Understanding Research in Second Language Learning: A Teacher's Guide to Statistics and Research Design

by James Dean Brown

• ISBN13: 9780521315517
• ISBN10: 0521315514
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1988-09-30
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This text focuses on the skills and processes necessary for understanding statistical research in language learning Designed for language teachers with no previous background in statistics, the paperback edition focuses on the skills and processes necessary for understanding statistical research in language learning. Brown explains the basic terms of statistics, the structure and organization of statistical research reports, the system of statistical logic, and how to decipher tables, charts, and graphs. By the end of the book, readers will be able to make knowledgeable judgments about the relative qualities of a study and to assess the value of the results of a study in relation to a specific language teaching situation.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Howard B. Altman
Preface	ix
What is research?	1	(6)
Variables	7	(13)
Data organization	20	(9)
Controlling extraneous variables	29	(14)
Critiquing statistical studies	43	(20)
The group and the individuals	63	(12)
Patterns in human behavior	75	(20)
Statistics for testing	95	(13)
Statistical logic	108	(18)
Correlation	126	(28)
Comparing means	154	(28)
Comparing frequencies	182	(17)
Hands-on critique and posttest	199	(10)
References	209	(2)
Index	211