Monday, August 16 Chapter 9 (241-243) Educational Research
Vocabulary
1. Single-subject design: (text pg. 241) individual behavior recorded before and after an intervention.
Researchers use individuals to study an intervention on behavior utilizing a single-subject design.
2. Baseline: (text pg. 241) measurement of behavior before the intervention.
The baseline refers to a period of time in which the target behavior is observed and recorded as it occurs without a special or new program or procedure.
3. Multiple-baseline design: (text pg. 243) more than one subject, behavior or setting.
In a single-subject multiple-baseline design, observations are made on several subjects, different target behaviors of one or more subjects, or different situations.
Reflection
Single-subject designs seem the most applicable as a classroom teacher when it comes to educational research. I don’t envision myself running or being a part of a quantitative study right now. Even a qualitative study seems quite daunting, but the single-subject design actually seems plausible. In some ways, I do this all the time in my class. When a student faces some difficulty, whether behaviorally or academically, I brainstorm ways to help that student. When a good idea comes up, we implement that “intervention” in class. The central differences are that I don’t record the data and I usually don’t go back to the baseline after the intervention. With the information provided from this class and the text, I have a better understanding of how to implement an intervention and ensure that it is successful.
