View in EDS

Randomised Controlled Trials in Scandinavian Educational Research

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Randomised Controlled Trials in Scandinavian Educational Research
Language: English
Authors: Pontoppidan, Maiken (ORCID 0000-0002-9491-3665), Keilow, Maria (ORCID 0000-0003-4540-8838), Dietrichson, Jens (ORCID 0000-0003-4178-7682), Solheim, Oddny Judith (ORCID 0000-0002-9365-9052), Opheim, Vibeke (ORCID 0000-0003-0060-8529), Gustafson, Stefan (ORCID 0000-0001-9350-2955), Andersen, Simon Calmar (ORCID 0000-0001-5274-6953)
Source: Educational Research. 2018 60(3):311-335.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2018
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Educational Research, Randomized Controlled Trials, Academic Achievement, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Public Agencies, Financial Support, Government Employees, Trend Analysis, Educational Policy, Achievement Tests, International Assessment
Geographic Terms: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Program for International Student Assessment
DOI: 10.1080/00131881.2018.1493351
ISSN: 0013-1881
Abstract: Background: The Scandinavian countries have a long history of implementing social interventions, but the interventions have not been examined using randomised controlled trials until relatively recently compared with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of randomised controlled trials in Scandinavian compulsory schools (grades 0-10; pupil ages 6-15). Specifically, we investigate drivers and barriers for randomised controlled trials in educational research and the differences between the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Methods: To locate relevant trials, we performed a systematic search of four bibliographic databases and a search for grey literature. Results were combined with trials located through direct contact with researchers and government officials. A trial was included if one or more interventions were randomly assigned to groups of students and carried out in a school setting with the primary aim of improving the academic performance of children aged 6-15 in grades 0-10 in Denmark, Norway, or Sweden. We included both conducted and ongoing trials. Publications that seemed relevant were screened based on full-text versions. Data extraction included information from the included studies on grade level, study period, sample size (N), project owner, funding source, and theme. In addition, we conducted two semi-structured interviews by phone or in person with central employees in funding agencies and ministries and 25 correspondences with researchers and policymakers. Findings and conclusion: RCTs in grades 0-10 were few in all of Scandinavia until about 2011, after which there was an increase in all three countries, although at different rates. The largest number of trials has been conducted in Denmark, and the increase is more marked in Denmark and Norway compared with Sweden. International trends towards more impact evaluations and results from international comparisons such as PISA have likely affected the development in all countries, but while many trials in Denmark and Norway are the result of policy initiatives, only one such example in Sweden was identified. We believe the lack of government initiatives to promote RCTs in Sweden is the most likely explanation for the differences across the Scandinavian countries. Funding and coordination from the government are often crucial for the implementation of RCTs and are likely more important in smaller countries such as the Scandinavian ones. Supporting institutions have now been established in all three countries, and we believe that the use of RCTs in Scandinavian educational research is likely to continue.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 69
Entry Date: 2018
Accession Number: EJ1189172
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1189172
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Randomised Controlled Trials in Scandinavian Educational Research
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pontoppidan%2C+Maiken%22">Pontoppidan, Maiken</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9491-3665">0000-0002-9491-3665</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Keilow%2C+Maria%22">Keilow, Maria</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4540-8838">0000-0003-4540-8838</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dietrichson%2C+Jens%22">Dietrichson, Jens</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4178-7682">0000-0003-4178-7682</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Solheim%2C+Oddny+Judith%22">Solheim, Oddny Judith</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9365-9052">0000-0002-9365-9052</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Opheim%2C+Vibeke%22">Opheim, Vibeke</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0060-8529">0000-0003-0060-8529</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gustafson%2C+Stefan%22">Gustafson, Stefan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9350-2955">0000-0001-9350-2955</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Andersen%2C+Simon+Calmar%22">Andersen, Simon Calmar</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5274-6953">0000-0001-5274-6953</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Research%22"><i>Educational Research</i></searchLink>. 2018 60(3):311-335.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 25
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2018
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Research%22">Educational Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Randomized+Controlled+Trials%22">Randomized Controlled Trials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Agencies%22">Public Agencies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Support%22">Financial Support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Government+Employees%22">Government Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trend+Analysis%22">Trend Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Tests%22">Achievement Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Assessment%22">International Assessment</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Denmark%22">Denmark</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Norway%22">Norway</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sweden%22">Sweden</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Program+for+International+Student+Assessment%22">Program for International Student Assessment</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/00131881.2018.1493351
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0013-1881
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: The Scandinavian countries have a long history of implementing social interventions, but the interventions have not been examined using randomised controlled trials until relatively recently compared with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of randomised controlled trials in Scandinavian compulsory schools (grades 0-10; pupil ages 6-15). Specifically, we investigate drivers and barriers for randomised controlled trials in educational research and the differences between the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Methods: To locate relevant trials, we performed a systematic search of four bibliographic databases and a search for grey literature. Results were combined with trials located through direct contact with researchers and government officials. A trial was included if one or more interventions were randomly assigned to groups of students and carried out in a school setting with the primary aim of improving the academic performance of children aged 6-15 in grades 0-10 in Denmark, Norway, or Sweden. We included both conducted and ongoing trials. Publications that seemed relevant were screened based on full-text versions. Data extraction included information from the included studies on grade level, study period, sample size (N), project owner, funding source, and theme. In addition, we conducted two semi-structured interviews by phone or in person with central employees in funding agencies and ministries and 25 correspondences with researchers and policymakers. Findings and conclusion: RCTs in grades 0-10 were few in all of Scandinavia until about 2011, after which there was an increase in all three countries, although at different rates. The largest number of trials has been conducted in Denmark, and the increase is more marked in Denmark and Norway compared with Sweden. International trends towards more impact evaluations and results from international comparisons such as PISA have likely affected the development in all countries, but while many trials in Denmark and Norway are the result of policy initiatives, only one such example in Sweden was identified. We believe the lack of government initiatives to promote RCTs in Sweden is the most likely explanation for the differences across the Scandinavian countries. Funding and coordination from the government are often crucial for the implementation of RCTs and are likely more important in smaller countries such as the Scandinavian ones. Supporting institutions have now been established in all three countries, and we believe that the use of RCTs in Scandinavian educational research is likely to continue.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Ref
  Label: Number of References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: 69
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2018
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1189172
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1189172
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00131881.2018.1493351
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 25
        StartPage: 311
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Educational Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Randomized Controlled Trials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Agencies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Financial Support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Government Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trend Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: International Assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Denmark
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Norway
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sweden
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program for International Student Assessment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Randomised Controlled Trials in Scandinavian Educational Research
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pontoppidan, Maiken
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Keilow, Maria
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Dietrichson, Jens
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Solheim, Oddny Judith
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Opheim, Vibeke
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gustafson, Stefan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Andersen, Simon Calmar
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2018
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0013-1881
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 60
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1