Developing a Research Plan

Question 1

null hypothesis

Answer 1

hypothesis that states that no effect will occur in a study or no relationship between variables will be found

Question 2

nondirectional research hypothesis

Answer 2

hypothesis that states that there will be some sort of effect discovered in the results of a given research study, without stating the nature of the difference or relationship

Question 3

directional research hypothesis

Answer 3

hypothesis that not only states that an effect will be found but also specifies the direction or nature of that effect

Question 4

observational case study

Answer 4

case study that involves the examination of a particular organization or some aspects of the organization

Question 5

participant observation

Answer 5

the act of not only observing as a researcher but also participating in the group or setting as an equal, active member of that group or setting.

Question 6

observer as participant

Answer 6

when the researcher is primarily an observer but has some level or interaction with the participants.

Question 7

participant as observer

Answer 7

the researcher continues to observe but also has considerable opportunity to interact with the participants in the study

Question 8

full participant

Answer 8

the researcher is simultaneously a fully functioning member of the “community” as well as a researcher

Question 9

constant comparative method

Answer 9

research design for studies that involve multiple data sources; data analysis begins early and is nearly completed by the end of data collection

Question 10

observational research

Answer 10

quantitative research design focused on a description of a specific aspect of behavior

Question 11

survey research

Answer 11

quantitative, descriptive design involving the acquisition of information from individuals representing one or more groups; specifically asking questions and then tabulating responses

Question 12

correlational study

Answer 12

nonexperimental study; determines the degree of relationship that exists between two or more variables

Question 13

correlation coefficients

Answer 13

quantitative measure resulting from a correlational study; reports the direction and the strength of the relationship

Question 14

Pearson correlation coefficient

Answer 14

common measure of the relationship between two variables; symbolized by r

Question 15

positive correlation

Answer 15

correlation coefficient whose value is greater than zero; indicates that as values on one variable increases, the values of the other variable increase

Question 16

negative correlation

Answer 16

correlation coefficient whose value is less than zero; indicates that as values on one variable increases, the values of the other variable decrease

Question 17

group comparison designs

Answer 17

quantitative research design; attempts to investigate cause and effect relationships by comparing groups that differ in treatment condition

Question 18

causal comparative research

Answer 18

quantitative research designed used to explore reasons behind existing differences between two or more groups

Question 19

preexperimental designs

Answer 19

quantitative research designs seen as precursors to true experimental designs in that they lack several key details

Question 20

one-shot case study

Answer 20

experimental design; involves a single group which is exposed to an experimental treatment and then post tested after the passage of time

Question 21

one-group pretest-posttest design

Answer 21

preexperimental design; involves two groups of participants which are pretested, exposed to different treatment conditions, and then posttested after the passage of time

Question 22

quasiexperimental designs

Answer 22

closest relative to true experimental designs; the only difference being that there is not random assignment of participants to groups

Question 23

pretest-posttest control group design

Answer 23

similar to the one-group pretest-posttest but it includes the addition of a control group for comparison purposes

Question 24

explanatory mixed-methods design

Answer 24

quantitative data is collected first, followed by the collection of qualitative data in order to help support, explain, or elaborate on the quantitative results

Question 25

exploratory mixed-methods design

Answer 25

qualitative data is collected first, followed by the collection of quantitative data in order to farther explain any relationships discovered in the qualitative data

Question 26

informed consent form

Answer 26

describes the nature of a research study as well as the level of involvement of the participants; necessary for permission to use data collected in the study

Question 27

principle of accurate disclosure

Answer 27

participants should be informed accurately about the purpose of the and specifically what they will be asked to do as participants

Question 28

assent

Answer 28

child’s agreement to participate in a research study

Question 29

principle of beneficence

Answer 29

states that research should be done in order to acquire knowledge about human beings and the educational process in order to benefit someone or a group

Question 30

principle of honesty

Answer 30

honestly should be exhibited throughout the entire research process

Question 31

principle of importance

Answer 31

the findings of research should somehow be likely to contribute to human knowledge or be useful elsewhere in the field of education