Deck 1: What Is Educational Research

Question 1

The scientific method is utilized by educational researchers to ______.

A) obtain perfect data
B) illustrate obedience to the field of education
C) obtain answers to questions
D) answer questions and resolve problems

Answer 1

D

Question 2

When variables cannot be controlled in a study, such a study is likely to be ______.

A) nonexperimental
B) experimental
C) pseudo-nonexperimental
D) pseudo-experimental

Answer 2

A

Question 3

To say that educational research is scientific is to say that ______.

A) it is characterized by principles and methods of science
B) it is systematic but not methodical
C) it is methodical but not systematic
D) It involves the physical sciences

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The logical starting point for any research study in education is ______.

A) to think of what your interests are
B) to clarify the topics that are most complex
C) to outline how you would like to proceed
D) to clearly articulate the question you ultimately want answered or the problem you want addressed

Question 5

In 1938, the American philosopher John Dewey described which of the following?

A) the basics of the scientific method for educators
B) his personal feelings/opinions of the scientific method
C) the scientific method as a process for thinking objectively
D) the ways in which the scientific method should be improved

Question 6

As social beings, we tend to prefer ______ to statistics.

A) research
B) stories
C) media
D) advice from friends.

Question 7

Match the process of inductive reasoning with the appropriate selection(s) given below.

A) begin with specific observations/other data, analyze those data, and make conclusions/generalizations.
B) begin with specific observations/other data, make conclusions/generalizations, and analyze those data.
C) begin with conclusions/generalizations, analyze those data, and classify specific observations/other data.
D) begin with conclusions/generalizations, classify specific observations/other data, and analyze those data.

Question 8

The types of bias researchers harbor include ______.

A) a worldview
B) a predetermined idea of what analyses to run
C) how to define the scientific method
D) how to report on the data analysis

Question 9

Strengths of the scientific method include ______.

A) systematic, objective, and reliable data
B) systematic, objective, reliable, and accurate data
C) systematic, objective, reliable, accurate, and unbiased data
D) systematic, objective, reliable, accurate, unbiased, and yielding perfect data

Question 10

Educational research tends to be cyclical or helical because ______.

A) there is a definitive stopping point
B) new questions are generated as a result of conducting research studies
C) the results signify the end of the study
D) the same steps are continually employed

Question 11

The purpose of data collection, analysis, and interpretation in educational research is to ______.

A) enhance researchers' skills in research
B) enhance research by improving the competences of the educational researchers
C) aid researchers' quest for knowledge
D) answer the inherent question or problem under investigation

Question 12

The basic goal of educational research is to ______.

A) ask questions about students
B) ask questions about teachers
C) ask questions about education
D) find answers to questions

Question 13

The goal of any research study includes ______.

A) practicing the scientific method
B) generating existing knowledge
C) gaining a better understanding of the issue/phenomenon under investigation
D) making money

Question 14

The decisions and plans that must be made in advance include ______.

A) participant names
B) expected results
C) data collection tools
D) possible journals for publication

Question 15

Qualitative research methods employ which type of reasoning?

A) formal reasoning such as an "outside-in" approach
B) informal reasoning such as an "inside-out" approach
C) deductive reasoning such as a "top-down" approach.
D) inductive reasoning such as a "bottom-up" approach.

Question 16

Quantitative research methods employ which type of reasoning?

A) formal reasoning such as an "outside-in" approach
B) informal reasoning such as an "inside-out" approach
C) deductive reasoning such as a "top-down" approach
D) inductive reasoning such as a "bottom-up" approach

Question 17

Which of the following is true of educational research?

A) It begins with answers.
B) It is inquisitive.
C) It has predetermined outcomes.
D) It is trivial.

Question 18

Match the process of deductive reasoning with the appropriate selection given below.

A) begin with a wide variety of observations/other data, specify conclusions, and analyze data.
B) begin with analyzed data, obtain a variety of observations/other data, and specify conclusions.
C) begin with specific conclusions, analyze data, and obtain a wide variety of observations/other data.
D) begin with a wide variety of observations/other data, analyze those data, and specify conclusions.

Question 19

The generic nature of the scientific method is acceptable because ______.

A) it allows researchers to investigate phenomenon objectively
B) it allows researchers to generate hypotheses
C) it encourages researchers to think outside of the box
D) it ensures flawless results

Question 20

Which of the following is true of educational research?

A) It is not scientific.
B) It is a process that begins with a question/problem.
C) It is a process that serves as the purpose/goal of the study.
D) It is a flawless process.

Question 21

A researcher is interested in understanding the relationship between years of teaching service and the use of performance-based assessments. Which type of nonexperimental study would measure this relationship that involves two or more variables?

A) causal-comparative
B) experimental
C) correlational
D) quasi-experimental

Question 22

A ______ research report is one that has been subjected to a review by colleagues and experts in a particular field.

A) biased
B) reviewed
C) presented
D) refereed

Question 23

A type of variable that is "presumed to cause changes in another variable" is known as which of the following?

A) outcome variable
B) dependent variable
C) independent variable
D) response variable

Question 24

Which of the following is true of researcher biases?

A) It is okay if our biases influence our research.
B) Only bad researchers have biases.
C) We all have biases.
D) Biases do not impact our results.

Question 25

______ studies build on descriptive studies by comparing two or more groups on one or more measured variables.

A) Correlational
B) Comparative
C) Causal
D) Causal-comparative

Question 26

Studies in which the researcher has control over one or more variables in the study that may influence the behavior of the participants are ______.

A) nonexperimental
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) pseudo-experimental

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of nonexperimental research designs?

A) quasi-experimental
B) correlational
C) variable
D) preexperimental

Question 28

______ statistics allow researcher to test the statistical significance of the difference between two or more groups, or the degree of relationship between two variables.

A) descriptive
B) inferential
C) narrative
D) numerical

Question 29

A researcher predicts the outcomes he expects from a particular study he plans to conduct. This is to say he stated his ______.

A) hypotheses
B) conclusions
C) expectations
D) reasoning

Question 30

Which part of the research process is often the most daunting?

A) the review of existing literature related to the topic or problem.
B) the formulation of a specific plan for conducting the research
C) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data
D) the explanation of findings

Question 31

A study produces the following data: mean, median, mode, and range. These data are considered to be ______.

A) independent variables
B) dependent variables
C) inferential statistics
D) descriptive statistics

Question 32

Which of the following accurately describe educational research?

A) Educational research should be beneficial, meaningful, and significant.
B) Educational research has outcomes that are predetermined.
C) Educational research is not scientific.
D) Educational research is conclusive.

Question 33

Why is it vitally important for educators, at all levels, to have a sound understanding of research methods?

A) They can better discriminately consume published research studies.
B) They can make more money as an educator.
C) They can better convince students of your perspective.
D) They can pass certifications and tests.

Question 34

______uses beliefs to determine perceived reality. That is, one begins with a strong belief and seeks out data that can be used to support that belief.

A) Belief-based science
B) Reality science
C) Pseudoscience
D) Pseudoreality

Question 35

Qualitative research methods require the collection and analysis of ______ data.

A) numerical
B) narrative
C) secondary
D) reasonable

Question 36

A researcher is designing a study in which he will have control over one or more of the variables that may somehow influence (or cause) the participants' behavior. This type of study is considered to be a(n) ______ design.

A) nonexperimental
B) experimental
C) flawed
D) biased

Question 37

Height, time, age, and temperature are considered to be ______.

A) factors
B) correlational
C) causal
D) variables

Question 38

What is the first formal step for conducting educational research?

A) discuss the research with colleagues.
B) clearly state the questions and/or problem.
C) formulate a specific plan for conducting the research.
D) secure funding for the research.

Question 39

In a classroom study, a teacher randomly assigns half of her class periods to a group that will receive a special treatment and the other half of her class periods to a group that will receive a traditional treatment. The aspect that makes this study experimental in nature is that ______.

A) the teacher is NOT controlling the independent variable
B) the teacher is NOT affecting the value of the dependent variable
C) the teacher determines which group will receive which version of the treatment
D) the teacher is a practicing researcher

Question 40

A researcher is designing a study in which his goal is to describe variables or the relationship between variables. In this particular study, he cannot control or manipulate the variables involved in the study. This type of study is considered to be a(n) ______ design.

A) nonexperimental
B) experimental
C) flawed
D) biased

Question 41

In most cases, educational research tends to be linear, as opposed to cyclical or helical.

Question 42

______ research describes social interactions between people in group settings.

A) Phenomenological
B) Personal
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic

Question 43

The data necessary for answering the research question or addressing the research problem do not emerge out of thin air.

Question 44

______ research engages the researcher in a process of individual interviews in an attempt to fully understand a particular phenomenon.

A) Phenomenological
B) Personal
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic

Question 45

Qualitative research designs may be experimental or nonexperimental.

Question 46

Triangulation means that the researcher is using three sources of data.

Question 47

Qualitative and quantitative research methods produce different views of reality because of the differing approaches they take to examining it.

Question 48

Which of the following research questions involves case study research?

A) What types of personal and school characteristics serve to motivate teachers?
B) What characteristics do teachers need to be viewed as compassionate by their students?
C) What is the nature of school's culture?
D) What meaning does the teachers' lounge have for the staff at Main Street Elementary School?

Question 49

Research studies will clearly specify a research question that will serve to guide the conduct of the study.

Question 50

Research decisions made "on the fly" should include how and when to collect data.

Question 51

The main goal of ______ research is to address local-level problems with the anticipation of finding immediate solutions.

A) quantitative
B) qualitative
C) action
D) orientation

Question 52

Because educational research is scientific, it must be approached from the perspective of subjectivity.

Question 53

Quantitative research utilizes inductive reasoning.

Question 54

Qualitative research employs numerical data.

Question 55

Qualitative research utilizes deductive reasoning.

Question 56

Educational research is a process of objective steps researchers follow to examine questions or problems as a means to discovering new information or insight about key phenomenon.

Question 57

Authority's effectiveness, in terms of answering our research questions, is always a certainty.

Question 58

The answers to the questions that guided our research should never be interpreted as right or wrong. Rather, they are answers appropriate for the given time and set of circumstances.

Question 59

______ research attempts to discover a theory that relates to a particular environment.

A) Phenomenological
B) Personal
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic

Question 60

All research studies may not follow the steps of the scientific method exactly or necessarily in a specific order.

Question 61

Discuss the reasons why educational research is not conclusive.

Question 62

Describe how educational research is scientific.

Question 63

Describe at least one major difference between qualitative and quantitative data, and also provide an example of a study that involves deductive reasoning as well as an example of a study that involves inductive reasoning.

Question 64

Explain what "educational research tends to be cyclical or helical, as opposed to linear" means.

Question 65

The text discusses four sources human beings often pursue when searching for possible answers. Common sense is one of those sources. Under which circumstances is common sense effective?

Question 66

Describe how and why educational research does not have outcomes that are predetermined.

Question 67

List and describe the steps of the process of educational research.

Question 68

The population is drawn from the sample.

Question 69

The independent variable's value depends on the value, or group membership, of the independent variable.

Question 70

How is the scientific method related to research in the broad field of education?

Question 71

Educational research requires the formulation of a specific plan for conducting the research. The study must be well planned and thought out. Provide three decisions or plans that must be made in advance.

Question 72

Interpret the meaning of the statement: "Research is not simply gathering information."

Question 73

Describe one of Tom Kida's (2006) common mistakes we tend to make in our thinking.

Question 74

Correlational studies measure the degree and nature of the relationship between two or more variables.

Question 75

Describe in detail how research is more than simply gathering information.

Question 76

Statistical significance refers to a decision made from the results of statistical procedures that enable researchers to conclude that the findings of a given study.

Question 77

Grounded theory research describes social interactions between people in group settings.

Question 78

Explain why educational research should be "beneficial, meaningful, and significant . . . to someone, somewhere, somehow, someday."

Question 79

Describe the purpose of the scientific method, specifically noting each step in the process.

Question 80

Explain why it is important to distinguish between what educational research is and what it is not.