(6):1039-1052, 2022). However, these intensive procedures…

This paper considers recent efforts to conduct experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of career and technical education programs. It focuses on understanding the counterfactual, or control population, for these program evaluations, discussing how the educational experiences of the control population might vary from those of the treated…

In this study, we used a randomized control trial (N = 84) to evaluate the effects of a classroom-based motivational interviewing intervention on undergraduate psychology students' test performance. Results indicated that students in the treatment group (n = 38) demonstrated significant increases in their exam grades following the intervention (d…

Context: Assessments of baseline equivalency of intervention and control groups, "balance," play a critical role in evaluating educational interventions. The highest What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) of the Institute of Educational Studies (IES) standard for educational studies, "Meets WWC Design Standards Without Reservations,"…

Objective: To build the evidence base for first aid education by testing the hypothesis that learners will be more confident and willing to act in an emergency if their first aid education has attempted to break down perceived barriers to helping. Design: Additional activities were appended to and delivered alongside a control curriculum…

Background: An efficacy study based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed to evaluate the impact of ASSISTments on math learning among middle school students, including those from high-needs rural schools. Despite extensive recruitment efforts in 2021 (during the pandemic), only a few schools and their teachers agreed to participate,…

This is a technical report detailing the analytic methods used to assess the effects of a virtual professional learning community (vPLC)-enhanced ASSISTments intervention. The report uses a quasi-experimental design and partially nested regression model to account for clustering and reveals that while overall effects were positive but not…

This study aims to evaluate the impact of a social cognitive theory (SCT)-based intervention on dietary behaviors and behavioral determinants. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 230 adolescent girls (13-15 years old) in the intervention (n=115), and control group (n = 115), in Isfahan, Iran. Interventions were focused on changing SCT…

We report the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a structured behavioral intervention with a sample of minimally verbal girls with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 2 and 6 years old. Ten participants with no functional vocal behavior were randomized to a 4-week behavioral intervention or waitlist control group. Caregivers reported…

Randomization of large number of participants to different treatment groups is often not a feasible or preferable way to answer questions of immediate interest to professional practice. Single case designs (SCDs) are a class of research designs that are experimental in nature but require only a few participants, all of whom receive the…

Gaining weight above the Institute of Medicine recommended range contributes to the development of obesity, which increases risk for diseases. We evaluated the effectiveness of an educational program with the spouse's participation on the optimal gestational weight gain (GWG) in pregnancy. We conducted a randomized controlled trial on 128…