On Saturday 20/12/2021, the Viva-Voce Examination on the doctoral dissertation was held at the Higher Studies Hall of the Education College in Mukalla, Hadhramout University by the researcher Ali Mohammed Hassan al-Kaf entitled (common statistical errors in educational research in Yemeni universities and building a guide to avoid them).
The examination committee consisted of:
Prof. Salem Mubarak Al-Obathani; Chair & Internal Examiner (Hadhramout University)
Associate Professor Dr. Saleh Ahmed Yeslam Lahmer; Scientific Supervisor (University of Aden)
Associate Professor Dr. Ahmed Omar Saeed Bin Shahnah; External Examiner (University of Aden)
The dissertation aimed to identify common statistical errors in educational research in Yemeni universities and build a guide to avoid them. The researcher concluded with the most important results which are:
- The usage of descriptive statistical methods in the sample of the study focused on: frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean, standard deviations, median, Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman correlation coefficient, skew coefficient, multiple regression analysis.
As for the inferential statistical methods, they focused on using: T-test for one sample, two independent samples and two correlated samples, one-way analysis of variance, Scheffe test, Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney test, Fisher test, Chi-square test. As for the sample, its use was concentrated in the comprehensive survey, the simple random sample, the stratified sample, and the intentional sample.
- The common statistical errors in the descriptive statistical methods focused on the usage of arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis.
As for the statistical errors in the use of inferential statistical methods were concentrated in: T-test for one sample, two independent samples and two correlated samples, one-way analysis of variance, Fisher’s LSD test, Mann-Whitney test.
- The statistical errors in the samples were concentrated in the use of the comprehensive survey, the simple random sample, and the stratified sample.
In light of the results of the study, the researcher recommended several recommendations:
- Reconsidering postgraduate programs, especially educational statistics, so that students acquire the skills of using statistical methods that avoid making mistakes.
- Interest in studying the criteria for using statistical methods for postgraduate students.
- The necessity of using practical significance as well as statistical significance in master theses (curricula and teaching methods – educational administration) submitted to the universities of Aden and Hadhramout.
- The researchers should be careful in choosing the sample size.
At the conclusion of the examination, the thesis was approved with a recommendation for amendments by the examination committee, and the researcher was awarded a doctorate in Philosophy of Education (PhD).
The examination was attended by Prof. Hadi Salem Al-Sabban; Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Saeed Salmeen Belafair; Dean of the Education College, Dr. Abdullah Ahmed Al-Aidarous; Deputy Dean for Student Affairs at the College, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Al-Hindi; Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs at the College, and Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Bin Thaleb; Head of the Educational Sciences Department, Dr. Saleh Karamah Qamzawy; the former dean of the Education College in Mukalla, Dr. Ahmed Al-Haddad, Prof. Abdulla Bin Othman; Executive Director of Al-Awn Foundation, a number of staff members, and their assistants, graduates, and researcher’s relatives.