Analyzing Quantitative Data

College of EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana Champaign http://intc.education.illinois.edu/ 217-244-7389

Illinois New Teacher Collaborative

Analyzing Quantitative Data

Dr. Patricia Brady, Acting Director

Jason Swanson, Graduate Assistant


at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

http://intc.education.illinois.edu/



Overview1. Introductions

2. Overview of research process

3. Activity #1: Reducing/summarizing data

4. Activity #2: summarizing, compiling, and interpreting data

5. Potential activity: designing a quantitative survey

6. Q&A on your own program




Introductions

• Name • District / organization• Role• Something interesting about you




What is quantitative data?

• Numbers; anything that can be counted

• Benefits: easy to compare; can be persuasive

• Drawbacks: can only explain so much




Types of quantitative data-collection instruments

• Surveys• Documents and artifacts• Classroom observations• Interviews




Basic steps of an evaluation project

Identify the

problem

Create research questions

Plan steps

Collect data

Analyze data

Present data / write report




Analyzing quantitative data• Reducing• Summarizing / compiling• Triangulating• Interpreting

Identify the problem

Create research questions

Plan steps Collect data Analyze data




Activity #1: Reducing and summarizing data

For the research question: – Which survey items would you focus on?– Would you compare responses on two or

more items?– How might you summarize / organize the

data?– Could you triangulate?




Activity #2: Summarizing/compiling data

• Research question: What factors are correlated with new teachers’ plans to remain in the classroom?

• Data charts:– CP2: How long do you plan to be a

classroom teacher?– SC1: School climate




How long respondent plans to be a classroom teacher

10 years + 3-9 years 2 years or less

Undecided Total

Agree / strongly agree

Disagree / strongly disagree







Teachers in this school trust each other.

74 13 54 14 15 8 29 7 214Teachers trust the school administration

62 25 42 26 10 12 21 15 213

Chart 1






Undecided Total










35% 6% 25% 7% 7% 4% 14% 3% 100%

Teachers trust the school administration.

29% 12% 20% 12% 5% 6% 10% 7% 100%

Chart 2






Undecided

Agree ÷ disagree

Agree ÷ disagree

Agree ÷ disagree

Agree ÷ disagree


5.7 3.9 1.9 4.1Teachers trust the school administration.

2.5 1.6 0.8 1.4

Chart 3




Sample quantitative charts

• Research question: What factors are correlated with new teachers’ plans to remain in the classroom?

• Data charts:– CP2: How long do you plan to be a

classroom teacher?– Induction program supports



Illinois New Teacher CollaborativeChart 4


10+

3-9 2 or less

?

Orientation: attendance

Attended new teacher orientation 50 38 15 51Did not attend new teacher orientation 21 16 3 21

Orientation: value

New teacher orientation was valuable 34 26 10 29New teacher orientation was not valuable 15 13 6 22



Illinois New Teacher CollaborativeChart 5


10+ 3-9 2 or less

?

Orientation: attendance

Attended new teacher orientation 70% 70% 68% 71%Did not attend new teacher orientation 30% 30% 33% 29%

Orientation: value

New teacher orientation was valuable 71% 67% 50% 53%New teacher orientation was not valuable 29% 33% 50% 47%




Quantitative data analysis activity #2

• Look over the charts– What correlations do you notice?– Are some charts more helpful than others?– How would you start answering the

research question?




Your own research

• Find a new partner• Share some context about your

program and your role• Discuss the issues in your program• Plan what impacts you will investigate• Formulate a research question and

research strategies




Case study: Hosta Grove

• Read through the case study• Select one research question• Create a quantitative survey (or other

data-collection instrument) • Decide when and how Hosta Grove

should use the instrument




Case study: Hosta Grove (continued)

• Consider your data collection for Hosta Grove– What demographic data should you

collect?– Would you use any pre/post data?– Would you use control groups?– How would you ensure confidentiality?




Contact information

Program Impact Evaluation Workbook

Free download from

intc.education.illinois.edu

Dr. Patricia Brady, Acting Director

217.244.7376; [email protected]

Jason Swanson, Graduate Assistant

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Analyzing Quantitative Data

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