Quantitative Research Methods to Support Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 1885

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilha, Portugal
Interests: methodological research motivated by social science problems; analysis of longitudinal data; measurement error; performance indicators; evaluation and educational measurement; value-added models in education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks innovative methodological approaches to enhance monitoring and evaluation of programs for Quality Education (Sustainable Development Goal 4, SDG4) and/or Reduced Inequalities (SDG10), in ways that strengthen and reconcile theory, methods, and findings. SDG4 intends to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promoted lifelong learning opportunities for all”, while SDG10 has pledged to “Reduce inequality within and among countries”.

This Special Issue aims to support scientific innovations that will strengthen decision-making policies in Education and related disciplinary areas, and cumulatively contribute to achieving the United Nations SDG by 2030. Quality and equity in Education are critical to ensure development and inclusiveness in our societies. To address educational performance oriented to quality and equity issues, different statistical units (e.g., student and family, teacher, school, educational system) are considered by educational research. Such analytical dimensions are challenging to measure. Thus, articles that contribute to methodological developments, use of statistical modelling and data science are welcome. Approaches may include micro, macro, comparative and case studies. Relevant topics include assessment; evaluation; testing/measurement; measurement error; differential item functioning; survey methodology; administrative data; data anonymization; system monitoring; performance indicators; quality assessment; and impact on policy and practice.

Dr. Maria Eugénia Ferrão
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • quantitative methods
  • research methods in education
  • quality education
  • equity
  • longitudinal data
  • complex sampling
  • measurement
  • differential item functioning (dif)
  • value-added modeling
  • science for policy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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13 pages, 635 KiB  
Article
Overcoming the Challenges in Evaluating Educational Outcomes in Community Schools: A Rigorous Quasi-Experimental Approach
by Kathleen Provinzano, Toni May, Naorah Rimkunas and Kristin Koskey
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030278 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 480
Abstract
Community schools represent a transformative approach to addressing systemic inequities in public education by integrating academic, social, and health services to create equitable learning environments. This study investigated the long-term impact of community school programming at an urban elementary school on middle school [...] Read more.
Community schools represent a transformative approach to addressing systemic inequities in public education by integrating academic, social, and health services to create equitable learning environments. This study investigated the long-term impact of community school programming at an urban elementary school on middle school academic outcomes and college readiness indicators. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with rigorous inclusion criteria and propensity score matching, the researchers minimized the bias from baseline group differences to enhance the internal validity. The key findings indicate that students who attended the community school demonstrated significant increases in grade point average over time and were less likely to exhibit high school dropout risk factors compared to a demographically matched comparison group of students who did not attend a community school. A higher proportion of the community school students met college readiness benchmarks, underscoring the sustained impact of community school programming. These results align with the existing literature on the potential of community schools to mitigate academic disparities and highlight the importance of integrating holistic support into educational strategies. By demonstrating a robust methodological approach, this study contributes valuable evidence to guide policymakers and practitioners in scaling and optimizing community school models to advance educational equity and excellence. Full article
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