Practical Statistics for Educators

by Ruth Ravid

Overview

In K12 and higher education, the on-the-job daily demand for “evidence-based decision making” to solve problems and improve education is ubiquitous. This affordable resource provides educators and administrators with the knowledge and confidence they need to select and design the right measurement tools and statistical tests for the problem at hand, interpret and display the data, and propose evidence-based solutions to improve educational outcomes.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538191712
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/06/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel R. Tomal

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

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

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.

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

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