Reading article mathmatical information

[librarygirl]

http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objec ... 88/xin.pdf

Using the above article I have to answer these questions.

---Table 3 in the article is titled "Percentage of correct on-target and transfer problems by the SBI and GSI groups." Explain what the values in the column titled M are, and describe how they were computed.

I would think that it is the mean of Note. SBI = schema-based instruction; GSI = general strategy instruction. Is that correct?

---Referring again to Table 3, explain what the values in the column titled SD are, and describe why they are important to report.

I would think that this would be the mean also because it looks like it has been divided into a decimal. I dont know why it is important.

---Summarize the results of the study using the measures of central tendency and variability shown in Table 3. Focus on the problem-solving tests.

What?

Thanks for any help you can giv me.

 

[mmm4444bot]

Your PDF link takes me to a log-in page.

If you paste a screen-shot into MSPaint, you can cut out the table and save it as a JPG image. Use the [Upload attachment] tab here, while composing your post, to include images.

 

[librarygirl]

Here is a print of the article. Thanks for letting me know you couldnt see it.

 

[mmm4444bot]

[the values in the column titled M] is the mean of Note.

This answer is somewhat vague. Since they ask for an explanation, I think they want you to specifically state what it is that's being averaged (that is, how were the means computed).

You can generalize.


SBI = schema-based instruction; GSI = general strategy instruction. Is that correct?

Yes, that's right.

Are you taking a statistics course? I'm not sure what your situation is; I'm not sure what it is that you need.


[SD] would be the mean also

I dont know why it is important.

SD stands for "standard deviation". It's an indicator of how "spread out" the individual data values are from their mean.

Standard deviation is a mean, but it's not the mean of the data; it's the mean of the data's individual deviations from their average.

Look it up. If you read enough, you should come across an explanation of why it's important to examine standard deviation before relying on the associated mean. Some averages are meaningless because half the numbers are way higher and the other half are way lower. The mean is in the middle, of course, but none of the values are even close. In short, the mean doesn't tell the whole story.


Summarize the results of the study using the measures of central tendency and variability shown in Table 3. Focus on the problem-solving tests.

What?

You cannot understand this last part until after you learn about standard deviation.

The phrase "measures of central tendency" refers to the means.

The phrase "measures of variability" refers to the standard deviations.

Deviation is defined as the distance from the mean, for each data value.

Standard deviation is defined as the mean of these deviations.

Do you get what the study is about? I mean, are you able to summarize the results of the study, in general?

If you don't understand what the study is about, it's hard to summarize, so let us know, if that's the case.