Purpose & Research Questions

This activity contains 20 questions.

The purpose of a purpose statement in research is to:



state goals that the research should accomplish.

make predictions about what the research will reveal.

raise questions to be answered by the research.

provide overall direction to the research.










The purpose of research questions in research is to:



state goals that the research should accomplish.

make predictions about what the research will reveal.

raise questions to be answered by the research.

provide overall direction to the research.










The purpose of generating hypotheses in research is to:



state goals that the research should accomplish.

make predictions about what the research will reveal.

raise questions to be answered by the research.

provide overall direction to the research.










The purpose of stating research objectives in research is to:



state goals that the research should accomplish.

make predictions about what the research will reveal.


raise questions to be answered by the research.

provide overall direction to the research.









Which of the following qualities does a variable in
educational research need to have? Is linked to achievement
Is able to be measured Can be explained in educational
terms Varies/Can assume other values



It needs to be linked to achievement and it is measurable.

It needs to be measurable and it varies/can assume other values.

It needs to be linked to achievement and it varies/can assume other
varibles.

It needs to be measurable and can be explained in educational
terms.










variable : construct ::



independent : dependent

constant : changeable

abstract : specific

specific : abstract










A student's race/ethnicity on the Scholastic Aptitude Test is
an example of:


a categorical score.

a continuous score.

a dependent score.

a control score.










A student's verbal score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) is an example of:


a categorical score.

a continuous score.


a dependent score.

a control score.









A researcher is interested in the effect of two types of
instruction that they call "whole math" and "drill & practice"
on second-grade mathematics achievement. She assigns
Mrs. DeVine's class to "drill practice" and Mr. Lyon's class to
"whole math." In this design the independent variable is:



type of instruction.

Mrs. DeVine's class vs. Mr. Lyon's class.

mathematics achievement.

"whole math."










In the study cited in Question 9 above, the dependent
variable is


type of instruction.

Mrs. DeVine's class vs. Mr. Lyon's class.

mathematics achievement.

"whole math."










In Question 9, the belief that, compared to "drill & practice,"
"whole math" will not produce different achievement
effects, is referred to as:


the null hypothesis.

a descriptive question.

a research statement.

affirming the consequent.










An institutional researcher at a liberal arts college is
interested in the effects of implementing a new first-year
seminar (FYS) course on student retention. Because of
staffing and the experimental nature of the course, half of
the entering students in Fall 2003 are put into FYS sections,


and the other half are not. The retention rates of the two
groups will be compared in Fall 2004 when they are
sophomores. In this study, a control variable of interest
might be:


the quality of FYS sections.

comparing FYS at a similar college.

grade point average at end of the first year.

entering SAT scores of all first-year students.









In a quantitative study, what is a confounding variable?



A variable that the researcher cannot directly measure

A variable such as discriminatory practices

A variable whose effects cannot be easily separated from other
variables

All of the above










How is a moderating variable different from an intervening
variable?


A moderating variable is a dependent variable.

A moderating variable is statistically removed from the study.

A moderating variable is constructed by the researcher to calculate
the interaction effect.

A moderating variable is a confounding variable.










In what way is a moderating variable the same as a control
variable?


They both impact the independent variable.

They both impact the dependent variable.

They both are mediating variables.

They both get statistically eliminated from the effect of the
independent variable on the dependent variable.












Suppose researchers found that the amount of money spent
on school security had a positive impact on school
achievement. They then hypothesize that the reason for this
effect is that school security has a direct effect on measures
of student anxiety (which are lower in highly safe schools),
which in turn has an effect on school achievement. In other
words, safe schools create non-anxious students, which
produces higher achievement. In this study, the variable of
student anxiety is a(n)


independent variable.

secondary independent variable.

intervening variable.

moderating variable.









A researcher finds that high schools that teach Latin and
Greek in their curriculum have higher verbal scores on the
SAT. The researcher concludes that teaching the "classics"
is an exercise of the mind that improves verbal skills. What
evidence is most likely to undermine this researcher's
claim?



Students who take Latin and Greek in high school learn more root
wordsan essential part of doing well in the SAT-Verbal.

Students who take Latin and Greek have more practice taking
vocabulary tests.

Students who attend schools that teach Latin and Greek have higher
achievement test scores coming in to high school and have a higher
per-pupil spending on the academic program.

Latin and Greek would also have a positive effect on the SAT-Math
as well.










Question 17 above best illustrates the dangers of:



mediating variables.

moderating variables.

confounding variables.

intervening variables.










What is a theory in educational research?




an explanation about the probable relationship between
independent and dependent variables

a hunch or expectation in a study

a cause and effect proposition

the impact of the independent variables on the dependent variables









What is the name for the concept or process that is explored
in a qualitative study?


the intent of the study.

the participants in the study

the central phenomenon.

the research site.