Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills Through Decision-based Learning

The data set consists of one dependent variable (nine item exam targeting critical thinking), one independent variable (one control group and two treatment groups receiving the same treatment called decision-based learning instruction) and a covariate (pre-requisite skills test students take ensure they have the skillsets necessary to be successful in the course). <br><br>There was missing data with the pre-requisite skill test and therefore we used a listwise approach to the missing data. This decreased the analysis from sample sizes of 38 to 23 for the control group, 38 to 35 for one of the treatment groups and 38 to 33 for the other treatment groups. We ran ANOVAs (without the covariate) for the sample of 117 and the sample of 89 (decreased sample because we used a listwise approach to account for the missing data in the covariate). The results were comparable in terms of the F-ratio and the post-hoc tests.