What's Research?

Endeavors to explain, predict, and/or control phenomena are the goal of ...

• tradition.

• inductive logic.

• deductive logic.

• the scientific method.

Ms. Tina has been coordinating the Independence Day 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 MOST likely to rely when making decisions about what to do?

• Tradition

• Personal experience

• Expert opinions.

• Research.

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?

• Tradition

• Research

• Personal experience

• Intuition

The application of the scientific method to the study of educational problems is called ...

• inductive reasoning

• deductive reasoning

• grounded theory

• educational research

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?

• Identify a topic

• Analyze the collected information

• Describe the procedure to collect information

• State the results of the data analysis

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 ...

• educational research

• qualitative research

• quantitative research

• evaluation research

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?

• Basic

• Applied

• Evaluation

• Action

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?

• Action research

• Experimental research

• Narrative design

• Evaluation research

Which of the following studies most likely uses quantitative methods?

• Comparing test results across groups to understand the effects of a particular instructional approach.

• Understanding historical perspective for an educational topic.

• Understanding the shared beliefs and practices of teachers in a school.

• Developing a theory grounded in the beliefs of the group being studied.

Which of the following is most aligned with a researcher using quantitative methods?

• Studying a large number of subjects as a detached, objective observer.

• Studying an interesting phenomenon in the context in which it naturally occurs.

• Communicating the results of the study in a loosely structured report that uses informal language.

• Using a research design that changes as narrative data is collected and analyzed.