Single Subject Design Assignment - SPD 695 - Understanding Educational Research

Week 3 Discussion Assignment

From your course:

Find a primary research study published in a scholarly peer reviewed journal in special education that uses a Single-Subject Design that pertains to your research question.
When you search for articles related to your research question, try to search for any aspect related to your question (example: diagnosis/ disability type, age, type of intervention desired, skills to be taught, etc.).
Watch the lectures and read the required materials listed in the course, so you will know what you are looking for.

What is Single Subject Design?

The following definition is taken from the Quantitative Research Methodologies chapter in Designing and Conducting Research in Education:

Single-subject design involves investigation that compares different phases of treatment with a single or very few participants. These phases typically compare a participant's performance without treatment (termed a baseline phase) and with treatment (called the treatment phase). The purpose is to determine whether the initiation of treatment will generate a change in the participant's performance or behavior.

Similar Terms: Single Subject Experimental Design, Single Case Design, and Single Systems Design
Additional Information Resources

Readings on Single Subject Research

Selected articles to help you learn more about single subject research design:

Current Trends in Education: How Single-Subject Research Can Help Middle and High School Educators Keep Up with the Zeitgeist Casey, L. B., Meindl, J. N., Frame, K., Elswick, S., Hayes, J., & Wyatt, J. (2012). Current trends in education: How single-subject research can help middle and high school educators keep up with the zeitgeist. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 85(3), 109-116. Understanding single-subject research designs and their use at the middle and secondary level is one of the first steps toward implementation of the Response to Intervention model after elementary school.
Single-Case Design, Analysis, and Quality Assessment for Intervention Research. Lobo, M. A., Moeyaert, M., Cunha, A. B., & Babik, I. (2017). Single-case design, analysis, and quality assessment for intervention research. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy: JNPT, 41(3), 187. This articles describes single-case studies and contrast them with case studies and randomized clinical trials. The authors highlight current research designs, analysis techniques, and quality appraisal tools relevant for single-case rehabilitation research.
Single-Case Experimental Research: A Methodology for Establishing Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education Alqraini, F. (2017). Single-case experimental research: A methodology for establishing evidence-based practice in Special Education. International journal of special education, 32(3), 551-566. The author shares the critical features of single case design, including the way steady state strategy and baseline logic works in common designs.
Single-Subject Designs in Special Education: Advantages and Limitations Alnahdi, G. H. (2015). Single‐subject designs in special education: advantages and limitations. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 15(4), 257-265. This paper introduces the topic of single-subject designs by providing an overview of the relevant literature and a discussion of the major issues and applications of these designs in the field of special education.
Single Subject Research: Applications to Special Education Cakiroglu, O. (2012). Single subject research: Applications to special education. British Journal of Special Education, 39(1), 21-29. The author discusses key advantages and limitations of applying single subject research to the field of special education.
The Use of Single-Subject Research to Identify Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education. Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The Use of Single-Subject Research to Identify Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education. Exceptional Children, 71,(2), 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290507100203 This article allows readers to determine if a specific study is a credible example of single-subject research and if a specific practice or procedure has been validated as "evidence-based" via single-subject research.
Using Single‐Case Research Designs to Examine the Effects of Interventions in Special Education Maggin, D. M., Cook, B. G., & Cook, L. (2018). Using single‐case research designs to examine the effects of interventions in special education. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 33(4), 182-191. This article gives special educators an overview of single‐case research methods, with an emphasis on how these designs are used to establish whether an instructional practice relates to improved learner outcomes.