Typical Bayesian methods for models with latent variables (or random effects) involve directly sampling the latent variables along with the model parameters. In high-level software code for model definitions (using, e.g., BUGS, JAGS, Stan), the likelihood is therefore specified as conditional on the latent variables. This can lead researchers to…

This study investigated factors that are associated with the creative motor skills of young children. We recruited through random sampling 233 typically developing children attending preschool or kindergarten in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. We administered a "General Information Form" to gather the children's demographic characteristics and…

In this paper, we detail a convergent mixed-methods survey of faculty teaching applied social statistics courses, analyzed through a framework of learning theory. The survey explored faculty perceptions and use of recommended strategies for statistics education, perceived barriers to student success, and general recommendations for instruction in…

Large-scale language testing uses statistical information to account for the quality of an assessment system. In this reflection article, I explain how basic statistics can be used meaningfully in the context of classroom language assessment. The paper explores a series of statistical calculations that can be used to examine test scores and…

Teaching introductory statistics to postgraduate students from multidisciplinary background and with diverse mathematics ability is a huge challenge that many statistics lecturers do not deny. The large ability range can make it very difficult for lecturers to fine tune the right level for effective course delivery. Even though an introductory…

Accompanied by increasing demands on school administrator preparation and rapid development of computer technology, educational statistics courses are exposed to unprecedented pressures for changing both curriculum content and computing platforms. In this article, the intended curriculum is reviewed according to data analysis expectations from…

There has been growing concern about the rising numbers of students being excluded from school in England -- a trend that is often set against the declining levels of exclusion elsewhere. In Wales and Scotland, for example, numbers of students permanently excluded from school have fallen dramatically. However, we argue that simple system-level…

The researchers employed a confirmatory tetrad analysis (CTA) using partial least squares--structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with Outcome Questionnaire--45.2 (OQ-45) data, examining the measurement model of the OQ-45 scores with a sample of male adult clients (N = 1,558) receiving individual therapy at a university-based community counseling…

Statistics and methodology play a crucial role in psychological research, and university psychology courses teach students the theory and application of various statistical methods. However, students who conduct their own research projects oftentimes face problems which are specific to their data and cannot be solved using standard curricular…

Purpose: The aims of this study were (a) to assess the efficacy of the Vocabulary Acquisition and Usage for Late Talkers (VAULT) treatment and (b) to compare treatment outcomes for expressive vocabulary acquisition in late talkers in 2 conditions: 3 target words/90 doses per word per session versus 6 target words/45 doses per word per session.…

Researchers are often inclined to test agreement or discrepancy hypotheses using difference scores. This commentary explains 2 mathematical-statistical principles underlying associations with difference scores and 2 conceptual-interpretation problems that make difference scores inappropriate for testing such hypotheses. The commentary provides…

The Mathematics and Statistics Support Centre (MSSC) at Central Queensland University (CQU), which is part of the Academic Learning Centre (ALC), has been in operation since 1984 as the first MSSC in Australia. The Mathematics Learning Support (MLS) centres have spread to almost every university in Australia currently. The MSSC at CQU offers free…

Typically, training in Russia for professionals includes school, university, and postgraduate education. People make their choice regarding university or job after school, and they choose jobs after university. These are very sensitive matters. Help in making the right choice is a real asset. The Russian Association of Statisticians (RASt) is an…

In this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Roy Levy describes Bayesian approaches to psychometric modeling. He discusses how Bayesian inference is a mechanism for reasoning in a probability-modeling framework and is well-suited to core problems in educational measurement: reasoning from student performances on an assessment to make inferences about their…

In this paper, we address the following questions: What misconceptions do high school students exhibit in their first encounter with significance test problems through a repeated sampling approach? Which theory or framework could explain the presence and features of such patterns? With brief prior instruction on the use of Fathom software to…