Study and learning skills
Evaluating a study
Break down a study example, report what its results do and do not show, and evaluate validity, reliability, generalisability and ethics. The fictional memory-study numbers are clearly marked as invented practice material, so pupils can rehearse evaluation without mistaking them for research findings.
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Break down a study example, report what its results do and do not show, and evaluate validity, reliability, generalisability and ethics. The fictional memory-study numbers are clearly marked as invented practice material, so pupils can rehearse evaluation without mistaking them for research findings.
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NAME CLASS DATE LEARNING GOAL Summarise a study fairly, then judge how far to trust it. SUCCESS CRITERIA I can say what a study set out to find and how. I can name the variables and report the results. I can judge the study with evidence. Study X Read this once. Its answers sit in the margin beside each part. INVENTED Does a 10-minute walk before a memory test change scores? 40 students aged 16 to 18 from one college took part. Half walked for 10 minutes then did a list-recall test; half sat quietly for 10 minutes then did the same test. The walking group’s mean score was 14 out of 20 and the sitting group’s mean was 12 out of 20.1 My study Use a study from your lessons or one your teacher gives you. CITATION TOPIC 1 Aim and hypothesis STUDY X Aim: to test if a 10- minute walk changes memory scores. Prediction: walkers recall more. THE AIM PREDICTION 2 Method STUDY X Two groups of 20, one walks, one sits, same test. DESIGN SAMPLE PROCEDURE 3 Variables STUDY X IV: walk or sit. DV: recall score out of 20. Control: 10 minutes each. INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT CONTROLLED 1 Study X is invented for this sheet. Its numbers are made up for practice and are not from real research. Research study and methods evaluation · Page 1 of 3 PSYCHOLOGY AGES 15 TO 18 RESEARCH Evaluating a study Break one study into its parts.
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4 Results and conclusion STUDY X Means 14 and 12 out of 20, a difference of 2 marks. The walking group did a little better. THE NUMBERS SHOW SO THE STUDY SUGGESTS Mean difference STUDY X 14 − 12 = 2 marks. WORKING Higher mean − lower mean = marks 01 Validity Did it test what it claims to? Use evidence from the study. POINT EVIDENCE SO WHAT? 02 Reliability Could someone repeat it and get the same? Use evidence from the study. POINT EVIDENCE SO WHAT? 03 Generalisability Do the results fit people beyond the sample? Use evidence from the study. POINT EVIDENCE SO WHAT? Research study and methods evaluation · Page 2 of 3 PSYCHOLOGY AGES 15 TO 18 RESEARCH Results and first evaluation
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04 Ethics Were the people treated with care? Use evidence from the study. POINT EVIDENCE SO WHAT? Sampling Tick the method your study used. Random equal chance for all. Opportunity whoever is easy to reach. Volunteer people choose to take part. Stratified groups in fair proportions. What I would change One improvement and the problem it would fix. I WOULD CHANGE Evaluation Write a paragraph. Use point, evidence, so what for at least two headings. MY PARAGRAPH Verdict Circle one number. 1 not at all 2 a little 3 partly 4 mostly 5 completely I TRUST THIS STUDY THIS MUCH BECAUSE Research study and methods evaluation · Page 3 of 3 PSYCHOLOGY AGES 15 TO 18 RESEARCH Evaluating the study
A teaching sequence
Summarise a study’s aim, prediction, design, sample, procedure, variables and results; then evaluate validity, reliability, generalisability and ethics with evidence.
Describe the study design
Complete the aim and prediction fields, then describe the two groups, sample, shared test procedure and independent, dependent and controlled variables.
Which variable is changed, measured and kept the same?
Report the invented means
Report the means of 14 and 12 out of 20 and show the subtraction that gives a two-mark difference. State that the walking group scored higher in this invented example, without claiming the walk caused it.
What does the two-mark difference show without establishing cause?
Evaluate a cited study
Choose a real lesson study or one provided by a teacher. Record its citation, method, sample, procedure and variables; for each evaluation heading, cite evidence and explain why it matters.
Which specific study evidence supports your validity or reliability point?
Judge and improve the method
Select the sampling method that best matches the study, propose one improvement and write a short evaluation using at least two headings.
What problem would your proposed improvement address?
Before you teach
Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.
What to look for
Check that pupils distinguish a result from a causal conclusion and that each evaluation paragraph links a claim to a specific study detail. Ask what further evidence would make the judgement stronger rather than accepting a rating without a reason.
Give a little support
Provide a study summary with key details highlighted and a four-part frame: point, evidence, explanation and limitation. Let pupils rehearse one evaluation aloud before writing. Review the independent and dependent variable definitions with a concrete example.
Take the idea further
Ask pupils to compare the sampling method with the study’s target population and explain what a larger or more diverse sample might change. They can identify an alternative explanation for the score difference and suggest a control to address it.
Things to keep in mind
Study X and its numerical results are invented and must not be cited as published evidence. A difference between group means alone does not establish causation. Evaluation depends on the design and evidence of the study pupils choose; the template does not supply a real study or answer key.
Keep the idea. Make it yours.
Bring your topic, learning goal and class context to PLAI™, then review what you create.
Ideas to try with your class
Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.
Meet The Creators
Meet a creator whose teaching interests connect with this template.
Organised Pile
This three-page study evaluation asks pupils to summarise aim, prediction, design, sample, procedure, variables and results, then judge validity, reliability, generalisability and ethics. Study X is explicitly labelled invented and uses 40 college students aged 16 to 18.
Little Lightbulbs
The supplied case allows pupils to practise evaluating method and evidence without confusing it with a published finding. The prompt to judge how far to trust the study encourages a qualified conclusion.
Paperclip Perspective
Mark each study feature in the margin before evaluating it, then connect one strength or limitation to the claim it affects. Keep “invented” visible when discussing or reproducing the example.
Coffee Before Copies
Study X is fictional and cannot support a real claim about walking or memory. For evaluation practice it is a worked case; for subject knowledge, use a real study and check its full method and findings.