Deck 2: Selecting and Defining a Research Topic

Question 1

Of the following, which is a quantitative research problem?

A) The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of first year principals.
B) This study describes the decision making process of school board members during redistricting.
C) The goals of this study are to report what nurse practitioner-teachers should do to prepare today's nurses.
D) This study tests the effects of a new alternative education program on students' self-esteem.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

One drawback of initial research problems is that they are often

A) not relevant.
B) too broad.
C) too narrow.
D) not ethical.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Of the following, which is a quantitative research problem?

A) The purpose of the study is to study the characteristics of female students in advanced mathematics courses.
B) The purpose of this study is to examine relationships between future career goals and enrollment in advanced mathematics courses.
C) This study examines what teachers should do to enroll more female students in advanced mathematics courses.
D) The goals of this research were to describe two female students' experiences in advanced mathematics.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

To operationalize a variable means to ___________ the variable.

A) manipulate
B) control
C) define
D) mediate

Question 5

Of the following which is NOT part of a research problem statement?

A) The variables of interest
B) The specific relations among variables
C) The significance of the study
D) The important participant characteristics

Question 6

Jill is a history teacher interested in whether differences exist in motivation to study history between students who are taught concepts sequentially through time and those who are taught concepts by geographic region. Jill's research problem is best described as a study that

A) tests theory.
B) is a replication.
C) is developed thorough library search.
D) comes from personal experiences.

Question 7

Identify the independent variable in the following hypothesis: Children who are given a free breakfast at school perform better on achievement tests and are more motivated for school than are those children who are not given breakfast.

A) Achievement tests
B) Free breakfast
C) Children
D) Motivation

Question 8

Read the following hypothesis: Middle school students in an urban school who are trained in discussion techniques perform better on written tests of persuasive essays than those students who are not trained in discussion techniques. The independent variable in the stated hypothesis is:

A) urban school.
B) training in discussion techniques.
C) persuasive essay tests.
D) middle school students.

Question 9

Chyna is conducting a study with college students reading science texts that explores the role of interest apart from knowledge as articulated in Patricia Alexander's Model of Domain Learning. Chyna's research problem is best described as a study that

A) tests theory.
B) is a replication.
C) is developed from a library search.
D) comes from personal experiences.

Question 10

An organized body of concepts, generalizations, and principles defines

A) a theory.
B) a hypothesis.
C) an experiment.
D) a model.

Question 11

Sarah is really excited about her research problem. There are many homeschoolers in her state, and she wants to research if homeschoolers should hire professional educators to assist them with curriculum development. Of the following, which is the most important concern with Sarah's research problem as currently developed?

A) It is not researchable.
B) It is not ethical.
C) It is not of interest to Sarah.
D) It is not relevant to educational theory or practice.

Question 12

Of the following, which is a quantitative research problem?

A) The purpose of this study is to examine how teacher's should help students during office hours.
B) The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences of students who seek help from faculty during office hours.
C) The purpose of this study is to compare the grades of students who go to office hours and those who do not.
D) The purpose of this study is to suggest how many office hours faculty should hold each week.

Question 13

Of the following which is NOT a characteristic of a good hypothesis statement?

A) It is testable within a reasonable time frame.
B) It is supported by everyday experiences and intuition.
C) It provides a reasonable explanation for the predicted outcome.
D) It clearly states the expected relationship between the defined variables.

Question 14

Jack just read an interesting study regarding middle school children's use of computer-animated simulations to learn introductory chemistry. Although he is a physics professor he wants to see if the benefits of simulations are also found in college physics learners. Jack's research topic is best described as a study that

A) tests theory.
B) is a replication.
C) is developed thorough library search.
D) comes from personal experiences.

Question 15

The first step in selecting a research problem is

A) going to the library and searching.
B) asking an authority for opinion.
C) selecting a problem related to your interest and expertise.
D) reading theories and determining which to examine further.

Question 16

Based upon your textbook's discussion, overview sources, such as handbooks in a particular area of research can best assist you in

A) selecting a topic you will consider for further study.
B) narrowing a topic you are considering for further research.
C) developing a theoretical basis for a study you have conducted.
D) determining the best methodology for a study you have designed.

Question 17

Which of the following is the best example of a researchable problem?

A) Should children who are in the primary grades be allowed to walk to school?
B) Are children in the primary grades best taught to read by home-based experiences
C) Are there differences in the amount of time spent reading in classrooms of non-native speakers?
D) Should teachers hold parent teacher conference?

Question 18

The following are characteristic of a good research problem EXCEPT

A) The problem has theoretical or practical significance.
B) The problem can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data.
C) The problem can be investigated within a set period of time.
D) The problem is investigates what individuals should do.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a researchable problem?

A) Should homeschoolers include their children in cooperative schools for high school level courses?
B) Are homeschooled students happier than are students in traditional schools?
C) Should homeschooled students be included in our district's prom planning committee?
D) Are there differences in achievement test scores between those homeschooled for part of the day or not at all in a certain school district?

Question 20

According to your text the first step in applying the scientific method is

A) searching the existing literature.
B) generating and testing a hypothesis.
C) selecting and defining a research problem.
D) drawing conclusions from data.

Question 21

Which of the following is a nondirectional hypothesis for the research question, Are there differences in end of course biology test grades between those who use simulated labs and those who use traditional labs?

A) There are differences in end of course biology test grades between those taught through the use of simulated versus traditional labs.
B) There are no differences in end of course biology test grades between those taught through the use of simulated versus traditional labs.
C) Those taught in simulated labs perform better on end of course biology tests than those taught in traditional labs.
D) Those taught in traditional labs perform better on end of course biology tests than those in simulated labs.

Question 22

Of the following, which is the best example of a qualitative research problem?

A) The purpose of the study is to assess learning gains in students enrolled in a summer reading program.
B) This work addresses gender differences in spatial reasoning.
C) This study extends previous research on relations between student's decision-making and creativity.
D) The goal of this study is to describe experiences of transgendered adolescents.

Question 23

Given the hypothesis statement: Those students enrolled in instrumental music programs experience less transition anxiety as they enter middle school in a large urban district than do those students not enrolled in instrumental music programs. The dependent variable in this study is:

A) Middle school students
B) Urban district
C) Transition anxiety
D) Instrumental music programs

Question 24

Dei read this really interesting study that examined the benefits of a structured program that taught problem-solving to disadvantaged children. Although the population that he works with is not considered disadvantaged, Dei would like to conduct a similar study at his school. Of the following types of studies, which best describes Dei's idea?

A) Extension
B) Generalization
C) Application
D) Replication

Question 25

The hypothesis statement, There are no differences in long term achievement between those who are taught through a face-to-face only class and those who are taught through blended instruction, illustrates which type of hypothesis statement?

A) Null hypothesis
B) Nondirectional
C) Directional
D) Correlational

Question 26

Which of the following is a null hypothesis for the research question: Are there differences in final class grades between students who are taught psychology in a lecture format or self-paced?

A) There are differences in final class grade between students taught psychology in lecture versus self-paced format.
B) There are no differences in final class grade between students taught psychology in lecture versus self-paced format.
C) Students taught psychology in lecture format receive higher class grades than those in self-paced conditions.
D) Students in self-paced conditions have higher class grades in psychology than those in lecture classes.

Question 27

The hypothesis statement, Children in elementary school who exercise at least 5 hours a week are more popular in school than children who do not exercise at least 5 hours a week, illustrates which type of hypothesis statement?

A) Null hypothesis
B) Nondirectional
C) Directional
D) Correlational

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of a researchable problem?

A) Should we teach children formal reading skills before they enter school?
B) Is there a relationship between SES and children's amount of reading in the home?
C) Are high school students best served by taking numerous electives or a core curriculum?
D) Should all children be exposed to exercise at school daily?

Question 29

Of the following, which is most likely addressed as a quantitative research problem?

A) The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between IQ score and Post-graduate GPA.
B) The purpose of the study is to describe the typical day of a high school history teacher.
C) The current study shares a summary of the coping strategies used by a n ADHD student in an inclusion classroom.
D) This work shares the history of the events that led to consolidation of two local rural high schools.

Question 30

Which of the following is a non-directional hypothesis?

A) There are no differences in motivation between students who are given a free breakfast at school and those students who are not given breakfast at school.
B) There are differences in motivation between students who are given a free breakfast at school and those students who are not given breakfast at school.
C) Children given breakfast at school are more motivated than children who are not given breakfast at school.
D) Children given breakfast at school are less motivated than children who are not given breakfast at school.

Question 31

Servio is particularly interested in how families react to an initial learning disability diagnosis. Unfortunately he needs more participants than there are actual new diagnoses in his school. Therefore, in the design of his study he proposes to tell parents that their children have been tested and diagnosed as learning disabled and will conduct an interview with the parents to get their initial reactions. However, the children will not have been diagnosed. His advisor tells him that he cannot conduct the study. Of the following what is the likely reason why.

A) The study is too broad.
B) The study is not ethical.
C) The study is not relevant.
D) The study is too narrow.

Question 32

Candace is conducting a research study and is having trouble with her variable 'self-concept' she decides to define self-concept as one's beliefs about one's capabilities in a given domain. She will measure it using a common Likert-type scale. Candace is engaging in which of the following research tasks?

A) Generating hypothesis
B) Operationalizing variables
C) Defining a sample
D) Interpreting findings

Question 33

Pedro studies inclusion. He needs to generate a directional hypothesis for his study. Which of the following is an appropriate research hypothesis for Pedro.

A) Children who are fully included do not learn in school.
B) There are no differences in student learning between children who are fully included and those who are not.
C) There are differences in learning between children who are fully included and those who are not.
D) Children who are fully included learn more than children who are not fully included.