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Easier analysis and better reporting: Modelling ordinal data in mathematics education research

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Abstract

This paper presents an examination of the use of Rasch modelling in a major research project,Improving Middle Years Mathematics and Science (IMYMS). The project has generated both qualitative and quantitative data, with much of the qualitative data being ordinal in nature. Reporting the results of analyses for a range of audiences necessitates careful, well-designed report formats. Some useful new report formats based on Rasch modelling—the Modified Variable Map, the Ordinal Map, the Threshold Map, and the Annotated Ordinal Map—are illustrated using data from the IMYMS project. The Rasch analysis and the derived reporting formats avoid the pitfalls that exist when working with ordinal data and provide insights into the respondents’ views about their experiences in schools unavailable by other approaches.

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Doig, B., Groves, S. Easier analysis and better reporting: Modelling ordinal data in mathematics education research. Math Ed Res J 18, 56–76 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03217436

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