Practical Statistics for Educators

by Ruth Ravid

Overview

Practical Statistic for Educators, 6th Edition is a clear and easy-to-follow book written specifically for education students in introductory statistics and action research courses. It is also an invaluable resource and guidebook for educational practitioners who wish to study their own settings and for those involved in program evaluation.
The focus of the book is on essential concepts in educational statistics, understanding when to use various statistical tests, and how to interpret results. This book introduces educational students and practitioners to the use of statistics in education and basic concepts in statistics are explained in clear language. All of the examples used to explain the use of statistics in educational research are taken from the field of education and serve to illustrate the various concepts, terms, statistical tests, and data interpretations that are discussed in the book. Formulas and equations are used sparingly and readers are not required to do any computations. The book also includes a discussion of testing, test score interpretation, reliability, and validity. A chapter on survey design and analysis provide the book readers with examples which demonstrate how the different statistical tests introduced in the book can be used to analyzed survey data.

Chapter previews are provided, as well as succinct end-of-chapter summaries. The book’s glossary of main terms and concepts helps readers navigate the book and easily find useful information. Review exercises are included at the end of the book to allow readers to practice and apply their newly-acquired knowledge and skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475846829
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/02/2020
Edition description:	Sixth Edition
Pages:	310
Sales rank:	351,150
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ruth Ravid, PhD is professor emerita of education at National Louis University. Her areas of interest include action research, educational assessment, and school-university collaboration. Ravid is the co-authored a number of books, including Action Research in Education: A Practical Guide (2nd ed; with S. E. Efron, 2020); Writing the Literature Review: A Practical Guide (with S. E. Efron, 2019); and Practical Statistics for Business: An Introduction to Business Statistics (with P. Haan, 2008). Ravid co-edited a number of books, including Building and Maintaining Collaborative Communities (with J. J. Slater & R. M. Reardon, 2016); Collaboration in Education (with J. Slater, 2010); and The Many Faces of School-University Collaboration: Characteristics of Successful Partnerships (with M. G. Handler, 2001).

Table of Contents

List of Statistical Symbols
Preface
PART I. INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: An Overview of Educational Research
Chapter 2: Basic Concepts in Statistics
PART II. DESCRIBING DISTRIBUTIONS
Chapter 3: Organizing and Graphing Data
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency
Chapter 5: Measures of Variability
Chapter 6: The Normal Curve and Standard Scores
PART III. MEASURING RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 7: Correlation
Chapter 8: Prediction and Regression
PART IV. COMPARING GROUP MEANS
Chapter 9: t Test
Chapter 10: Analysis of Variance
PART V: CHI SQUARE TEST
Chapter 11: Chi Square Test
PART VI. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY
Chapter 12: Interpreting Standardized Test Scores
Chapter 13: Reliability
Chapter 14: Validity
PART VII. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Chapter 15: Choosing the Right Statistical Test
Chapter 16: Using Statistical Tests to Analyze Survey Data
Appendix-Study Guide
Glossary
Index
About the Author

What People are Saying About This

Daniel R. Tomal

An excellent resource for students and educators learning the application of educational research and statistics. I highly recommend it.

Philip A. Griswold

Concise but thorough treatment of elementary principles. I will use the text for a 2-course research method sequence for masters candidate.

Michelle Ann Bakerson

This book is one of the very best on the topic of statistics designed specifically for educators, offering a no nonsense, straight forward approach with specific examples in the field of education. My students find this book easy to read and tremendously helpful as they complete their own research. I continually recommend it to others.

Linda A. Catelli

Practical Statistics For Educators is a thoughtfully designed text that enables educators to easily understand and apply statistics and research in the field of education. I like the author’s style of writing, flow of information and the way she makes the application of statistics user-friendly! The book reduces course anxiety for anyone who may have a fear of statistics and provides users with a comfort level not found in many of other texts of its kind.

Jan Seiter

Great text with very clear exercises and relevant examples. Very useful in connecting theory with practice.

Editorial Reviews

I have really enjoyed this book because it clearly defines the statistical terms for me. As a K-12 administrator some of the statistical vocabulary is not part of my everyday language. By reading and studying the terms and analyzing the illustrations, I am getting a clearer picture of what the terms signify. I really, really like the summary at the end of the chapters. The summaries are thorough and give you more opportunity for retention in long term memory. I am very grateful that I have this textbook to lean on when understanding the abstract information.

This was my first statistics book in over ten years, and I felt it was a great resource for studying fundamental statistics and research with practical examples. I liked how the wording was brief and to the point, with little fluff. Because less is more, it was easier to find whenever I needed a quick reference for understanding statistical material. The book was also well-organized, with each chapter building on the topics taught in prior chapters, which aided learning flow. Overall, I believe that the sixth edition of Practical Statistics for Educators is a valuable resource for educators who wish to improve their statistical abilities and apply statistical principles in their work. Depending on the reader's specific needs and level of familiarity with statistics, they may require additional resources or texts to supplement their learning.

From the Publisher

To the reader who is a researcher, this is your text. To the administrator who needs a quick reference for understanding of statistical material, this is your text. To the doctoral candidate who’s writing a dissertation, this is your text. The author makes difficult material understandable…finally!

School Administrator

A brilliant gem full of practical, hands-on information ripe for the educational researcher’s data driven decision needs, this book is the perfect balance of abstract theory and practical example intertwined always with the needs of educators in mind. I use this book in my educational research courses, with program evaluation for non-profits and highly recommend it to faculty teaching statistics or action research.

Michelle Ann Bakerson

A great book for understanding basic statistics and research with practical examples.
I highly recommend this book.

Daniel R. Tomal

A basic statistics text written explicitly for educators, showing the application of research and statistics to education, and presenting examples of relevance to the field. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Teaching research and quantitative analysis to future school administrators, I have longed searched for the perfect textbook; My search is over! Practical Statistics for Educators (7th ed.) strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and complexity, making it an invaluable resource for any future or current school administrator navigating the world of data-informed decision-making. Ravid provides clear explanations and an awesome Study Guide that empower educators to harness the power of statistics in their day-to-day operations. Whether a seasoned administrator or just beginning the journey towards school administration, this book will be a trusted companion in making informed and impactful choices for your school community.

James T. Fox

I have really enjoyed this book because it clearly defines the statistical terms for me. As a K–12 administrator some of the statistical vocabulary is not part of my everyday language. By reading and studying the terms and analyzing the illustrations, I am getting a clearer picture of what the terms signify. I really, really like the summary at the end of the chapters. The summaries are thorough and give you more opportunity for retention in long term memory. I am very grateful that I have this textbook to lean on when understanding the abstract information.

Graciela Bell

This was my first statistics book in over ten years, and I felt it was a great resource for studying fundamental statistics and research with practical examples. I liked how the wording was brief and to the point, with little fluff. Because less is more, it was easier to find whenever I needed a quick reference for understanding statistical material. The book was also well-organized, with each chapter building on the topics taught in prior chapters, which aided learning flow. Overall, I believe that the sixth edition of Practical Statistics for Educators is a valuable resource for educators who wish to improve their statistical abilities and apply statistical principles in their work. Depending on the reader's specific needs and level of familiarity with statistics, they may require additional resources or texts to supplement their learning.

Xavier Santos

Great text with very clear exercises and relevant examples. Very useful in connecting theory with practice.

Jan Seiter

Concise but thorough treatment of elementary principles. I will use the text for a 2-course research method sequence for masters candidate.

Philip A. Griswold

Practical Statistics For Educators is a thoughtfully designed text that enables educators to easily understand and apply statistics and research in the field of education. I like the author’s style of writing, flow of information and the way she makes the application of statistics user-friendly! The book reduces course anxiety for anyone who may have a fear of statistics and provides users with a comfort level not found in many of other texts of its kind.

Linda A. Catelli

An excellent resource for students and educators learning the application of educational research and statistics. I highly recommend it.

Dan Tomal