Using Effect Size to Assist in NSSE Reporting

Robert Springer   |    Volume One  |   

Abstract

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) provides participating schools an Institutional Report that includes (among many documents) mean comparisons, frequency distributions, and student respondent data as part of its standard reporting package. Sifting through all this data can leave even experienced researchers wondering where to start and what to report. For example, how meaningful is it to report frequency percentages or statistically significant differences between your school and other NSSE schools? Fortunately, NSSE also provides an effect size (Cohen’s d) or practical significance indicator that can help bring context to the results. In addition to its value in conveying NSSE results, using effect sizes in survey research helps to easily identify areas/items of praise as well as areas/items for improvements.

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