Managing longitudinal research: An account of six years of the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study

Year: 2004

Author: Meiers, Marian

Type of paper: Abstract refereed

Abstract:
The ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) is a seven-year longitudinal study following the growth in literacy and numeracy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school. A longitudinal design was chosen as the most appropriate means of identifying patterns of growth in student achievement. In cross-sectional studies different students are assessed at a particular point in schooling, and this data is sometimes used to infer developmental patterns. A longitudinal design makes it possible to investigate growth by following the same cohort of students across the years of schooling, in order to identify the development in what students know and can do.

Ten students were randomly selected from class lists provided at the beginning of the 1999 school year by 100 randomly selected schools, creating a total national sample of 1000 students. During the course of the study many students have transferred to other schools, and some are no longer participating in the study, for a variety of reasons. Over 200 schools are now involved, many with a single student who has transferred from another school. By the end of 2003, 720 students remained on the LLANS database. This paper will explore some of the issues in managing longitudinal research, and report on some key findings from the study.

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