This activity contains 28 questions.
1. Endeavors to explain, predict, and/or control phenomena are the goal of
A tradition.
B inductive logic.
C deductive logic.
D the scientific method.
2. Ms. Casillas has been coordinating the Halloween Festival at her school
for the last several years. She wants to be sure the students and parents
enjoy the festival again this year. On which source is she LEAST likely
to rely when making decisions about
what to do?
A Tradition for the last several years. She wants to be sure the students and parents
enjoy the festival again this year. On which source is she LEAST likely
to rely when making decisions about
what to do?
B Personal experience
C Expert opinion
D Research
3. Ms. Turner is thinking about changing her instructional approach to a
more mastery-learning orientation. She is interested in knowing more
about this topic as well as its effectiveness when working with elementary
school students. On which source should she rely for such information?
A Tradition more mastery-learning orientation. She is interested in knowing more
about this topic as well as its effectiveness when working with elementary
school students. On which source should she rely for such information?
B Research
C Intuition
D Personal experience
4. The scientific method is preferred over other ways of knowing because
it is more
A reliable.
B systematic.
C accurate.
D all of these.
5. The application of the scientific method to the study of educational
problems is called
A inductive reasoning.
B deductive reasoning.
C educational research.
D grounded theory.
6. Which of the following statements characterizes educational research?
A It furthers our understanding of educational issues, questions,
or problems.
B It raises new topics for study.
C It provides information that can improve teaching and learning.
D All of these.
7. Which of the following steps of the scientific method is exemplified
by the researcher reviewing the literature and focusing on a specific
problem that has yet to be resolved?
A Identify a topic.
B Describe the procedures to collect information.
C Analyze the collected information.
D State the results of the data analysis.
8. If a researcher (1) identified a topic and a specific educational problem
related to it, (2) carefully described the ways by which data was
collected and analyzed, and (3) wrote a report reflecting on this work
and its contribution to what is known about the topic, her work can
BEST be described as
A educational research.
B quantitative research.
C qualitative research.
D evaluation.
9. Mr. Morris designed and conducted his research extremely well.
He identified a topic of importance. His sampling, data collection, and
data analyses were carefully described and quite accurate. Most
importantly, he indicated how this work contributed to our knowledge
of the theory he studied. Mr. Morris' work can BEST be described as
A quantitative research. He identified a topic of importance. His sampling, data collection, and
data analyses were carefully described and quite accurate. Most
importantly, he indicated how this work contributed to our knowledge
of the theory he studied. Mr. Morris' work can BEST be described as
B qualitative research.
C educational research.
D none of the above.
10. Which of the following is a limitation of educational research?
A Research cannot answer value-based problems.
B Researchers have ethical and legal responsibilities that can constrain
their work.
C It is difficult to fully describe the depth of participants' perspectives
given the complexity of human behavior.
D All of these.
11. Which of the following is the LEAST legitimate research problem?
The purpose of this study is to
A examine the relationship between the number of hours spent
studying and students' test scores.
B examine the effect of using advanced organizers on fifth grade
students' reading comprehension.
C study whether physical education should be taught in elementary
parochial schools.
D understand what it means to be a part of a baseball team at a high
school known for its championship teams.
12. If a researcher was studying the use of various instructional approaches
to the "multiple intelligences" of a class of students, he is likely to be
conducting which type of research?
A Basic
B Applied
C Evaluation
D Action
13. If a researcher is studying the effect of using laptops in her classroom to
ascertain their merit and worth, she is likely conducting which type of
research?
A Basic
B Applied
C Evaluation
D Action
14. Which of the following is characterized by (1) an attempt to provide a
solution to an educator's problem in his or her own school and
(2) the fact that the educator is the researcher?
A Action research
B Ethnographic designs
C Narrative designs
D Experimental designs
15. Which of the following studies most likely uses quantitative methods?
A Comparing test results across groups to understand the effects of
a particular instructional approach.
B Understanding historical perspective for an educational topic.
C Understanding the shared beliefs and practices of teachers in a
school.
D Developing a theory grounded in the beliefs of the group being
studied.
16. Which of the following is most aligned with a researcher using
quantitative methods?
A Studying a large number of subjects as a detached, objective
observer.
B Studying an interesting phenomenon in the context in which it
naturally occurs.
C Communicating the results of the study in a loosely structured
report that uses informal language.
D Using a research design that changes as narrative data is
collected and analyzed.
17. Which of the following problems is most appropriate to a quantitative
experimental approach?
A Studying the nature of student interactions in an inclusionary
classroom.
B Studying the effect of using formative quizzes on student's
knowledge of key concepts.
C Analyzing the use of a site-based decision making model as
it is being implemented in a local high school.
D Understanding the experiences of a veteran teacher who has
been moved into an administrative position in her school.
18. Which of the following designs studies causal relationships?
A Descriptive
B Correlational
C Experimental
D Narrative
19. Which of the following designs is characterized by the researchers'
inability to actually manipulate an independent variable even though
they are often interested in a causal relationship?
A Descriptive
B Correlational
C Causal-comparative
D Experimental
20. The results from which of the following designs examining the
relationships between variables should not be interpreted as causal?
A Descriptive
B Correlational
C Experimental
D Ethnography
21. Which design would you use to assess the attitudes of parents,
teachers and students toward a new disciplinary policy?
A Descriptive
B Correlational
C Causal-comparative
D Experimental
22. Experimental designs can be differentiated most clearly from
descriptive, correlational, or causal- comparative designs on which
of the following characteristics?
A Collecting numerical data
B A clear intent to establish cause and effect relationships.
C The use of structured designs.
D The statistical analysis of data.
23. Which of the following designs is the best choice to investigate the
effects of working part-time while a high school student?
A Descriptive
B Correlational
C Causal-comparative
D Non-experimental
24. Which of the following designs is likely to contribute to a general
conceptual understanding of the beliefs and practices of the
participants being studied?
A Ethnography
B Correlation
C Evaluation
D Experimental
25. Ms. LeBlanc is interested in studying the shared beliefs and
practices of the teachers in a small rural school in one of Louisiana's
poorer parishes. She is likely to use which of the following designs?
A Action research
B Correlational
C Ethnographic
D Narrative
26. Mr. Wilkins has collected a number of stories from his mother who
was an elementary school teacher for 30 years. By documenting
some of these stories he has recorded experiences that were unique,
interesting, and meaningful. Which type of research describes
Mr. Wilkins' work?
A Descriptive research
B Narrative research
C Ethnographic
D Causal comparative
27. Which of the following problems is most appropriate to a qualitative
approach?
A Describing the relationship between students' math attitudes and
their math achievement.
B Identifying the characteristics that differentiate students who drop
out of high school from those students who do not drop out.
C Describing the effect of creating a student-centered assessment
environment on students' achievement.
D Understanding what it is like to work in a school that is changing
the decision-making process from a top-down, administratively
driven model to a bottom-up, teacher driven model.
28. Mr. Salyer's choice of a specific research approach to his research
problem should be guided by the extent to which the approach
A provides a reasonable answer to the research question.
B describes the study.
C indicates the limitations of the study.
D provides a summary of the research.
answers: 1D2D3B4D5C6D7A8A9C10D11C12B13C14A15A16A17B18C19C20B21A22B23C24A25C26B27D28A
