My name is Jason Dolor, and I am a doctoral student at Portland State University under the advisement of Jennifer Noll, Ph.D. I am conducting a study on the understanding of statistical inference concepts, and I would like to invite you to participate. The purpose of this research is to investigate teachers’ understanding of hypothesis testing. Using this information, the research study hopes to better understand the knowledge of current and future teachers of statistics. By having this knowledge, we hope to expand the current research on teachers’ statistical knowledge with potential benefits towards creating better professional development programs.
Procedures:
Participation in this study simply requires you to complete a survey on topics of statistical inference. We are not looking for correct/incorrect answers but your understanding on these various concepts. By consenting to the study, you will also be given an opportunity to be part of a drawing for one of four Amazon gift cards worth $50 by simply giving your contact information. The winner will be contacted immediately after all surveys have been completed. There is no charge for entering the drawing.
In addition to the survey, you may also choose to volunteer to be selected as a potential candidate to participate in an online or onsite interview to give you an opportunity to further elaborate on your responses. Not all those who volunteer for the interview will be chosen. If you are chosen then participating in the interview is completely voluntary and choosing not to participate will not affect your relationship with your employer, the research team, or Portland State University.
Benefits/Risks:
There are no perceived costs associated for your participation with this research study. Participants may risk feeling uncomfortable if they are unable to know the answer to particular questions. Participants have the option to end their participation in the study at anytime. Furthermore, this research may help in the designing of instructional tools to improve the training of prospective teachers.
Confidentiality:
This research is confidential. You will be identified by a pseudonym or numerical code and not by your first or last name in any written work to ensure your personal information is protected and kept confidential. Unless required by law, only the research investigators, and the Portland State Institutional Review Board will have the authority to review your records. They are required to maintain confidentiality regarding your identity. Quotes and final analysis may be published in conference proceedings and/or research journals.
If you choose to participate, then your name will be removed from copies of your work and replaced with a pseudonym to prevent identification. The copies of your work will be kept in a locked file in my office.
Subjects’ Rights:
Participation is entirely voluntary. Your decision to participate will not affect your relationship with your employer, the research team, or Portland State University. If you decide to take part in the study, you may choose to withdraw at any time without penalty. Please keep a copy of this letter for your records.
If you have concerns or problems about your participation in this study or your rights as a research subject, please contact the Human Subjects Research Review Committee, Office of Research Integrity, 1600 SW 4th Avenue, Market Center Building, Ste. 620, Portland, OR 97207. Phone: (503) 725-2227 or 1-877-480-4400. If you have questions about the study itself contact me at: 503-725-3621 or e-mail me at jdolor@pdx.edu
Sincerely,
Jason Dolor (jdolor@pdx.edu)
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Portland State University