Evaluating Interventions with Multimethod Data: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

In many intervention and evaluation studies, outcome variables are assessed using a multimethod approach comparing multiple groups over time. In this article, we show how evaluation data obtained from a complex multitrait–multimethod–multioccasion–multigroup design can be analyzed with structural equation models. In particular, we show how the structural equation modeling approach can be used to (a) handle ordinal items as indicators, (b) test measurement invariance, and (c) test the means of the latent variables to examine treatment effects. We present an application to data from an evaluation study of an early childhood prevention program. A total of 659 children in intervention and control groups were rated by their parents and teachers on prosocial behavior and relational aggression before and after the program implementation. No mean change in relational aggression was found in either group, whereas an increase in prosocial behavior was found in both groups. Advantages and limitations of the proposed approach are highlighted.     

Success factors impacting Latina/o persistence in higher education leading to STEM opportunities

This study investigates how Latina/Latino youth resist, conform to, and persist in schooling, and explores their preparation for an education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Using Latino Critical Race Theory as a framework, evidence of the “sticky mess” of racial inequalities (Espinoza and Harris in Calif Law Rev 10:499–559, 1997) and the concept of community cultural wealth (Yosso in Race Ethn Educ 8:69–91, 2005) will be used to understand how Latina/o students successfully persist in college. Quantitative and qualitative findings collected at two public universities in 2007–2012 show that Latina/o parents play a significant role in influencing their children’s decision to attend college; family, friend and community support and hard work have also been instrumental in college success. This is evident through parents’ encouragement to persist, expectations to do well and students serving as role models for siblings and peers. As policy makers in the educational arena emphasize STEM fields, there is a significant opportunity for Latino students to make valuable contributions.     

Fostering Cooperative and Competitive Competencies of Non-business Graduates by Economic Education

In the course of the European Bologna process, the notion of employability becomes increasingly important for universities. Graduates are in particular employable, if they exactly possess those abilities and skills, which are required by employers. Studies show that in the context of recruiting university graduates, employers do not only pay attention to expertise and soft skills, but also care about knowledge referring to products, markets, customers and competitors of their relevant industry. Employers increasingly expect economic knowledge as well as its application which is also expected by graduates, who have not completed a course of studies in economics or business administration. At this point, business skills take on greater significance. Whereas the expertise normally is achieved by completing a course of studies at university and soft skills are incorporated in a cross-section of universities, business skills are not. The article discusses, in what way, cooperative and competitive skills are predestined for enhancing the employability of graduates. With regard to business education and ethics, particular attention should be paid to the concept of competency as well as the self-determined taking on of one＇s own position. An inclusion of economic educational modules as a part of extracurricular studies can, by means of its practical with use-oriented focus, not only improve employability, but also form the basis of a reflexive professional life.     

Die Umwegrentabilit?t einer Hochschule am Beispiel der FH JOANNEUM Campus Kapfenberg

Hochschulen verursachen nicht nur Kosten, sondern generieren auch einen erheblichen Nutzen, da sie Geld- und Güterstr?me zwischen der ?ffentlichen Hand, Privatpersonen und Unternehmen in Gang setzen. Daraus resultieren tangible (in Geldwerten messbare) und intangible (nicht in Geldwerten messbare) Effekte, die durch den Betrieb einer Hochschule entstehen. Diese Auswirkungen wurden für den Standort Kapfenberg der FH JOANNEUM erhoben. Aus der durchgeführten Analyse ergeben sich folgende Effekte: aus kurzfristiger Sichtweise flie?en j?hrlich fast 3,0 Mio. € der Region Bruck/Mur-Kapfenberg zu, der mittelfristig in der Region verbleibende Kaufkraftanteil betr?gt über 2,0 Mio. € und aus langfristiger Perspektive werden durch das Bestehen der FH JOANNEUM Campus Kapfenberg fast 3,6 Mio. € an zus?tzlichem Einkommen in der Region Bruck/Mur-Kapfenberg induziert. Daneben entstehen durch die Existenz einer Hochschule auch noch positive Effekte für eine Region, die nicht eindeutig quantifizierbar sind.     

Maturation of consonant perception,but not vowel perception,predicts lexical skills at 12 months

Consonants and vowels differentially contribute to lexical acquisition. From 8 months on, infants' preferential reliance on consonants has been shown to predict their lexical outcome. Here, the predictive value of German-learning infants' (n = 58, 29 girls, 29 boys) trajectories of consonant and vowel perception, indicated by the electrophysiological mismatch response, across 2, 6, and 10 months for later lexical acquisition was studied. The consonant-perception trajectory from 2 to 6 months (β = −2.95) and 6 to 10 months (β = −.91), but not the vowel-perception trajectory, significantly predicted receptive vocabulary at 12 months. These results reveal an earlier predictive value of consonant perception for word learning than previously found, and a particular role of the longitudinal maturation of this skill in lexical acquisition.     

The role of spatial ability in mixed reality learning with the HoloLens

The use of mixed reality in science education has been increasing and as such it has become more important to understand how information is learned in these virtual environments. Spatial ability is important in many learning contexts, but especially in neuroanatomy education where learning the locations and spatial relationships between brain regions is paramount. It is currently unclear what role spatial ability plays in mixed reality learning environments, and whether it is different compared to traditional physical environments. To test this, a learning experiment was conducted where students learned neuroanatomy using both mixed reality and a physical plastic model of a brain (N = 27). Spatial ability was assessed and analyzed to determine its effect on performance across the two learning modalities. The results showed that spatial ability facilitated learning in mixed reality (β = 0.21, P = 0.003), but not when using a plastic model (β = 0.08, P = 0.318). A non-significant difference was observed between the modalities in terms of knowledge test performance (d = 0.39, P = 0.052); however, mixed reality was more engaging (d = 0.59, P = 0.005) and learners were more confident in the information they learned compared to using a physical model (d = 0.56, P = 0.007). Overall, these findings suggest that spatial ability is more relevant in virtual learning environments, where the ability to manipulate and interact with an object is diminished or abstracted through a virtual user interface.     

Alternative education programmes and middle school dropout in Honduras

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article analyses dropout in three of the four main alternative lower secondary school programmes in Honduras over a three-year period for a cohort of roughly 5,500 students. The results show that these programmes are indeed reaching a vulnerable population in the country, but dropout rates are generally very high – upwards of 50 per cent in some cases – between Grades 7 and 9. Furthermore, even in the control school comparison samples made up of formal lower secondary schools, about 25 per cent of children leave school between Grades 7 and 9. The authors’ analysis includes propensity score matching (PSM) methods that make more focused comparisons between students in alternative programmes and control samples. These results show that dropout rates in alternative programmes are not much different than in control schools, and only significant in one programme comparison, when taking into account family background characteristics like socioeconomic status (SES). Multivariate analysis within alternative programme samples finds that attrition is lower in those learning centres which have adopted key features of formal schools, such as university-educated teachers. The results highlight the tremendous variation in the alternative middle school sector in terms of programme features, school quality and student outcomes, as well as the challenges of expanding this sector to meet the growing demand for lower secondary schooling in Honduras.