Experimental design

Dr. VIJAYALEKSHMI N S
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
M.Ed DEPARTMENT
FATHIMA MEMORIAL TRAINING COLLEGE
KOLLAM, KERALA STATE
 contents
• Concept of Experimental Design
• Purpose of Experimental Design
• Basic steps in Experimental Design
• Pre-experimental Designs
• True Experimental Designs
• Quasi-experimental Designs
• Statistical Designs
• Strengths of Experimental Design
• Limitations of Experimental Design
 Learning objectives
The student teachers will be able to,
 define experimental research design
 understand the concept of experimental research
 describe the purpose of experimental design
 list the basic steps of experimental design
 differentiate various types of experimental designs
 list the basic steps of quantitative design
 analyse strengths and limitations of experimental design
 identify the ethical issues involved in quantitative design
Experimental design
 Experimental design-
concept
• Experimental research is a type of study which is commonly used in
scientific research designs
• It is the primary approach used to scrutinize the causal
(cause/effect) relationships
• Investigate the effect of independent variable on dependent
variable
• This kind of research is known as a hypothesis testing or a
deductive research method
• It is used to support or disprove the hypotheses which are
formulated by the researcher to address a specific question or issue
Keywords in experimental research
• Independent Variable
This variable will be manipulated, that can be called
the “cause” or treatment variable
• Dependent Variable
This variable is the “effect” or outcome of
manipulating the independent variable. The crucial
point here is that the outcome must be measurable
• Experimental Group
It is the group that receives the treatment
• Control Group
This is the group that remains fixed, and at the
end, it is compared to the experimental group
Purpose of experimental design
• Causation
It allows the experimenter to make causal inferences
about the relationship between independent variables and a
dependent variable
• Control
It allows the experimenter to rule out alternative
explanations due to the confounding effects of extraneous
variables (i.e., variables other than the independent
variables)
• Variability
It reduces variability within treatment conditions,
which makes it easier to detect differences in treatment
Types of Experimental Research Designs
Experimental design-
symbols
 Pre-Experimental Designs
• Pre-Experimental Designs are the simplest form of experimental
research designs
• Pre-experimental designs have little or no control over extraneous
variables
• These designs do not randomly assign subjects to different
treatments
• As a consequence, the results of a test using a pre-experimental
design are difficult to interpret
• These designs are simple and relatively inexpensive
Eg; Efficacy of work experience in enhancing academic performance
Pre-Experimental Designs
A)One-Shot Case Studies:
• With a one-shot case study subjects—are exposed to a treatment
• The standard notion for a treatment is the symbol "X."
• A single measurement of the dependent variable is taken (O 1)
• There is no random assignment of test subjects as there is only one
treatment, and there is no control
• The standard notation for a One-Shot Case Study
Pre-Experimental Designs
B)One Group Pre-Test - Post-Test:
• With this research design the test unit is measured twice
• one before the test and once after the test
• There is still no control group; which is to say, a group not receiving
the treatment
• Here is the standard notation for a one-group pre-test - post-test
study:
 Pre-Experimental Designs
C. Static Group Design:
• With the Static Group design there is a Control Group (CG) in
addition to the Experimental Group (EG)
• The experimental group is exposed to the treatment while the control
group is not
• Test units, however, are not randomly assigned to the control or
experimental groups
• Here is the standard notation for a Static Group study:
True Experimental Designs
True experiments are considered the most accurate form of
experimental research
 This design is used to prove or disprove a hypothesis, or theory.
 True experiments are excellent for showing a cause-and-effect
relationship
 There is a random assignment of subjects or groups to treatments
 In true experiments with only one variable manipulated and tested
 Random assignment controls for extraneous variables
The strength of true experiments is causal control and strong
internal validity
They are high on internal validity and variable being measured is
clear
• Eg;Effectiveness of experiential learning in enhancing process skills
 True Experimental Designs
A. Post-Test Only Control Group Design:
• With this research design, test units are randomly assigned to the
experimental and control groups
• The experimental group is exposed to the treatment and then both the
experimental and control groups are measured
• There is only one measurement is taken
• The standard notation for a Post-Test Only study:
• The effect of the treatment is calculated
as O1 - O2.
True Experimental Designs
• B. Pre-Test - Post-Test Control Group Design:
• With this research design, test units are randomly assigned to
experimental and control groups
• A pre-test measure is taken from both groups
• Here is the standard notation for a Pre-Test - Post-Test Control Group
study:
• The treatment effect is measured by (O2 O1) - (O4 O3)
True Experimental Designs
C. Solomon Four Group Design:
• The Solomon Four Group Design is a research design that assesses the impact of
pretesting on subsequent measures
• It is used when the researcher suspects that earlier tests influence the results
of later tests
• With this research design, test units are randomly allocated to two
experimental groups and two control groups
• One of the experimental groups and one of the control groups is measured
• Both experimental groups are then exposed to a treatment
True Experimental Designs
• Afterwards, both experimental and control groups are measured

• A total of six measurements are taken

• The design aims to account for pre-testing bias and pre-test manipulation
interaction bias
• The standard notation for a Solomon Four Group study:
Quasi-Experimental Designs
• Quasi-Experimental Designs are used when the researcher creates an
artificial environment to control for extraneous variables
• With quasi-experimental designs, the research lacks control over
when the treatment is administered or assigns test units to the
experimental and control groups in a non-random fashion
• Eg;Effectiveness of a motivation intervention on class attendance
and enjoyment in students.
• There are two basic types of quasi-experimental designs:
Time Series and Multiple Time Series.
Quasi-Experimental Designs
A. Time Series:
 There is no randomization of the test units to the treatments
 The timing of the treatment presentation as well as which test unites are
exposed to the treatment may not be within the researcher's control
 The advantages of Time Series are that it is easier to interpret the results than a
One Group Pre-Test - Post-Test design because of the many measures it takes
Quasi-Experimental Designs
B. Multiple Time Series:
• With the Multiple Time Series, the researchers add a control group to the research
design
• The addition of a control group enhances the researchers' ability to discern the
treatment effect
• Here is the standard notation for a Multiple Time Series study:
 Statistical Designs
• Statistical Designs are a collection of basic experimental designs that
offer researchers the ability to statistically control and analyze
external variables
• Statistical control uses various sophisticated statistical techniques to
exclude the influence of extraneous variables from an analysis
• The most commonly used Statistical Research Designs are the
Randomized Block Design, the Latin Square Design, and the Factorial
Design.
 Statistical Designs
A)Randomized Block Design
• With a randomized block design, the experimenter
divides subjects into subgroups called blocks
• The subjects within each block are randomly
assigned to treatment condition
• This design reduces variability within treatment
conditions
• produce a better estimate of treatment effects
 Statistical Designs
• Subjects are assigned to blocks, based on gender
• within each block, subjects are randomly assigned to
treatments
• 50 males/50 females taught by constructivist model, 50
males/ 50 females by activity oriented method
• This design ensures that each treatment condition has an
equal proportion of males and females. As a result,
differences between treatment
TREATMENT conditions cannot be
GENDE CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL ACTIVITY ORIENTED
attributed to
R gender
male 50 50

female 50 50
 Statistical Designs
• B)Factorial Design
• It is often used by scientists wishing to understand
the effect of two or more independent variables upon
a single dependent variable
• Factorial experiments allow subtle manipulations of
a larger number of interdependent variables
• The factorial design, as well as simplifying the
process and making research cheaper, allows many
levels of analysis
• Highlighting the relationships between variables, it
also allows the effects of manipulating a single
variable to be isolated and analyzed singly
 Statistical Designs
• C)Latin square design
An experiment design that can be used to control the random variation of two
factors.
The design is arranged with an equal number of rows and columns, so that all
combinations of possible values for the two variables can be tested multiple
times
This design is used to reduce the effect of random or nuisance factors.
Strengths of experimental designs
• . It provides researchers with a high level of control
Each variable can be controlled on its own or in different
combinations to study what possible outcomes are available for
a product, theory, or idea
• There is no limit to the subject matter
It can be used in a wide variety of situations. Teachers might
use experimental research to determine if a new method of
teaching or a new curriculum is better than an older system
• Experimental research provides conclusions that are specific
Because experimental research provides such a high level of
control, it can produce results that are specific and relevant
with consistency
• The results of experimental research can be duplicated
. This allows anyone to be able to check and verify published
results
Strengths of experimental designs
• Experimental research allows cause and effect to be
determined
The manipulation of variables allows for researchers
to be able to look at various cause-and-effect
relationships that a product, theory, or idea can produce
• It can be combined with other research methods.
This allows experimental research to be able to
provide the scientific rigor that may be needed for the
results to stand on their own
• Natural settings can be replicated with faster speeds
This allows researchers to have a greater control of
the extraneous variables which may exist as well,
limiting the unpredictability of nature as each
variable is being carefully studied.
Limitations of experimental research
• Results are highly subjective due to the possibility of
human error
Experimental research requires specific levels of
variable control, it is at a high risk of experiencing
human error at some point during the research
• Experimental research can create situations that are not
realistic
The variables of a product, theory, or idea are under
such tight controls that the data being produced can
be corrupted or inaccurate, but still seem like it is
authentic
• It is a time-consuming process
Experimental research isolate each variable,
Limitations of experimental research
• Extraneous variables cannot always be controlled
Although laboratory settings can control extraneous variables, natural
environments provide certain challenges
• Participants can be influenced by their current situation
Human error isn’t just confined to the researchers. Participants in an
experimental research study can also be influenced by extraneous variables
eg; stress, fatigue
• Manipulating variables isn’t necessarily an objective
standpoint
For research to be effective, it must be objective. Being able to
manipulate variables reduces that objectivity
Human responses in experimental research can be difficult to
measure.
There are many pressures that can be placed on people, from political
to personal, and everything in-between. Different life experiences can
 summary
• Experimental research designs are often considered to be
the standard in research designs.
• In this research design, one or more subjects or dependent
variables are randomly assigned to different treatments
• The independent variables manipulated by the researcher
and the results are observed to conclude.
• One of the uniqueness of experimental research is in its
ability to control the effect of extraneous variables.
• Experimental research is suitable for research whose goal
is to examine cause-effect relationships.
• It can be conducted in the laboratory or field settings,
depending on the aim of the research that is being carried
out.
 Suggested readings
• Kothari, C.R.(1985). Research Methodology- Methods and Techniques. New
Delhi: Wiley Eastern Limited.
• Kumar, Ranjit.( 2005).Research Methodology-A Step-by-Step Guide for
Beginners(2nd .ed) .Singapore :Pearson Education.
• Neuman, W,L; & Neuman, W.L. (2006). Social Research Methods: Qualitative
and Quantitative Approaches. Toronto: Pearson.

• Punch, K.F. (2013). Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and

Qualitative Approaches. Sage Publications