Web Versus Other Survey Modes: An Updated and Extended Meta-Analysis Comparing Response Rates

Do web surveys still yield lower response rates compared with other survey modes? To answer this question, we replicated and extended a meta-analysis done in 2008 which found that, based on 45 experimental comparisons, web surveys had an 11 percentage points lower response rate compared with other survey modes. Fundamental changes in internet accessibility and use since the publication of the original meta-analysis would suggest that people’s propensity to participate in web surveys has changed considerably in the meantime. However, in our replication and extension study, which comprised 114 experimental comparisons between web and other survey modes, we found almost no change: web surveys still yielded lower response rates than other modes (a difference of 12 percentage points in response rates). Furthermore, we found that prenotifications, the sample recruitment strategy, the survey’s solicitation mode, the type of target population, the number of contact attempts, and the country in which the survey was conducted moderated the magnitude of the response rate differences. These findings have substantial implications for web survey methodology and operations

A Test of the Efficacy of a Brief, Web-Based Personalized Feedback Intervention to Reduce Drinking Among 9th Grade Students

Alcohol use increases substantially during the transition from middle school to high school. This study tested a brief, web-based personalized feedback program aimed at reducing risk factors for drinking, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences among 9th grade students. At a 3-month follow-up, students in the intervention group showed positive results relative to those in the control group on variables associated with reduced risk, including positive alcohol expectancies and positive beliefs about alcohol. Students in the intervention group also reported a reduction in drinking frequency and alcohol-related consequences relative to those in the control group. There were, however, no differences in normative beliefs regarding peer drinking or quantity of weekly drinking between the two groups. Results indicate that a brief, web-based personalized normative feedback program delivered in the school setting is a promising approach to reducing alcohol use and the associated consequences among 9th grade students

The application of evidence-based methods in survey methodology

This dissertation is dedicated to the application of evidence-based methods in survey research. Although survey research is a relatively young discipline, knowledge and contradictory findings abound in this field, as in other disciplines. So this dissertation will first provide an overview of evidence-based research and its necessity in the field of survey methodology. Afterwards the application of evidence-based methods in terms of experimental research and meta-analysis are demonstrated. Herewith the four research examples given are focusing on mobile response quality, web response mode comparison, cross-cultural online response behavior and interviewer training. This dissertation closes with an outlook on the application of evidence-based methods in survey methodology

An Analysis of Induction-Year Agricultural Education Teachers' Attitude toward Teaching during the 2011-2012 School Year in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico

Teacher shortages are a critical issue for education, and agricultural education has not been exempt from this trend. Many factors possibly contribute to this lack of qualified teachers. Researchers suggest that retention practices, stress factors associated with agricultural education, and job satisfaction may be areas for improvement within the profession. A deeper understanding of the problems beginning teachers experience is a critical first step in raising the retention rate for new teachers. An original researcher-designed instrument based on Moir was composed of 66 items intended to measure induction-year teachers’ attitude toward teaching and was administered at six different points in time to induction-year agriculture teachers in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico during the 2011–2012 school year. Data collection occurred via a mixed mode design following the Tailored Design Method. The overall response rate was 52.5% with 197 responses to the instrument. All 66 scale items from the original questionnaire were included in the principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation; coefficients with an absolute value less than 0.45 were suppressed. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) of sampling adequacy was 0.787 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001). Factor analysis yielded a nine factor solution using varimax rotation. Forty-five items composed the Agricultural Education Induction-Year Teacher Attitudinal Scale. Descriptive names for the constructs were the product of 20 experts in the field of agricultural education: “Professional Efficacy,” “Balanced Reflection,” “Professional Commitment,” “Professional Confidence,” “Anticipated Change,” “Work-Life Balance,” “Strategic Renewal,” “Problem Solving,” and “Professional Resolve.” Overall reliability coefficient for the proposed new instrument was 0.88. Overall attitude toward teaching was not statistically significantly different across measures. No significant predictors of attitude toward teaching based on selected demographic variables were generated as a result of forced entry regression. Grand mean scores per round did not statistically differ from one round to another. A model of induction-year agricultural education teacher’s attitudes was proposed along with a scale adjusted model of agricultural education teacher attitude toward teaching. A model of all attitude constructs was presented to illustrate the effect of time on the attitude of the induction-year agricultural education teachers

Teachers’ perception of chemistry outreach work, especially in the context of children’s social demography

The aim of this current research is to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the purpose and impact of chemistry/science outreach work. Considering views of educators, both in training and practice, is an important area to explore as teachers are the gatekeepers to these experiences and consciously or subconsciously have their own views about the value of these programmes. In addition, the teacher can influence a child’s view of their scientific ability which can potentially inform an individual’s decisions and perceptions regarding science as a career. It is necessary for a teacher to be aware of their pivotal role within the classroom and how their own ‘habitus’ may have an impact on those whom they teach. This pilot study was an illustrative exercise to analyse a small sample of data and provide a focus for a subsequent main data collection where the level of response will be much higher. The study sought to answer the following question; what do teachers in the North-West of England think about chemistry based outreach programmes, especially in the context of children’s social demography? However, no ‘conclusions’ or generalisations are derived from this small sample itself, only emerging themes are discussed. These themes highlight how teachers may perceive chemistry/science outreach to be of greater importance the higher the educational level and how these programmes may provide experiences and opportunities for students from a lower socio-economic background

Beyond the horizon of measurement: Festschrift in honor of Ingwer Borg

"Modesty and academic excellence paired with trustfulness and truthfulness, these are the descriptions we would choose, if asked to describe Ingwer Borg in a nutshell. A glance at his oevre reveals a multi-talented, innovative, and cross-disciplinary scientist, who, by all means, could fill his walls with eminent names, topics, positions, and publications. This is in contrast to the frugality of his office, a scientific workbench, not a celebrity's showroom. In addition to his academic pursues he likes to venture into real life, too. This volume is organized in two parts. The first part deals with measurement issues including the application of multidimensional scaling to substantive issues but where the method is center-stage. The second part in substantive in focus and deals with questions of the organization of firms and employee attitudes." (author's abstract). Contents: Peter Ph. Mohler: Sampling from a universe of items and the De-Machiavellization of questionnaire design (9-14); Hubert Feger: Some analytical foundations of multidimensional scaling for ordinal data (15-40); Patrick J.F. Groenen, Ivo A. van der Lans: Multidimensional scaling with regional restrictions for facet theory: an application to Levy's political protest data (41-64); Arie Cohen: A comparison between factor analysis and smallest space analysis of the comprehensive scoring system of the Rorschach (65-72); Wolfgang Bilsky: On the structure of motives: beyond the 'big three' (73-84); Shlomit Levy, Dov Elizur: Values of veteran Israelis and new immigrants from the former Soviet Union: a facet analysis (85-104); Simon L. Dolan, Christian Acosta-Flamma: Values and propensity to adopt new HRM web-based technologies as determinants of HR efficiency and effectiveness: a firm level resource-based analysis (105-124); Sanjay T. Menon: Non-hierarchical emergent structure: a case study in alternative management (125-138); Christiane Spitzmüller, Dana M. Glenn: Organizational survey response: previous findings and an integrative framework (139-162); Thomas Staufenbiel, Maren Kroll, Cornelius J. König: Could job insecurity (also) be a motivator? (163-174); Michael Braun, Miriam Baumgärtner: The effects of work values and job characteristics on job satisfaction (175-188)

A survey of business educational simulations and their adoption by business educators.

A survey was designed to investigate the current usage of business simulations in academic education. The purpose of the study was to discover (i) differences between current users, non-users and former users of educational simulations; (ii) modes of communication used for information; (iii) reasons for adoption and; (iv) currently used simulations. An Internet survey invited 14,497 educators from the professional organizations of ABSEL, ISAGA and AACSB member affiliated business schools. The invitations were accepted by 1085 respondents who were categorized into (i) 30.5% current business simulation users; (ii) 17.3% non-users; and (iii) 52.2% former users. It was found that users and former users have no significant differences in demographic and attitudinal characteristics between them. However, non-users have differences in attitudes that distinguish them from users. Lastly, the communication channels and the currently used simulation game titles were analysed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2003 .G49. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, page: 0025. Adviser: W. Wellington. Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013

A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources--the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the School and Staffing Survey and the Campus Safety and Security Survey

Secondary Advanced Academic Courses: Instructors' Attitudes and Differentiated Practices for Gifted Students in Heterogeneous AP and IB Courses

Advanced secondary academic programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) were traditionally reserved for challenging gifted and high-ability students to engage in college-level coursework while still in high school. The landscape of secondary gifted services is changing, however. College admissions formulas now have expanded to include participation in advanced coursework, and several financial, accountability, and scholarship incentive programs have been developed across the United States at federal, state, and local levels to entice students with a wider range of ability levels to enroll in AP and IB courses. Consequently, AP and IB classes have become a "cornerstone of American high school reform" and increasingly are becoming more heterogeneous (Bruley, 2014; Bunnell, 2009; Colangelo et al., 2004; College Board, 2014; Gallagher, 2009, p. 117; "National Inventory," 2006). With AP and IB courses continuing to serve as the most prevalent method of secondary gifted services, there are growing concerns that as these classes become more heterogeneous, their appropriateness for gifted students will decrease (Callahan, 2003; Gallagher, 2009; Lichten, 2000; Winebrenner, 2006). Secondary Advanced Academic Courses: Instructors' Attitudes and Differentiated Practices for Gifted Students in Heterogeneous AP and IB Classrooms responds to this concern. This dissertation study explored AP and IB instructors' attitudes toward gifted education, how frequently they differentiated curriculum and instruction for their gifted students, and how their attitudes as well as contextual variables ultimately impacted their differentiated classroom practices. A survey invitation was delivered electronically to a national, random sample of 9,787 AP and IB instructors, and 377 surveys were returned, yielding a return rate of 3.85%. Respondents expressed their attitudes toward gifted education by completing Gagné and Nadeau’s Attitude Scale (Gagné, 1991-a), indicated how frequently they used specified instructional practices for both their gifted and non-gifted students by completing Archambault et al.'s (1993) Classroom Practices Teacher Survey, and completed a teacher information questionnaire collecting contextual data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM). Additionally, participants' optional comments were categorized, and a set of themes emerged from the data. The data suggested AP and IB instructors' attitudes about gifted education ranged from ambivalent to very positive overall. Instructors reported ambivalent attitudes concerning school acceleration and the perception that gifted education is elitist. They reported somewhat positive attitudes about the social value of gifted persons, the idea that gifted students need more than what the regular school program can provide, and the idea that gifted students need equal opportunities for learning compared with other student groups. They showed very positive attitudes about the need to offer and support gifted education. AP and IB instructors indicated they offered multiple types of differentiated practices several times per a month, sometimes daily, with their gifted students. The data showed instructors encouraged higher-level questions daily, modified the curriculum and instruction and allowed students to pursue individual interests several times a month, and assigned projects and reports slightly more than once a month. Instructors rarely, if ever, assigned seatwork or provided learning or enrichment centers. With the exceptions of seatwork and learning or enrichment centers, when the frequencies of these practices with gifted students were compared with the frequencies of these practices with non-gifted students within the same class, the differences seemed quite small, as instructors reported engaging in all activities only slightly more with their gifted students as compared with their non-gifted students. Although the differences seemed small, however, they were statistically significant. Optional comments instructors provided indicated that they treated all students the same because they felt the AP and IB course content is sufficient to meet gifted students' needs, the curriculum does not allow time to differentiate, and non-gifted students are as equally capable as gifted students. Only one attitudinal factor significantly influenced instructors' classroom practices with their gifted students. Educators with more positive attitudes about the need to offer and fund special educational services for the gifted more frequently offered differentiated activities for their gifted students in all measured areas. No contextual variable examined in this study had a significant impact on any of the classroom practices factors. Two contextual variables, however, significantly impacted instructors' attitudes. Having 0-3 years of experience teaching gifted students had a statistically positive effect on instructors' attitudes about school acceleration. Additionally, having some degree of training in gifted education, as opposed to no training, had a statistically significant positive effect on attitudes about gifted students' being equally important to serve compared with other student groups. Although respondents indicated they offered differentiated activities for their students several times a month, sometimes daily, their providing only slight modifications for gifted students as compared with their non-gifted students support other studies suggesting modifications for gifted students typically are limited (Draper & Post, 2010; Hertberg-Davis, Callahan, & Kyburg, 2006; MacFarlane, 2008). This study also adds to the conversation about instructors' attitudes toward gifted and how attitudes may influence classroom decisions, as research in this area has shown mixed results (Copenhaver & McIntyre, 1992; Cramond & Martin, 1987; Gagné, 1983; Megay-Nespoli, 2001; McCoach & Siegle, 2007). When considering that only slight modifications for gifted students are being made in mixed-ability AP and IB classrooms, and considering that instructors' justifications for their lack of differentiation revolved around "rigid" AP and IB requirements, it seems logical this problem should be addressed by the entities responsible for the programs and AP and IB teacher preparation‒the College Board and the International Baccalaureate. With an increasing diverse student body in terms of preparation and ability, it is imperative that AP and IB instructors not only help all students be successful in an accelerated and rigorous environment, but also understand how to provide optimal learning experiences for gifted students within this changing landscape.Curriculum and Instruction, Department o