Design and Implementation Issues in Longitudinal Research

To meet demands for accountability, most schools and departments of education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) gather information on their current students and graduates. This paper describes issues and considerations when designing a longitudinal data collection and management system, dra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education policy analysis archives 2011-04, Vol.19 (11), p.11
Main Authors: Ludlow, Larry H, Pedulla, Joseph, Enterline, Sarah, Mitescu Reagan, Emilie, Cannady, Mac, Chappe, Stephanie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Change Strategies
Data Collection
longitudinal
Longitudinal Studies
Management Systems
Performance Factors
Program Implementation
Research Administration
Research Design
Research Methodology
Research Problems
surveys
Teacher Education
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Summary:To meet demands for accountability, most schools and departments of education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) gather information on their current students and graduates. This paper describes issues and considerations when designing a longitudinal data collection and management system, drawing on seven years’ experience developing such a system. The recommendations provided stem from an attempt to use data collected for accountability more broadly to look at the specific issue of teacher retention/attrition. Recommendations include: maintain a stable staff, including a skilled data manager; attend fastidiously to record keeping and documentation; if measuring change, minimize change in measures; and gather data on multiple cohorts to cross-validate findings.
ISSN:1068-2341
1068-2341
DOI:10.14507/epaa.v19n11.2011