Teaching Note—Preparing Doctoral Students to Confront the Grand Challenges: Strengthening Baseline Statistical Skills.

COMPARATIVE studies; COMPUTER software; HEALTH occupations students; IBM-compatible computers; SOCIAL workers; STATISTICS; STUDENTS; ADULT education workshops; DOCTORAL programs; TEACHING methods; PRE-tests & post-tests; EDUCATIONAL outcomes; DESCRIPTIVE statistics

We describe a statistical seminar designed to provide a common foundation in core statistical concepts among all students as they enter a social work PhD program. Student feedback surveys assessed students' statistics preparation prior to entering the program, and pre- and posttests were compared for increases in statistical knowledge. Nearly half (42.1%) reported no prior statistics training, and exposure to IBM SPSS Statistics software was low (M=1.54 out of 5, SD=1.38). Students showed significant gains in posttest knowledge. Findings suggest substantial variability in students' statistical preparedness, and for many, knowledge of basic concepts is rudimentary. Such a seminar may allow programs to begin with more advanced quantitative course work and move to increasingly more complex topics over time (e.g., multilevel modeling). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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