Deck 1: Introduction to Educational Research

Question 1

The theory testing approach to science is called:

A) The parsimony principle
B) The exploratory method
C) The inductive method
D) The confirmatory method

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Describe evaluation research, action research, and orientational research.

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

What general type of research is focused on collecting information to help a researcher advance an ideological or political position?

A) Evaluation research
B) Basic research
C) Action research
D) Orientational research

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which approach to reasoning goes "from the particular to the general"?

A) Deductive
B) Inductive
C) Abductive
D) Retroductive

Question 5

What type of evaluation is focused on improving an educational program?

A) Formative
B) Summative
C) Evaluative
D) Cost analysis

Question 6

Explain how to determine the quality of a theory or explanation.

Question 7

Basic research:

A) Addresses practical questions
B) Produces immediate solutions
C) Investigates current problems in education
D) Creates knowledge

Question 8

Explain the difference between basic and applied research.

Question 9

What general type of research is focused on solving specific problems that local practitioners face in their schools and communities?

A) Evaluation research
B) Basic research
C) Action research
D) Orientational research

Question 10

Discuss the different sources of knowledge.

Question 11

Which position says that knowledge comes from experience?

A) Rationalism
B) Empiricism
C) Innatisim
D) Nativism

Question 12

List at least five areas of educational research.

Question 13

Knowledge of educational research:

A) Helps with people's math skills
B) Develops students' critical thinking skills
C) Does not help one become a better consumer of research
D) Does not have an impact on one's performance as a professional

Question 14

List the six objectives of educational research and provide an example of each.

Question 15

Applied research has as its primary focus:

A) Basic learning processes
B) Theory testing
C) Practical questions
D) Fundamental knowledge

Question 16

Action research:

A) Is a form of basic research
B) Is a form of applied research
C) Is a form of research that deals with fundamental knowledge
D) Uses only qualitative methods

Question 17

Explain the scientific approach to knowledge generation.

Question 18

According to the text, basic and applied research should be viewed as:

A) The poles on a single continuum
B) Distinct categories
C) Logical categories
D) The same type of research

Question 19

Basic research has as its primary focus:

A) Current educational interventions
B) Immediate solutions
C) Practical questions
D) Fundamental knowledge

Question 20

Explain the importance of educational research.

Question 21

A research study aimed at determining whether the Saxon Math or the Harcourt Math program causes higher math achievement in third-grade students.

A) Explanatory research
B) Predictive research
C) Descriptive research
D) Basic research

Question 22

Which of the following is a characteristic of a good theory or explanation?

A) It is very complex
B) It is testable
C) It is very specific and only applies to one place, situation, or person
D) It is only observed by specific researchers

Question 23

Popper's criterion of falsifiability suggests that:

A) Good theories are, in principle, refutable
B) Good theories are complex
C) Good theories are never falsifiable
D) Good theories are based on inductive logic

Question 24

A researcher designs an experiment to test how variables interact to influence how well children learn spelling words. In this case, the main purpose of the study was:

A) Explanation
B) Description
C) Influence
D) Prediction

Question 25

A(n) _____ is a brief summary of what is in an article.

A) Research evaluation
B) Abstract
C) Project description
D) Article review

Question 26

Which of the following terms refers to the idea that knowledge comes from reasoning?

A) Epistemology
B) Empiricism
C) Rationalism
D) Materialism

Question 27

Determining the worth, merit, or quality of an evaluation object is known as which of the following?

A) Action research
B) Explanatory research
C) Evaluation
D) Descriptive research

Question 28

A state school supervisor wants to know who is more likely to skip school, male or female students, so the researcher obtains graduation records which will show the male and female students' graduation rates. In this case, the primary purpose of the study is:

A) Influence
B) Description
C) Prediction
D) Control

Question 29

The theory generation approach to science is called:

A) The parsimony principle
B) The exploratory method
C) The deductive method
D) The confirmatory method

Question 30

"Dr. Smith has parked in the same parking space for over a year now. Most likely, she will be parking there again tomorrow." This statement is an example of:

A) Deductive reasoning
B) Inductive reasoning
C) Rationalistic reasoning
D) Essentialist reasoning

Question 31

Applied research that is focused on solving local problems is also known as which of the following?

A) Orientational research
B) Action research
C) Basic research
D) Predictive research

Question 32

There is a set of churches in the U.S. where part of the service involves snake handling. The researcher wants to find out why the people attending these churches do this and find out how they feel and think about it. In this case, the primary purpose of the study is:

A) Exploration
B) Control
C) Influence
D) Prediction

Question 33

Which of the following concepts specifically refers to the idea that knowledge comes from experience?

A) Epistemology
B) Empiricism
C) Rationalism
D) Materialism

Question 34

The rule of parsimony suggests that scientists should:

A) Use the most complex theory
B) Use an inductive method
C) Use experimental designs
D) Prefer the simplest theory that works

Question 35

Research that is focused on reducing some form of inequality in a society is known as which of the following?

A) Orientational research
B) Experimental research
C) Theoretical research
D) Grounded research

Question 36

Which of the following is not a basic assumption of science?

A) Science cannot provide answers to all questions
B) It is possible to distinguish between more plausible and less plausible claims
C) Researchers should follow certain agreed upon norms and practices
D) Science can solve value conflicts, such as whether abortion is immoral

Question 37

A researcher wants to know the effectiveness of early intervention programs on preventing developmental delay in children. She hopes that the results of the work will have implications for state and national policies concerning early intervention. In this case, the main purpose of the study was:

A) Exploration
B) Description
C) Influence
D) Prediction

Question 38

Which of the following is an objective of educational research?

A) Tenure
B) Exploitation
C) Prediction
D) Demarcation

Question 39

At the end of the school year, students in Head Start are tested to see what gains have been made during the year. This is an example of:

A) Formative assessment
B) Summative assessment
C) Theory assessment
D) Efficiency assessment

Question 40

A researcher makes a judgment of how well the finished product of Toyota's new Hybrid car performs, and based on that judgment, consumers will have the information needed to know if they want to purchase this car. What type of evaluation would this be?

A) Formative evaluation
B) Summative evaluation
C) Needs evaluation
D) Efficiency evaluation

Question 41

What is the principle of evidence?

A) Research proves theories
B) Research produces deductive truth
C) Research provides evidence, not proof
D) Research provides information and it is up to the researcher to decide if the information proves his or her theory

Question 42

Why is the word "proof" not used in empirical research in the social and behavioral sciences?

A) Human behavior always follows mathematical laws
B) Researchers create data to get promoted at their jobs
C) New theories might provide a better explanation of the same observations
D) 100 studies must be completed on a topic before something is proven

Question 43

A central part of the scientific method is generating a hypothesis. A hypothesis is:

A) The results of the research
B) An explanatory system
C) An educated guess
D) An interpretation of findings

Question 44

According to the book, when you engage in inductive reasoning, you are also using:

A) Deductive reasoning
B) Quantitative reasoning
C) Moral reasoning
D) Probabilistic reasoning

Question 45

Another name for critical theory research is:

A) Evaluation research
B) Orientational research
C) Applied research
D) Basic research

Question 46

If a researcher tests a hypothesis with new data to see if it is supported or rejected, she will be using which of the following methods?

A) Exploratory method
B) Confirmatory method
C) Theory generation approach
D) Cost analysis approach

Question 47

Research literature refers to __________.

A) The research that has been done on literature from a specific historic time period
B) The set of published research studies on a particular topic
C) The literature about research done in a particular discipline
D) Research that backs up what a researcher is looking for in a study

Question 48

A researcher has conducted several studies to verify her theory of school motivational factors. These studies have validated her theory so now she wants to conduct research to see if changing aspects of the school classroom based on her theory leads to improvements in the classroom. This is an example of:

A) Evaluation
B) Basic research
C) Applied research
D) Epistemology

Question 49

A researcher is interested in the viewpoints of transgender students in schools so he designs a research study to investigate this topic. This study will meet which objective of educational research?

A) Prediction
B) Explanation
C) Exploration
D) Understanding

Question 50

The key difference between deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning is:

A) In deductive reasoning, the conclusion must be true if the premises are true
B) In deductive reasoning, the conclusion will usually be true if the premises are true
C) In inductive reasoning, the conclusion must be true if the premises are true
D) In deductive reasoning, the researcher makes probabilistic generalizations

Question 51

Dr. James has been hired by the local schools to complete an evaluation of a math and science program implemented in elementary schools throughout the state to improve performance in these areas. This is an example of:

A) A needs assessment
B) A theory assessment
C) An efficiency assessment
D) An impact assessment

Question 52

In evaluation research, which type of assessment is concerned with whether a program is conceptualized in such a way that it should be effective?

A) Implementation
B) Impact
C) Efficiency
D) Theory

Question 53

Which statement best represents the Karl Popper's criterion of falsifiability?

A) The most important property of a scientific theory is that it is capable of being supported by empirical data if it is true
B) The most important property of a scientific theory is that it is capable of being refuted by empirical data if it is false
C) When testing a theory, strong conclusions from a study can be drawn based on either supporting or refuting data
D) If there is a single study that does not support a theory it should be abandoned

Question 54

Test scores are typically considered what type of data:

A) Parsimonious
B) Error-free
C) Qualitative
D) Quantitative

Question 55

A group of teachers decided to review the research literature to find a possible solution for a problem they were having at their school. Different cohorts worked together and finally presented their findings. Which of the following represents the scenario they should consider the best and most reasonable presentation of research literature?

A) Two studies by well-known researchers provided proof that solution X will be the best solution for our problem
B) Four studies were done and although they were only done with less than 10 students in each, the results were good and the final study was conclusive
C) Four studies, three of them were large-scale studies, and the results of all of the studies suggest a good probability of success with this method
D) Three large-scale studies provided absolute proof that this method will be the most successful for our local school and with our population of students

Question 56

A researcher has developed a theory about student's motivation in school. She conducts several studies to test the theory. This is an example of:

A) Evaluation
B) Basic research
C) Applied research
D) Epistemology

Question 57

Epistemology is the:

A) Theory of knowledge and its justification
B) Idea that knowledge comes from experience
C) Theory that empirical evidence does not provide proof
D) Idea that research requires generating ideas about phenomena

Question 58

Dr. Ellis read a study about improving reading skills in elementary school students. Using the teaching techniques and assessments used in the article, she conducted another study at five local elementary schools to see if she too could improve students' reading skills. Dr. Ellis' study is:

A) A needs assessment.
B) A replication.
C) Basic research.
D) A formative evaluation

Question 59

An example of qualitative data would be:

A) Scores on weekly spelling tests
B) Responses on open-ended interviews
C) The number of words a first grader read in a minute
D) An individual's IQ

Question 60

Researcher A completed a study of home-schooled children and found that 67% of the home-schooled students reported that they currently had difficulty relating to other children their age. Researcher B conducted a study to determine whether children who are home-schooled during their elementary school years will have problems relating to their peers during their college years. What type of studies were these researchers conducting?

A) A and B were both conducting descriptive studies
B) A was conducting a descriptive study, and B was conducting a predictive study
C) A and B were conducting predictive studies
D) A was conducting a predictive study. B was conducting a descriptive study

Question 61

Studying educational research least to improvements in critical thinking skills.

Question 62

The explanatory system that explains how a phenomenon operates and why it operates as it does is a:

A) Theory
B) Hypothesis
C) Principle of evidence
D) Fact

Question 63

Define the five kinds of research presented in the book and provide an example of each.

Question 64

Describe the objectives of educational research.

Question 65

What do you, as a student hope to gain from studying educational research?

Question 66

Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative researchers.

Question 67

Exploratory research is often conducted in the early phases of research on a topic because little is known about the topic.

Question 68

In educational research, we focus on the most complex theory that works and ignore the simplest theory.

Question 69

Once a researcher has completed the initial search of literature and generated a hypothesis, the purpose of the research is to prove that the hypothesis is true.

Question 70

Define theory and explain its role in educational research.

Question 71

AERA is interested in research from all fields and settings of education.

Question 72

Qualitative and quantitative researchers focus on different parts of the research cycle and neither goes through the entire research cycle.

Question 73

Replication is a way to evaluate the quality of a theory or finding.

Question 74

A theory can be judged in terms of how well empirical data fit the theories predictions.

Question 75

According to your text, a synonym for the word theory is "explanation."

Question 76

A good theory is one that is:

A) Clear and parsimonious
B) Very complex
C) Not easily testable
D) Applicable in very limited circumstances

Question 77

Needs assessment, theory assessment, implementation assessment, impact assessment, and efficiency assessment are all currently considered part of the field of evaluation.

Question 78

According to the principle of evidence, empirical research provides degrees of evidence but it does not provide proof.