Deck 1: Introduction to Educational Research

Question 1

Of the following, which is generally true regarding the differences between qualitative and quantitative research?

A) Quantitative but not qualitative research involves data collection.
B) Qualitative but not quantitative research generally states hypotheses.
C) Qualitative research involves more participant/researcher interaction than does quantitative.
D) Qualitative research but not quantitative research informs educational practice.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a correlational study?

A) What are the attitudes of the parents about our districts new homework policy?
B) Is there a relationship between student achievement and homework completion?
C) Are there differences in parent attitudes about homework between mothers and fathers?
D) How much homework does the average fifth grade teacher in our district assign?

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a causal-comparative question?

A) Are there gender differences in the effectiveness of computer-based simulations?
B) Is there a relationship between computer based simulation training and attitudes about computers?
C) What happens in a typical science lesson that includes computer based simulations?
D) What are the reasons a school would include computer-based simulations in their instructional materials?

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Max is a trainer with the "Information Technology Consulting Firm." The CEO of a large business hired Max's firm to do a long-term training for her company. Max wants to get a sense of how the training is going so he can make any necessary changes over the next few months. He collects data from those in the firm that have participated in the training. He collects information from those who supervise past participants of the training. He also looks at job performance measures to assess progress in IT. Max is illustrating which of the following?

A) Basic research
B) Qualitative methods
C) Formative evaluation
D) Summative evaluation

Question 5

Which of the following steps of conducting research includes identifying research participants?

A) Recognize and identify a topic to be studied.
B) Describe and execute procedures to collect information about the topic being studied.
C) Analyze the collected data.
D) State the results or implications based on analysis of the data.

Question 6

Michele is interested in the effects on learning outcomes of questions within instructional materials delivered to learners via the web. She randomly assigns students to groups given either materials with questions or materials with no questions and assesses the effects of the questions based upon student performance on multiple-choice questions administered after learning. Of the following, Michele's research could best be described as

A) survey.
B) correlational.
C) experimental.
D) narrative.

Question 7

A publishing company is interested in determining if there is a need for a new reading curriculum. The research they will conduct is best categorized as

A) experimental research.
B) correlational research.
C) action research.
D) research and development.

Question 8

Karen is a school principal. She has been collecting data all year regarding the benefits and costs of an after-school community service program. She thinks the program is effective but must make a decision about whether or not the outcomes of the program for the children justify the cost. She collects data from the students, parents, and those that have benefited from the program to assist in making her decision. Karen is engaging in which type of research?

A) Evaluation
B) Experimental
C) Correlational
D) Causal comparative

Question 9

Developing generalizations from a limited number of related observations or experiences is referred to as

A) deductive reasoning.
B) inductive reasoning.
C) scientific method.
D) reliance on tradition.

Question 10

The first step of the scientific method is to

A) recognize and identify a topic to be studied.
B) describe and execute research procedures.
C) analyze the collected data.
D) state the results or implications.

Question 11

One difference between qualitative and quantitative research is that:

A) Quantitative researchers develop deep relationships with their participants.
B) Qualitative researchers rely on objective analysis of the data.
C) Qualitative researchers manipulate the research context.
D) Quantitative researchers state hypothesis prior to beginning the study.

Question 12

Which of the following is indicative of most survey research?

A) This method relies on controlling independent variables.
B) This method relies on internal and external criticism.
C) This method relies on tests and questionnaires.
D) This method relies on interviews and observations.

Question 13

Of the following, which is an example of a type of qualitative research?

A) Correlational
B) Causal-comparative
C) Ethnographic
D) Experimental

Question 14

Paula is a materials scientist. She does research on the effects of environmental toxins on various materials samples. She carefully designs these studies and collects data in order to derive theory about how toxins affect these materials. Of the following, Paula's research could best be described as

A) basic.
B) correlational.
C) ethnography.
D) applied.

Question 15

Narrative is a method employed by

A) quantitative researchers.
B) qualitative researchers.
C) experimental researchers.
D) empirical researchers.

Question 16

Of the following, which is an example of a type of qualitative research?

A) Experimental
B) Survey
C) Prediction
D) Case study

Question 17

Jack is collecting data for a school district that is interested in the effectiveness of a district provided Head-Start program. Jack is looking at the benefits of the program, based upon test scores, in order to make decisions about whether the program should be continued. Which of the following is the best description of the type of study Jack is conducting?

A) Experimental
B) Evaluation
C) Survey
D) Correlational

Question 18

When using the scientific method, the step most similar to the methods section in a research article is

A) recognition and identification of a topic to be studied.
B) description and execution of procedures.
C) analysis of data.
D) stating the results or implications.

Question 19

Case Study is a method employed by

A) quantitative researchers.
B) qualitative researchers.
C) experimental researchers.
D) empirical researchers.

Question 20

After reviewing the literature the qualitative researcher will select participants. The participants in a qualitative study differ from those in a quantitative study in that

A) the number of participants are usually larger in qualitative studies.
B) the participants are purposefully selected.
C) the participants provide no personally identifiable information.
D) the time commitment for participants is generally shorter.

Question 21

Ken is interested in determining if there are differences between men's occurrence of obesity and prior football team experience. He compares three different groups of men. In one group he has men that played football in jr. high, but not high school or post-high school. Those in the second group played in jr. high and high school but not post-high school. Those in the third group played all three. As part of the study he weighs the men to calculate obesity.
What type of research method is Ken employing?

A) Survey
B) Causal-comparative
C) Experimental
D) Correlational

Question 22

Brian has completed data collection for a study of college learners' self-regulation. Which of the following steps of the research process will Brian next approach?

A) Recognize and identify a topic to be studied
B) Describe and execute research procedures
C) Analyze the collected data
D) State the results or implications

Question 23

Cameron is conducting a study that addresses the differences in achievement scores between schools that use block scheduling and schools that use a traditional scheduling format. He has accessed average achievement scores for 1200 schools and now is comparing the two groups. In which research step is Cameron engaged?

A) Recognize and identify a topic to be studied
B) Describe and execute research procedures
C) Analyze the collected data
D) State the results or implications

Question 24

Won is interested in academic procrastination. She provides her participants a number of instruments on academic procrastination and then examines the relationships among the answers they provide. Of the following, which type of research does Won's study represent?

A) Survey
B) Causal-comparative
C) Experimental
D) Case-study

Question 25

Kai is a qualitative researcher. The topic of his study is the homework strategies used by middle school children in an after-school homework club. He has reviewed the literature on both homework strategies and after-school programs and he has selected five children to study over the next 3 months. Of the following, which is most likely the next step in Kai's study?

A) Random assignment of participants to condition.
B) Reporting his results.
C) Collecting data.
D) Conducting statistical analyses.

Question 26

Kurt is interested in describing a typical day of a teacher in an ungraded school. He studies three teachers over the course of a full school year and collects data through the use of interviews and classroom observations. Of the following, which type is the most likely form of Kurt's research?

A) Correlational
B) Causal-comparative
C) Action
D) Narrative

Question 27

Katelin is interested in examining the relationship between years of gymnastics classes taken as a child and osteoporosis as an adult. She is concerned only with females because more girls take gymnastics than do boys and more women have osteoporosis than do men.
Based upon this description, what type of research is Katelin conducting?

A) Basic
B) Applied
C) Evaluation
D) Research and development

Question 28

Jeremy, a researcher at a local university, is interested in the nature of playground bullying. He obtains permission for his research and goes to a local middle school to observe playground behaviors. He spends several months watching and taking notes. As he begins to understand the context of the playground, he interviews some students and teachers. He incorporates these interviews into his notes. He systematically identifies themes and categorizes his findings. At the end of his study he describes his findings and how these findings relate to other studies that have been conducted on playground behaviors. Of the following, which best describes Jeremy's research?

A) Narrative
B) Experimental
C) Survey
D) Qualitative

Question 29

Juanita recently told me that 98% of businesses emit toxins into the environment. I informed her that I thought that number had to be incorrect because not 98% of businesses are manufacturers. She said, hastily, "well that is the figure the EPA is using". Which method of knowing is Juanita relying upon?

A) Tradition
B) Expert authority
C) Intuition and personal experiences
D) Scientific method

Question 30

Lisa is designing her dissertation. She is testing the strength of copper. She prepares samples and tests the strength of copper by applying random amounts of pressure on the samples. Her research is best described as

A) applied.
B) basic.
C) evaluation.
D) action.

Question 31

Jill is a first grade teacher. Her class is a bit out of control and she needs a classroom management strategy. Which of the following strategies illustrates inductive reasoning?

A) Jill decides to use 'time out' because her mother, a veteran teacher said to use 'time out'.
B) Jill asks the other first grade teachers in the building what they use and determines she will use assertive discipline because the majority use it.
C) Jill determines she will use proximity approaches to management since it seems to be working for her so far.
D) Jill decides she will use home-based contingencies because teachers use them and she is a teacher so she should use them.

Question 32

Leslie is finishing her final research report on challenges faculty face when using new technologies. She includes some direct quotations from her participants to best illustrate her main findings. Of the following, which type of research best represents Leslie's study?

A) Experimental
B) Research and Development
C) Survey
D) Narrative

Question 33

Sally conducts narrative research. She is particularly interested in the challenges of school/community relationships as schools are redistricted. Which of the following approaches to data collection is Sally likely to most heavily rely on?

A) Tests and questionnaires
B) Participant interviews
C) Student achievement records
D) Broad based surveys

Question 34

Which of the following examples illustrates reliance on deductive reasoning?

A) Paul believes a vaccine works because his doctor says that it does.
B) Bill concludes that his car uses unleaded fuel because it is an Escort and all Escorts use unleaded fuel.
C) Juan assumes that black holes exist because scientists have told him that they do.
D) Jack concludes that all mammals have fur based upon observing his cat and dog.

Question 35

Basic researchers collect data primarily to

A) determine methods for practical problems.
B) make decisions about programs.
C) develop theories.
D) develop educational 'best practices'.

Question 36

Chris is interested in the role of attitudes about weight training. He developed a questionnaire and sent it out to a sample of 30-59 year old males and females. Of the following, Chris's attitude study could best be described as ____________ research.

A) survey
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) narrative

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of a correlational study?

A) Is there a relationship between amount of silent independent reading time allocated in a classroom and reading standardized test scores?
B) What are the characteristics of a typical classroom's silent independent reading session?
C) Are there grade level differences in the effectiveness of independent silent reading?
D) How many minutes is the typical independent silent reading session?

Question 38

Katelin is interested in examining the relationship between years of gymnastics classes taken as a child and osteoporosis as an adult. She is concerned only with females because more girls take gymnastics than do boys and more women have osteoporosis than do men.
What type of research method is Katelin employing?

A) Narrative
B) Descriptive
C) Correlational
D) Causal-comparative

Question 39

Katelin is interested in examining the relationship between years of gymnastics classes taken as a child and osteoporosis as an adult. She is concerned only with females because more girls take gymnastics than do boys and more women have osteoporosis than do men.
Katelin addressing this concern and then developing research questions and hypotheses involves which step of the research process?

A) Recognition and identification of a topic to be studied
B) Description and execution of procedures
C) Analysis of data
D) Stating the results or implications

Question 40

Ken is interested in determining if there are differences between men's occurrence of obesity and prior football team experience. He compares three different groups of men. In one group he has men that played football in jr. high, but not high school or post-high school. Those in the second group played in jr. high and high school but not post-high school. Those in the third group played all three. As part of the study he weighs the men to calculate obesity.
The weighing of the men would be included in which step of the research process?

A) Recognition and identification of a topic to be studied.
B) Description and execution of procedures.
C) Analysis of data.
D) Stating the results or implications.

Question 41

Roger is a narrative researcher who studies the steeltown communities of the 1950's. Of the following which is a data source Roger will likely use in his work?

A) A new book on the subject
B) A recording of a journalist's visit
C) A newspaper story written overseas
D) An interview with long time residents

Question 42

Of the following which is likely a statement made by a qualitative researcher in a study that addresses social skills training.

A) I would like to interview a few of the participants to understand their training.
B) I would like to give participants a test to determine their skill level.
C) I would like to use teacher ratings to see if the program worked.
D) I would like to control which students get the training so we can compare groups of children that did and did not get training.

Question 43

Of the following which is likely a statement made by a quantitative researcher in a study of cooperative learning.

A) Let's follow the groups for the course of the project and take notes about their social interactions and dialogues.
B) Let's conduct some focus groups with college students about the types of cooperative learning they have encountered in their schooling.
C) Let's compare unit test scores of those who were placed in cooperative groups and those who were not.
D) Let's enroll in a course that uses cooperative groups and observe the nature of the instruction from a student perspective.

Question 44

Given the following reference, what type of study does this title suggest was conducted? Ramalho, T., & Cullen, K. 2001). Study group in professional development school investigates the State of New York's Grade 4 English Language Arts Assessment. Journal of Research in Education, 11, 116-119.

A) Action research
B) Ethnographic research
C) Correlational research
D) Experimental research

Question 45

Given the following reference, what type of study was most likely conducted? Wimer, J.W., Ridenour, C. S., Thomas, K., & Place, A. W.2001). Higher-order teacher questioning of boys and girls in elementary mathematics classrooms. Journal of Educational Research, 95, 84-102.

A) Narrative
B) Experimental
C) Causal-comparative
D) Correlational

Question 46

What type of research does the following statement suggest was conducted? "A significant moderate relationship between text-based interest and achievement was indicated."

A) Causal-comparative
B) Correlational
C) Survey
D) Experimental

Question 47

Given the following research finding, "Students in the treatment condition indicated significantly better achievement on the recognition assessment than those in the control condition." What type of research was likely conducted?

A) Survey
B) Action
C) Correlational
D) Experimental

Question 48

Of the following, which is an overriding rule of research ethics as noted in your text?

A) Maintain participants' anonymity
B) Divulge participants confidentiality
C) Obtain informed consent
D) Report data without identifiers

Question 49

Of the following, which is a type of qualitative research?

A) Narrative
B) Causal-comparative
C) Experimental
D) Correlational

Question 50

Which of the following is a typical characteristic of a qualitative research study?

A) Data collection is ongoing
B) Control over contextual factors
C) Generalization of findings
D) Statistical procedures for data analysis

Question 51

Which of the following illustrates Aaron, a qualitative researcher, collecting data for an ethnographic study on alternative schooling.

A) Aaron sends out surveys to directors of alternative schools.
B) Aaron examines achievement measures of students enrolled in alternative schools.
C) Aaron invites students from alternative schools to visit him and conducts interviews.
D) Aaron goes to an alternative school and volunteers on the staff.

Question 52

Dean is a quantitative researcher who studies attitudes about computer use. Which of the following data collection strategies is most consistent with Dean's research philosophy?

A) Observe a few participants over an extended period of time as they work on computers.
B) Conduct focus group interviews to determine computer users' attitudes.
C) Interview a few participants and ask them to refer others to the study.
D) Develop and administer a Likert-type survey to collect attitude data.

Question 53

Given the following portion of a research manuscript, "Three-hundred and sixty students were asked about their attitudes toward school." Findings indicate positive attitudes in the lower grades and more negative attitudes as learners' age" What type of study does this suggest was conducted?

A) Experimental
B) Correlational
C) Survey
D) Ethnography

Question 54

Of the following, which is most likely to be a survey study?

A) What are the behaviors users display while they play violent video games?
B) Is there a relationship between violent video game use and aggressive behavior in school?
C) How many hours per week does the average 6^th grader play video games?
D) Are there gender differences in types of violent behavior of children who play video games?

Question 55

Marge is conducting a study that addresses the effects of a funded program that recently concluded. The program was funded to develop and implement an after-school tutoring program. Marge is likely conducting

A) basic research.
B) experimental research.
C) formative evaluation.
D) summative evaluation.

Question 56

Experimental research differs from causal-comparative research in that

A) causal-comparative research is interested in statistical relationships between variables and experimental research is not.
B) experimental research relies on data collection from multiple pools of participants while causal comparative research relies on participants from a single pool.
C) experimental research controls the dependent variable in the study and causal-comparative does not.
D) experimental research controls the selection of participants from a single pool and divides them into groups while causal-comparative research does not.

Question 57

The main purpose of research and development efforts in education is to

A) contribute to science.
B) formulate theory.
C) develop products.
D) make educational decisions.

Question 58

Correlational research is concerned with

A) differences between conditions.
B) examining relationships among variables.
C) describing the preferences of some group of people.
D) controlling treatment conditions for appropriate comparison.

Question 59

Action research is used to

A) find and solve educators' problems.
B) control independent variables.
C) promote generalization of research findings.
D) examine historical educational trends.

Question 60

Of the following, which illustrates a causal-comparative study?

A) What is the typical classroom structure in a secondary mathematics classroom?
B) Is there a relationship between teachers' instructional style and classroom physical structure?
C) Are there differences in learners' mathematics achievement between classrooms that are structured with desks in rows or in small groups?
D) What are the notetaking behaviors of college students in lecture seating?

Question 61

According to your text, which of the following is the most accurate statement regarding ethical considerations in research studies?

A) Most studies do not involve ethical considerations.
B) Quantitative studies do not involve ethical considerations.
C) Qualitative studies do not involve ethical considerations.
D) All studies involve ethical considerations.

Question 62

Evaluation researchers collect data primarily to

A) determine methods for practical problems.
B) make decisions about programs.
C) develop theories.
D) Develop educational 'best practices'.

Question 63

In a causal-comparative study that examines differences in psychomotor skills between young, suburban, middle-class Hispanic children and young, urban, middle-class Caucasian children, the dependent variable is

A) Hispanic.
B) psychomotor skills.
C) urban.
D) middle class.

Question 64

The federal government has enacted laws to protect research participants. These laws include

A) The National Research Act.
B) The National Rights Act.
C) The Family Research Act.
D) The Family Inquiry Act.

Question 65

In a research study, deception refers to

A) telling participants that their data will be confidential when it will not.
B) telling participants that their data will be anonymous when it will not.
C) not conveying the true nature of the research study in which participants have consented.
D) not obtaining informed consent from participants but using their information as data.

Question 66

IRB stands for

A) Institutional Review Board.
B) Institutional Research Board.
C) Interagency Review Board.
D) Interagency Research Board.

Question 67

The type of qualitative research that includes conducting research on a unit of study or bounded system is most often referred to as

A) narrative
B) case study
C) ethnography
D) survey

Question 68

The Federal Act that protects privacy of educational records is referred to as

A) The National Family Rights and Privacy Act
B) The National Family Research Act
C) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
D) The National Research Act

Question 69

The U. S. Congress passed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley Amendment in

A) 1954.
B) 1964.
C) 1974.
D) 1984.

Question 70

The ethical principle that encourages psychologists to contribute a portion of their time is referred to as

A) justice.
B) integrity.
C) fidelity and responsibility.
D) respect for people's rights and dignity.

Question 71

Liben studies the experiences of Ben at his first sleep-away camp. He interprets the experience through stories told to him by Ben. He collects these experiences and shares them with others in the form of a story. Liben's research can best be described as

A) single subject.
B) ethnographic.
C) correlational.
D) case study.

Question 72

Researchers seek approval from the IRB prior to

A) generating hypothesis.
B) collecting research data.
C) developing a research plan.
D) conducting a literature review.

Question 73

The Buckley Amendment is designed to specifically to

A) protect teachers participating in research.
B) protect students from deception.
C) protect the researcher from legal cases.
D) protect privacy of student records.

Question 74

The ethical principle that requires that psychologists try to eliminate the effect of biases in their work is referred to as

A) respect for people's rights and dignity.
B) beneficence and nonmaleficence.
C) fidelity and responsibility.
D) integrity.

Question 75

Bakari 2003) published a study in Urban Education that queried preservice teachers' attitudes toward African American students. Given her methodology, which of the following types of research did she likely complete?

A) Experimental
B) Causal-comparative
C) Survey
D) Correlational

Question 76

Which of the following illustrates anonymity?

A) After interviewing participants, the researcher assigns each participant pseudonyms.
B) Although she can identify responses on the attitude measure by their handwriting, Kate does not report the names.
C) Kristi replaces the participants' names on their research materials with a random number.
D) Since Kelly does not know who participated in her study, she can't report their names.

Question 77

The method of knowing that relies on making decisions based upon the way things have always been done is

A) tradition.
B) inductive reasoning.
C) deductive reasoning.
D) scientific method.

Question 78

By law, an IRB must contain at least _________ members.

A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9

Question 79

Jackie is conducting a study at the local skate park on youth's use of slang language. She is unsure if she needs to submit her research to the IRB and asks for your opinion. How would you respond?

A) She does not need IRB permission because of anonymity.
B) She needs IRB permission because of personal privacy.
C) She does not need IRB permission because she is observing only.
D) She does not need IRB permission because there is no deception.

Question 80

Which of the following, by law, is a required characteristic of Institutional Review Board IRB) membership composition?

A) a minimum of seven members
B) both qualitative and quantitative researchers
C) gender diversity
D) cultural diversity