C224 Research Foundations

Question 1

A teacher has noticed that students in her math class are not performing well on her end of semester exam. She suspects that their lack of interest in math is affecting their ability to perform. She decides to integrate computerized math games into her curriculum and see if it has an impact on the end of semester exam scores.

What is the objective of this research project?

Answer 1

To solve a local problem in her classroom

Question 2

What outcome of educational research is used to support a theory or concept?

Answer 2

Evidence

Question 3

A researcher hypothesizes that kindergarten students can increase vocabulary retention by drawing pictures of new words learned.

Which research should be used to conduct this study?

Answer 3

Basic research

Question 4

A researcher hypothesizes that master’s prepared business administration graduates who are male get hired faster and are paid a higher salary than their female counterparts.

Which research will be used to conduct this study?

Answer 4

Orientational research

Question 5

Carefully aligned strategies were developed for a reading intervention program after analyzing data from a series of surveys and experiments. At the conclusion of the program, 64% of participants were reported reading at or above grade level.

Which kind of research was implemented in this scenario?

Answer 5

Evaluation research

Question 6

What is the purpose of evidence in research?

Answer 6

Support theories

Question 7

What is the purpose of a hypothesis in a quantitative study?

Answer 7

It provides an educated guess about the relationship between variables studied.

Question 8

Which major research approach is based on the assumption that objective truths exist in the world and can be discovered?

Answer 8

Quantitative

Question 9

What are quantitative researchers primarily interested in examining?

Answer 9

Hypotheses

Question 10

What is one strength of quantitative research?

Answer 10

Quantitative research can be used to test and validate existing theories.

Question 11

Researchers seeking to eliminate spider phobias among young children conducted a study in which each participant was presented with a live spider. Group A participants were asked to describe their emotional response to the spider. Group B participants were asked to describe the room they were in. All participants rated their fear of the spider on a scale from 1 to 100.

What is the dependent variable in this study?

Answer 11

The fear rating

Question 12

Researchers who were studying stress found that teenagers with high stress also had some negative physical symptoms. Symptoms included a suppressed immune system and increased blood pressure.

Which statement represents the relationship between these variables?

Answer 12

Stress is positively correlated with physical ailments.

Question 13

As one variable is manipulated, it directly brings about change in a second variable.

What is the variable called that is being manipulated?

Answer 13

Independent variable

Question 14

A researcher wanted to know if students in rural areas had different study skills than students in urban areas. She gave a chapter about “life in the city” to 50 urban and 50 rural students and asked them to study it. A week later, she gave them all a test to see how much they had learned.

What is a critical limitation of this quantitative study?

Answer 14

The content of the chapter would be more familiar to one group than the other.

Question 15

Which method of data collection would qualitative researchers be likely to use?

Answer 15

Observations in natural environments

Question 16

A researcher has formulated specific research questions about one school’s high absenteeism among its freshman student population. The researcher plans to conduct in-depth analyses of this population using multiple sources of data.

Which theoretical framework is this researcher using?

Answer 16

Case study

Question 17

A qualitative researcher wants to collect data on a phenomenon and then develop a theory that describes the data.

Which research design should this researcher choose?

Answer 17

Grounded theory

Question 18

What is one strength of qualitative research?

Answer 18

The research can be conducted in a natural setting.

Question 19

Which assumption about the nature of knowledge characterizes qualitative research?

Answer 19

It is personal

Question 20

What is one limitation of qualitative research?

Answer 20

Researcher’s biases can easily influence results for this approach.

Question 21

Which goal indicates a developmental purpose for choosing a mixed-method design?

Answer 21

The researcher wants to describe a phenomenon in detail, then use the descriptions to construct a survey.

Question 22

What impact does the time orientation criterion have on the design of mixed methods research?

Answer 22

It involves the decision of whether to conduct the quantitative and qualitative components concurrently or sequentially.

Question 23

What is one reason for choosing a mixed-methods design over a qualitative or quantitative design?

Answer 23

Mixed-methods designs can produce more integrated knowledge.

Question 24

Compared to the other major research approaches, what is the main strength of mixed methods research?

Answer 24

It produces integrated knowledge that informs theory and practice.

Question 25

Which research method has the strength of being able to include words, pictures, and narrative to add meaning to numbers?

Answer 25

Mixed methods

Question 26

Which assumption characterizes action research?

Answer 26

Theory and research can be integrated with practice.

Question 27

Which research approach views research with the attitude of being both a practitioner and a researcher?

Answer 27

Action

Question 28

A community organization that offers English language classes to non-native speakers wants to employ action research to determine whether adding multimedia learning options to its offerings would be beneficial.

Which purpose of action research is served by reflecting on the students’ feedback on using multimedia learning options?

Answer 28

It enables the researchers to improve the learning experience based on the students’ first use of the multimedia options.

Question 29

What is one strength of action research?

Answer 29

It can be conducted by local practitioners.

Question 30

Research Question: How do minority students experience the science curriculum, both in terms of achievement and perceptions of quality and enjoyment?

Which research method would be used to answer this research question?

Answer 30

Mixed methods

Question 31

A school superintendent wants to understand the popular viewpoint about recent changes in school policy. A qualitative research study is conducted using unstructured interview techniques to gather parental opinions.

What makes a qualitative approach more appropriate to use in this scenario than a quantitative approach?

Answer 31

A qualitative approach can lead to the generation of new theories from unexpected findings.

Question 32

Which phase of the action research cycle determines who does what and when?

Answer 32

Plan

Question 33

To obtain results that are defensible and trustworthy, what should action researchers do?

Answer 33

Gather and keep track of evidence of successful and effective interventions

Question 34

Which research activity is occurring when a researcher assigns numerical scores to achievement tests by adding up the total number of correct answers?

Answer 34

Measurement

Question 35

Which term refers to the accuracy of the inferences, interpretations, or actions that are based on test scores?

Answer 35

Validity

Question 36

A teacher asks students to rate from 1-5 how much they like a particular playground activity. They respond from strongly dislike to strongly love. She then asks them how many days a week they do the activity, 0, 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, more than 5.

Which statement describes the scales used?

Answer 36

An interval scale shows the equal distance between responses and a ratio scale shows the frequency of the responses

Question 37

Which type of validity refers to the trustworthiness of the portrayal of study participants’ perspectives and meanings in qualitative research?

Answer 37

Interpretive validity

Question 38

A mixed methods researcher makes data transformations, qualitative to quantitative or vice-versa.

Which type of validity is the researcher ensuring?

Answer 38

Conversion validity

Question 39

Which of the following is true about research validity concerns in action research?

Answer 39

Depending upon the nature of the work, different types of issues related to validity, legitimation, or trustworthiness will arise.

Question 40

An action researcher conducts a study to discover students’ preference for the instructional strategies of several teachers. The researcher asks students, “How much do you like your teacher?” Some students describe how much they enjoy the teacher’s instructional methods, and others rate how much they favor the teacher as a person.

Which type of validity is threatened by this inconsistent definition of what it means to like a teacher?

Answer 40

Construct validity

Question 41

A researcher has decided to conduct a mixed methods study.

Which of these factors would have led to this decision?

Answer 41

wanting to provide a complex explanation incorporating multiple perspectives

Question 42

Once a mixed approach has been selected, what must researchers consider in constructing their research design?

Answer 42

Whether one paradigm will be given priority over the other

Question 43

Which study would benefit from using an experimental research method?

Answer 43

A study determining the effect of adding nitrogen to soil in which pea seeds are planted

Question 44

What is the median for the data set 72, 47, 53, 31, 59, 60, 42?

Answer 44

53

Question 45

The following graph shows the SAT scores for high school students. The scores range from 300 to 1600. Of the students who took the test, 75% received a score of 785 to 900, 21% received a score of 950 to 1200, and 4% received a perfect score of 1600.
Which scores represent the mode in this scenario?

Answer 45

785–900

Question 46

What is one purpose of descriptive statistics?

Answer 46

To summarize and explain a set of data

Question 47

Given the following set of test scores:

60, 83, 74, 64, 52, 83, 81, 94, 79, 90

What is the mode?

Answer 47

83

Question 48

A researcher studied the effectiveness of different study techniques in preparing for a mid-term exam. The data are used to create the line graph below: Which statement reflects what is shown in the graph?

Answer 48

The average score for students who did independent practice was lower than for those students in either study group.

Question 49

A researcher studied the effectiveness of different study techniques in preparing for a mid-term exam. The data are used to create the line graph below: Which statement reflects what is shown in the graph?

Answer 49

On average, students who participated in a study group had a better score than students who did independent or no practice.

Question 50

A researcher is interested in examining the role that students’ regulation of their emotions plays in learning.

What is one reason that this researcher should conduct a literature review?

Answer 50

To review what is already known about the role students’ regulation of their emotions plays in learning

Question 51

Which statement is true of literature reviews but not annotated bibliographies?

Answer 51

They are published in academic research journals.

Question 52

What is a common characteristic of a qualitative research question?

Answer 52

It is open-ended to collect as much information as possible about a phenomenon.

Question 53

A researcher is asked to examine the effects of happiness on creative thought using an experiment. What would the hypothesis be for this study?

Answer 53

Happiness increases creative thinking.

Question 54

A research group has limited funding.

Which data collection method would serve a large population over several years that is geographically and economically stratified?

Answer 54

Surveys

Question 55

What is a limitation of using questionnaires in quantitative research studies?

Answer 55

It leads to limited outcomes.

Question 56

A researcher conducts a correlational study to determine where people buy homes based on their occupations.

How should this researcher gather data?

Answer 56

By exploring past records of home buyers’ occupations in particular areas

Question 57

What is random assignment?

Answer 57

Randomly placing participants into experimental and control conditions

Question 58

What is a particular ethical challenge with children’s research in the school setting?

Answer 58

Since minors cannot give informed consent, the protocol for acquiring parental consent from a parent or legal guardian as well as agreement from the minor is an involved process.

Question 59

Why study research?

Answer 59

• By studying educational research, students develop CRITICAL thinking skills
• This allows them to ask questions regarding evidence presented
• Students can evaluate other elements of the studies as well, such as efforts to reduce effects of bias or steps taken to control influence of outside variables

Question 60

5 Types Of Research

Answer 60

• Basic: focuses on generating fundamental knowledge
• Evaluation: Focuses on deciding the worth/quality of intervention programs
• Action: Focuses on solving local problems that practitioners face
• Orientational: Focuses on reducing inequality and giving voice to disadvantaged
• Applied: Focuses on real-world questions and applications

Question 61

A professor in Political Science wants to develop a study to examine possible implications of proposed budget cuts on function and stability of local social welfare programs. What type of research is this?

Answer 61

Applied

Question 62

Formative evaluation

Answer 62

Concerned with developing judgments of how a program can be improved and aids developers and staff in designing and implementing programs.

Question 63

Summative evaluation

Answer 63

Focuses on cultivating judgments of a program’s effectiveness and any decisions regarding continuation. It is especially helpful for policy makers to appraise previous future-funding decisions and determine upcoming decisions.

Question 64

Needs assessment

Answer 64

is there a need for the program

Question 65

Theory Assessment

Answer 65

is this program conceptualized in a way that it should work

Question 66

Implementation Assessment

Answer 66

Was this program implemented properly and according to the program plan

Question 67

Impact assessment

Answer 67

Did this programs have an impact on its intended targets

Question 68

Efficiency assessment

Answer 68

Is this program cost-effective

Question 69

If an educator wants to develop an action research program in an elementary school, what kind of issue would most benefit from action research?

• Rise in rate of obesity among the children participating in school lunches
• Shortage of teachers for the upcoming school year
• Overcrowding of teacher parking lot

Answer 69

Rise in rate of obesity among the children participating in school lunches

Question 70

Consumers of research can evaluate the strength of a study’s evidence by using

Answer 70

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking means asking pertinent questions to determine the quality of a study’s evidence.

Question 71

What research type is best utilized at solving pressing local issues within educational communities.

Answer 71

Action - Action research is designed around taking on problems of great concern in one’s community and providing insight and solutions of great benefit.

Question 72

The ultimate goal of exploratory research is to provide what for researchers?

Answer 72

Understanding - Studies seeking to explore unique phenomena are endeavoring to provide a clear and defensible understanding of the situation to researchers and peers.

Question 73

In deciding on whether a particular community program should be continued, what technique should a policy maker employ?

Answer 73

Summative evaluation

Question 74

Primary Objectives of Educational Research

Answer 74

• Description
• Prediction
• Exploration

Question 75

Deductive reasoning is used to determine a conclusion utilizing

Answer 75

Premises - Deductive reasoning employs both major and minor premises to establish a conclusion.

Question 76

Scientific Exploratory Method

Answer 76

• making empirical observations,
• generating and testing hypotheses (educated guesses),
• generating and testing theories (explanations), and
• attempting to predict and positively influence the world.

Question 77

The phrase “This research study provides findings to support . . .” is reflective of what principle?

Answer 77

Evidence - The mention of supportive findings is reflective of the principle of evidence, which tentatively confirms a theory but leaves open the possibility of new theories by later researchers.

Question 78

Theories can have many characteristics. Which characteristic is not likely to be one of them?

Answer 78

Indisputable - It is unlikely that a theory would be characterized as indisputable, as this would impede the ability of researchers to explore or test it.

Question 79

When evaluating a particular theory, which question would not be suitable to ask?

Answer 79

Does it provide irrefutable assertions?