Is it possible to mention the study variables?

The use of likert type scale is mainly a qualitative instrument of measurement.

You may need to find proxies for success in this study to be able to capture the variable success in your research. You may not be able to capture the word success directly.

In my publication; I used relative performance (RP) as indication of success. I compared the grade point ( GP) of each student in my course to the GPA. I defined it as

RP= [(GP -GPA) / GPA] × 100

Positive values means success.

Thank you Salam Jassim Hmood

This project has to do with preaching to impact change in the hearers for effective ministry. I believe the sermonic preaching is the independent variable and the hearers response (i.e. their growth as a result of the preaching) is the dependent variable. Let me know if that answers your question. The criteria for growth is based on a pre-defined set of values created by the WCC.

Thank you for your insight Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin. You said, " You may need to find proxies for success in this study to be able to capture the variable success in your research. You may not be able to capture the word success directly. " I have not found any yet but what I did find was a recommendation from the World Council of Churches on 12 criteria for effective Christian witnessing at https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/interreligious-dialogue-and-cooperation/christian-identity-in-pluralistic-societies/christian-witness-in-a-multi-religious-world

A researcher can use the 12 criteria as a starting point but the article does not discuss the methdology of measuring success.

You also talked about the Likert scale primarily used as a qualitative instrument. Since Likert uses a point system can it be used as a quantitative measurement based the score? Even though the questions are mostly about opinions and feeling those statements are associated with a number. Since I will be calculating numbers I thought the score result was quantitative because I am measuring a numeric increase based on the differentiation of the total pre-test and post-test score. This is new for me because my background is technical so I welcome all the comments and consideration from this audience.

Thank you Zin Eddine Dadach for sharing the info on your publication using

RP= [(GP -GPA) / GPA] × 100.

I am not sure if this matches what I am trying to do. I have two survey that I want to compare the total score to see if there is any increase. The two surveys are exactly the same and so are the subjects or participants in the survey. The group is going to take the survey before and after the intervention.

When I was doing a little research I ran across an article on the Wilcoxon matched pairs test (see attached file).

This a nonparametric alternative to the t-test for dependent samples (see Basic Statistics and Tables). It will test the hypothesis that the scores for two variables were drawn from the same distribution. For a discussion of the logic and assumptions of this test, or for a comparison with the sign test, refer to the Nonparametric Statistics Notes - Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Test topic.

It sounds like this might a valid method evaluating my data but I am not sure because I have limited experience in statistical analysis. I am asking what your thoughts because in my case I am measuring same data set, different value, different time interval (apples to apples, per se). So I am not sure how to utilize the equation because I did not provide enough info on what I was actually trying to do.