Advanced Structural Equation Modelling using AMOS

This course is designed as an advanced course in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for existing AMOS users. Introductory courses typically cover path analysis amongst observed variables, confirmatory factor analysis, and full SEM models with latent variables. Furthermore, introductory courses usually deal only with continuous variables. However, many research questions involve observed categorical variables including ordered categorical (ordinal) variables and unordered categorical (nominal) variables that may be binary (Yes/No, Male/Female, Patient survives or dies, etc.) or polynomial. This course covers a large number of complex models that are not covered in an introductory course and covers the uses of both continuous and categorical variables in such models. Detailed notes with worked examples and references will be provided as a basis for both the lecture and hands-on computing aspect of the course. The course is divided into five parts.
 
Part I: Revision of basic concepts.This part of the course is a revision of a number of issues related to fitting structural equation models and dealing with problem data and difficult models. Topics include: model conceptualisation, model identification and parameter estimation; ML versus ADF estimation and assessing model fit (including the Bollen-Stein adjusted p and bootstrapped standard errors); treatment of missing data, Bayesian approaches in AMOS to the treatment of categorical variables; treatment of outliers; constraining parameters; non-positive definite matrices; negative error variances; and unidentified and inadmissible models.
 
Part II: Constructing composite variables for use in structural equation models.This part of the course includes a revision of one-factor congeneric measurement modeling which is then extended to introduce the Holmes-Smith & Rowe approach to using composite variables in SEM. This topic also covers reliability and validity of composites created from one-factor congeneric measurement modeling.
 
Part III: Advanced single-level models.Topics include the testing of model and parameter invariance across groups (multi-group analysis); analysis of interactions with categorical moderator variables or continuous variables; non-linear modeling; and mean structure analysis approaches to the Analysis of Covariance.
 
Part IV: Advanced multi-level models.Introduction to the use of multilevel models to analyse data from hierarchically structured populations/samples (e.g., voters within electorates, students within classes within schools, cases within groups within areas, etc.), or longitudinal studies (repeated measures clustered within individuals within groups). Topics include longitudinal analysis using latent growth curve modeling; and multilevel structural equation modeling.
 
Part V: Personal Research.Finally, the course provides an opportunity for participants to work on their own research problems with the instructor’s assistance. Therefore participants are encouraged to bring a data set and/or research problem with them.

 
Level 5 - runs over 5 days
Instructor: 

Mr Philip Holmes-Smith (OAM) is the principal consultant with School Research, Evaluation and Measurements Services (SREAMS), an independent educational research consultancy business. His research, evaluation and measurement interests lie in the areas of teacher effectiveness and school improvement, accountability models and benchmarking, improving the quality of teaching, using student performance data to inform teaching, and large-scale achievement testing programs. He is an experienced teacher of social science research methods and is a regular instructor at the ACSPRI programs. He also regularly teaches Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Multi-Level Analysis (MLA) at various universities around Australia.

Course dates: Monday 25 June 2012 - Friday 29 June 2012
Course status: Course completed (no new applicants)
Week: 
Week 1
Recommended Background: 

Participants must have completed an introductory course in Structural Equation Modeling using AMOS (or have had equivalent experience). Participants must be competent in specifying models in AMOS.

Recommended Texts: 

· Arbuckle, J. L. (1995-2009). AMOS 18 User’s Guide. Crawfordville, FL: Amos Development Corporation.
· Byrne, Barbara M. (2010). Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Programming. (2nd Ed.) New York: Routledge Academic.
· Kline, Rex B. (2010). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (3rd Ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Course fees
Member: 
$1,640
Non Member: 
$2,940
Full time student Member: 
$1,640