James Carifio

Resolving the 50-year debate around using and misusing Likert scales

How Likert type measurement scales should be appropriately used and analysed has been debated for over 50 years, often to the great confusion of students, practitioners, allied health researchers and educators. Basically, there are two major competing views that have evolved somewhat independently of one another and of the associated empirical research literature on this ‘great debate’. Most recently in this journal, Jamieson outlined the view that ‘Likert scales’ are ordinal in character (i.e., produce rank order data) and that they, therefore, must be analysed using non-parametric statistics. Non-parametric statistics, however, are less sensitive and less powerful than parametric statistics and are, therefore, more likely to miss weaker or emerging findings.

A Critical Examination of Current Minimum Grading Policy Recommendations

In an effort to reduce failure and attrition rates and to increase on-time program completion and graduation rates, many schools are adopting a policy of assigning minimum grades. While justifications supporting the policy are often mathematical in nature, some proponents also claim the practice works to keep students motivated, hopeful, confident and optimistic. This paper explores these claims by comparing the stated reasons for grading practices and policies against several theories of learning and the secondary effects grades have on students. Key concepts from the models of achievement motivation, locus of control and self-efficacy, as well as consideration of the nature of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, lead to conclusions that there may be certain sub-populations of students who could benefit greatly from minimum grading practices and policies, particularly in certain (“high-risk”) courses and subject-matters. Ways to identify these students, courses and subject matters are presented and discussed, as are the general outlines of the formal exploratory and confirmatory studies that are needed to clarify and more precisely answer the several questions about minimum grading policies identified in this paper.

The Minimum Grading Controversy Results of a Quantitative Study of Seven Years of Grading Data From an Urban High School

In an effort to reduce failure and drop-out rates, schools have been implementing minimum grading. One form involves raising catastrophically low student quarter grades to a predetermined minimum—typically a 50. Proponents argue it gives struggling students a reasonable chance to recover from failure. Critics contend the practice induces grade inflation and social promotion. The authors performed a quantitative study of seven years of grading data from one school where minimum grading had been implemented to better evaluate these competing claims. Statistical analyses revealed no evidence that minimum grading was inducing either grade inflation or social promotion. These and other related findings have implications for educators looking to institute reforms that lead to fairer and more accurate student assessment.

A COMPARISON OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESPONDERS AND NONRESPONDERS TO THE VEDS STUDENT FOLLOW-UP SURVEY

This study compared a random sample of nonresponders (N=201) to the Vocational Education Data Systems (VEDS) student follow-up survey to responders (N=1441) for 15 Massachusetts community colleges. The study was conducted because positive follow-up results for community colleges were challenged by officials due to low response rates (35.7 percent) and possible response bias.No significant differences were found between responders and nonresponders on 6 VEDS demographic and 5 VEDS dependent variables. Significant differences were found between responders and nonresponders on special needs status, degree of job relatedness, hourly wage of all graduates employed, and those graduates employed full-time in their area of training. All of the significant differences were in favor of the nonresponders. Therefore, if biased, the responder data are biased in the direction of underestimation of employment levels, average hourly wage, and other data rather than overestimation. A model is outlined to explain these results that distinguishes between the nominal and the effective population surveyed, and the results of this study are discussed in terms of this model, VEDS, and other surveys.

Beginning with Literacy Needs: Community College Program Development that Considers Individual Students' Contexts

As community college enrollments continue to rise, the role of the college in the community expands to keep pace. Yet, academic programs designed to meet the needs of an ever more diverse population often lag behind. Traditionally, college has been a place for students to open doors to diverse ideas; here, students bring diversity with them, along with a rich mix of cultures and experiences, to the mutual advantage of fellow students and teachers. Despite the challenge of addressing individual student needs, a focus on a strong literacy component can lead to a successful overall college experience, particularly if individual literacy needs are considered in program design.

Belief in a just world and depression in elderly nursing home residents

OBJECTIVE Belief in a just world (BJW) modulates peoples abilities to cope with anxiety, fear, and life transitions and thus depression and its debilitating effects. Little is known about how Belief in a just world modulates these coping abilities in elderly nursing home residents or their levels of depression either. PARTICIPANTS A sample of 354 cognitively able elderly nursing home residents in Lebanon was selected for the study. METHODS This study, therefore, explored elderly belief in a just world (BJW-S) by gender and length of time in elderly homes in its relation to levels of depression as measured by the Geriatric Depression Rating Scale (GDS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination screening instrument for older adults. RESULTS The findings showed no main significant effects for gender or length-of-stay on level of depression. The chief significant difference found was for scores on the belief in a just world scale and levels of depression. Those who had high scores on belief in a just world scored low on depression, and vice-versa. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, a strong belief in a just world seemed to act as a preventative or coping mechanism against depression from initial transition forward for elderly nursing home residents.

Stimulating adult development in the workplace through critical thinking

The workplace often requires the use of critical thinking which, in turn, may stimulate certain aspects of adult development. This article proposes several characteristics of critical thinking that may contribute to adult development as it occurs in the workplace. The concepts considered apply to managers and workers in a variety of situations.

Scientific literacy: a goal of educating people in and for the health professions

Scientific literacy driven by the underlying habits of scientific thinking should be the focus of educating people in the health professions. This article identifies 23 characteristics of scientific thinking as well as other concepts relevant to scientific literacy. Examples are provided as to how these characteristics and concepts apply to the work of medical lab technicians, nurses and medical researchers.

Organizational and Leadership Perceptions Assessment: Opportunities and Challenges Using the Baldrige Companion Surveys

&NA; Combining the use of employee perception surveys with sound analytical techniques and models is critical to capturing high quality data from which effective decisions can be made in complex healthcare settings. This study used the Baldrige Award companion surveys with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) framework to identify discordant perceptions of hospital staff and leadership in the areas of customer focus, knowledge management, and results that were significant at the 0.05 and 0.01 levels. Senior leaders in the organization found the ANOVA framework helpful as they interpreted results from the Baldrige companion surveys and planned future improvement activities. During the execution of our study a number of difficulties and challenges arose that are not uncommon to survey administration in smaller settings, such as community hospitals, or in larger hospital settings with no research staff or research staff with relevant psychometric expertise. Our experience suggests that the Baldrige companion survey process would be enhanced by providing organizations with general guidance and protocols for optimal survey administration and data analysis. The purpose of this article is to outline the ANOVA model we used with the Baldrige companion surveys and to provide guidance related to the administration and analysis of these companion surveys for those that use them.

Literacy in the health professions today

Multiple literacies are needed to be successful in the health professions today. This article outlines five general types or spheres of literacies that health care workers, professionals and clients need to possess to some degree to function effectively in the current complexities and multiple areas of modern health. Examples of each kind or sphere of literacy are given as well as suggestions for how such literacies may be promoted in the workplace.