A living, working, ethical document shaping education. > Forms & Functions of RWOL > As a scientific method. > The null/alternative hypothesis...
A living, working, ethical document shaping education. > Forms & Functions of RWOL > As a scientific method. > The null/alternative hypothesis... |
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| Moderated by: djasbridge | ||
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djasbridge Administrator 
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The scientific method requires that we [the practitioner/social scientist] considers -- and rejects or accepts the null hypothesis. Yet this most basic principal is seemingly being systematically forgotten, or at least under-utilized. Too often, the student is given an assessment, and s/he "has difficulties with reading;" then the student is called "learning disabled" and placed into a dead-end special education class with a bunch of other students who can't read. But the practitioner and/or IEP team forgot to rule out the null hypothesis: "The student has difficulties reading because s/he: ...hates reading ...dislikes his teacher ...doesn't have time for homework ...doesn't regularly attend ...is a gangster ...is a skater ...etc." In effect, special education classrooms are filled with students who hate school and/or hate homework. And the student gets the F in special education just as easily as the F was earned in general education... and then we wonder why special education doesn't work!!! Put aside for a moment the fact that LD is an invisible and politically-invented concept to begin with... When was the last time you stated, addressed, and ruled-out or accepted the null hypothesis in one of your 15-page reports? Please don't forget to forward, and then reject or accept, the null hypothesis. We are scientists, right? |
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