Day 2 | 3-Day Training Programme on SPSS and SEM (8-10 June 2026)

1. Introduction

The second day of the 3-days Training Programme on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) continued with immense enthusiasm and active participation. Organized jointly by the Research & Development (R&D) Section and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of KBN University, Day 2 focused on moving beyond basic descriptive statistics into inferential statistical techniques. The session was led by Dr. Santosh, Associate Professor from the Department of Psychology, Christ University, whose expertise in behavioral statistics provided participants with a clear bridge between theoretical concepts and practical application.

The day commenced at 9:30 AM with a brief recap of Day 1’s topics (data entry, descriptive statistics, and basic t-tests). Dr. Santosh outlined the day’s agenda, emphasizing that the focus would shift from SPSS to include Jamovi software—an open-source alternative known for its user-friendly interface and robust statistical capabilities.

2. Technical Sessions: Morning Block (9:30 AM – 1:00 PM)

2.1 One-way ANOVA

The first major topic of the day was One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Dr. Santosh began by explaining the logical necessity of ANOVA when comparing more than two groups (as opposed to a t-test, which is limited to two groups).

Conceptual Clarity: He explained the null hypothesis (all group means are equal) and the alternative hypothesis (at least one group mean differs significantly).

Hands-on Demonstration: Using a sample dataset comparing exam scores across three teaching methods, Dr. Santosh demonstrated how to run One-way ANOVA in SPSS. Participants learned to interpret the F-ratio, degrees of freedom, and the critical p-value (p < 0.05).

2.2 Correlation Analysis

Following ANOVA, the session moved to Correlation—a measure of the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two continuous variables.

Pearson’s r:Dr. Santosh explained the range of the correlation coefficient (-1 to +1), differentiating between positive, negative, and zero correlations.

3. Hands-on Training: Two-tailed Testing

Dr. Santosh devoted special attention to the concept of the Two-tailed test, a critical aspect of hypothesis testing that was previously mentioned but not practiced in depth.

Conceptual Distinction: He clarified the difference between one-tailed (directional) and two-tailed (non-directional) hypotheses. Using real-world research examples, he explained that two-tailed tests are more conservative and widely accepted in social science research because they test for the possibility of an effect in either direction.

Hands-on Exercise: Participants were given a dataset and asked to run both a one-tailed and two-tailed t-test on the same variables. They observed firsthand how the p-value doubles in a two-tailed test compared to a one-tailed test.

4. Introduction to Jamovi Software (2:30 PM – 5:00 PM)

The most anticipated segment of Day 2 was the dedicated session on Jamovi software. Dr. Santosh introduced Jamovi as a free, open-source alternative to SPSS that produces publication-ready output with minimal coding.

4.1 Why Jamovi?

Advantages Highlighted: No licensing fees, real-time results, drag-and-drop interface, and seamless integration with R (for advanced users).

Comparison with SPSS: Participants were shown side-by-side outputs from SPSS and Jamovi for the same analyses (ANOVA, correlation, t-tests), confirming statistical equivalence but noting Jamovi’s superior visualization options.

4.2 Hands-on Exercises in Jamovi

Data Import: Participants learned to import data from Excel, CSV, and even SPSS (.sav) files.

Re-running ANOVA and Correlation: The group replicated their morning exercises in Jamovi. Dr. Santosh highlighted Jamovi’s intuitive module-based design (e.g., “Analyses” tab → “ANOVA” → “One-way ANOVA”).

Two-tailed Test in Jamovi: Participants performed two-tailed independent samples t-tests in Jamovi, noting how the software automatically defaults to two-tailed testing and provides clear confidence intervals.

Visualization: Using Jamovi’s built-in graphing tools, participants created violin plots, boxplots, and correlation matrices that were publication-ready.

4.3 Troubleshooting and Q&A

The final 45 minutes were reserved for troubleshooting. Participants encountered common issues (e.g., non-normal data, missing values) and Dr. Santosh demonstrated how Jamovi handles these through options like “Exclude cases listwise” and “Robust tests.”

5. Participant Engagement and Feedback

The interactive format of Day 2 received highly positive feedback. Key observations included:

High Energy Levels: Despite the long duration (9:30 AM to 5:00 PM), participants remained attentive, largely due to the hands-on, problem-solving approach.

Appreciation for Jamovi: Several research scholars expressed relief at discovering a free alternative to SPSS. One participant noted, “Jamovi gives me the power of R without having to learn code.”

Clarity of Instruction: Dr. Santosh’s background in psychology made his examples relatable to social science and management researchers from KBNU.

6. Conclusion and Way Forward

Day 2 successfully advanced participants from basic descriptive statistics to robust inferential techniques, including ANOVA, correlation, and two-tailed testing. The introduction of Jamovi software was a strategic highlight, empowering researchers with a cost-effective, modern tool for data analysis. The day concluded with a preview of Day 3’s content: Introduction to Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Jamovi’s semLj module and advanced regression techniques.

The R&D section and IQAC expressed gratitude to Dr. Santosh for his lucid teaching style and to the participants for their sustained enthusiasm.