Sample of Dataset to Construct Research Question, comparison of a means test- Using SPSS

Using the SPSS software, open the High School Longitudinal Study dataset found in this week’s Learning Resources and construct a research question that involves a comparison of a means test. Use SPSS to answer the research question you constructed and post your response to the following:

1. What is your research question? My research question is: How can I test for any possible differences between parent’s highest level of education and respondent’s sex (i.e. male and female)?
2. What is the null hypothesis for your question? Using the Levene’s Test for equality of variances and assuming equal and/or non-equal variances, our null hypothesis is that there is no difference between parent highest level of education in male and female respondents.
3. What research design would align with this question? Research design is a complete package design that helps to answer research questions and hypothesis. The research design I used is the comparative design of methodology. In social sciences, this type of research design is purposed to define the correlation or differences among variables (Cantrell, 2011).
4. What comparison of means test was used to answer the question (be sure to defend the use of the test using the article you found in your search)? I used the independent samples t-test to answer my research question. This is because independent samples t-test is an assessment test that allow for comparison of two means through an independent non-metric variable (Sedgwick, 2010).
5. What dependent variable was used and how is it measured? My dependent variable is the Parent 1: highest level of education. This is measured as a test variable (input) for which the mean of the two groups is measured on.
6. What independent variable is used and how is it measured? I used an independent or grouping variable as student’s sex.  I measured student’s sex by defining group variable using specific value grouping to be Group 1 for male and Group 2 for female. I choose respondent that self-identify as male and female only
7. If you found significance, what is the strength of the effect? If I was to use a traditional level of p-value to be P<0.05, I would assume an equal variance of non-statistically significance. Therefore, no statistical significance found.
8. Identify your research question and explain your results for a lay audience, what is the answer to your research question? My research question addressed the important of finding group differences or mean differences between male and female in relation to their parent’s highest level of education. This is important in statistical analysis for how we can find levene’s test for equality of variances while making critical decision to either accept or reject the null hypothesis. In this case, either the equal or non-equal variance of assumption identified any sign of statistical significance. In calculating statistical significance using conventional 0.050 threshold; from the chart, we can see that P>0.05, which leads us to accept null hypothesis that there is no difference between parent’s highest level of education in male and female group. This also leads us to a very important conclusion, i.e when we are looking at the differences between two groups of interest, we ought to evaluate the difference between their mean relative to the variability of their outcome (or we call it, marks). The t-test variability does just the exact. The mean of the group, standard deviation of the group, and even the standard error of the mean appeared to be equal among the two groups. This further helps to explain difference between the groups as not practically and statistically significant.

Reference

Cantrell, M. A. (2011). Demystifying the research process: Understanding a descriptive comparative research design. Pediatric Nursing, 37(4), 188-9.

Sedgwick, P. (2010). Independent samples t test. BMJ : British Medical Journal, 340.