Fundamentals of Educational Research 7th Edition By James H McMillan – Test Bank

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CHAPTER 3: Research Problems and Questions

SELF-ASSESSMENT ITEMS

Which of the following is an example of a research problem purpose statement that indicates the goal or direction of the study?

The purpose of this study is to investigate instructional strategies.

The purpose of this study is to research technology issues in the schools.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between active learning instructional strategies and student achievement.

The purpose of this study is to determine if cooperative group instruction has a positive effect on the achievement of first-grade students.

Which of the following is an example of a research statement that provides the context for the problem?

This study is designed to compare the effects of word-supply and word-analysis on the oral reading errors of four students with special needs. 

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, there has been an increase in national interest in assessment.

The purpose of this research is to study the social and academic skills of behaviorally disordered students.

This study will examine the effect of the new math curriculum on student memory and application of math concepts.

Which of the following is a researchable problem? 

Can war be prevented in African countries?

Should music, art, and physical education be eliminated from the curriculum in our school?

What is the relationship between teacher’s knowledge of classroom management techniques and their use of them?

Is values education an effective method for providing students with much-needed moral guidance?

Which of the following is a legitimate source of an educational research problem?

Constructivist learning theory

Personal experience using active-learning strategies

Clarifying seemingly contradictory results of previous studies on the effectiveness of using technology in classrooms

All of the above

Which of the following likely reflects a quantitative research problem?

How often are first-, second- and third-grade teachers using math manipulatives as an instructional method?

What are the experiences of a child who is consistently “left out” of important social events in school?

This study explored the meaning of “inclusion” for three special needs students who had been placed in a regular education classroom.

This study examined the process of changing to a standards-based curriculum.

Variables used in an educational research study should have which of the following characteristics? 

They are continuous.

They have distinct levels.

They vary.

They can be measured in multiple ways.

Which of the following is a conceptual definition of reading?

Comprehension scores on the Stanford IQ Test

Extracting meaning from a written text

The number of words recognized correctly in a 150-word passage

Scores on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test

Which of the following is an example of an operational definition?

Aptitude means having an innate or acquired capacity for something.

Socioeconomic status has three categories: high, middle, and low.

Print availability is measured by the number of books in the classroom.

Motivation is measured by how much effort the students show in class.

Which of the following italicized variables can be described as an independent variable?

The teacher found the phonics method of teaching reading led to an increase in reading scores.

The researcher studied the effect of parental involvement on the academic achievement of their children.

A recent study found that SAT scores were not good predictors of college GPA.

The teacher rearranged the seating in his room to see if this would increase the on-task behavior of some of the students.

Which of the following variables could be considered a confounding variable in a research study designed to assess fourth-grade students’ levels of literacy as measured by the National Assessment of Literacy?

Grade level

Literacy level

Socioeconomic status

National Assessment of Literacy

Which of the following variables could be classified as continuous?

Gender

Vocabulary level

Political party membership

Skilled/Unskilled workers

Which research question below indicates the type of research that will be used in a study?

Should students study longer for the upcoming state proficiency tests?

What is the best way for young children to learn to read?

What is the relationship between first graders’ attitudes toward math and their math achievement?

What would school be like today if World War II had not happened?

The following is an example of which type of research hypothesis? 

Fourth-grade students with greater self-confidence as measured by the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale will demonstrate more persistence in a problem-solving activity.

Directional

Null

Attitudinal

Statistical

Which of the following is an example of a testable research statement?

There is a need for high school students to be assigned more homework.

There is a need for teacher morale to improve in this school district.

There is a relationship between attendance and grade point average.

There is a relationship that results from students’ lack of sleep.

The results of a study showed that students who were taught to use the SQ3R method scored higher on a social studies test than students who were not exposed to this method. Which of the following describes the results in terms of the null hypothesis?

The researcher rejected the null hypothesis.

The researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis.

The researcher retested the null hypothesis to confirm the original findings.

The researcher proved the null hypothesis was true.

Which of the following is an example of a qualitative research question?

What challenges do students born with fetal alcohol syndrome face?

Do students who practice with a calculator score higher than students who do not?

What is the relationship between length of school day and SAT scores?

What is the effect of attendance on students’ grade point average?

Which of the following is NOT an important characteristic of a qualitative research problem?

It might change as data are collected and analyzed.

It reflects the researcher’s assumptions and desired findings.

It is written with “how” and “why” questions to focus on describing the phenomena.

It includes a central question as well as the participants and the site.

CHAPTER 3: Research Problems and Questions 

INSTRUCTOR’S EXAM ITEMS

Which of the following is an example of a research problem purpose statement that indicates the direction of the study?

The purpose of this study is to research leadership styles.

The purpose of this study is to determine if portfolios have a positive effect on student achievement.

The purpose of this study is to investigate instructional strategies and teaching methods.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of teacher education level on classroom achievement.

Which of the following is an example of a research statement that provides context for the issue under study?

This study is designed to compare the effects of student effort and attitude toward math achievement.

The number of English language learners in the nation’s elementary schools has doubled since 2001. 

The relationship between attendance rate and the size of the school population will be investigated to determine the effect.

This study will describe and examine beginning teachers’ perceptions.

Which of the following is a researchable question?

Should electronic portfolios be used to assess graduate students’ development as teachers?

Would it be a good decision to ban competitive games from elementary schools?

Do teachers’ assessment strategies relate to students’ knowledge of key concepts in chemistry classes?

Is the teaching of “abstinence” a justifiable approach to sex education?

Which of the following statements likely reflects a qualitative research design?

The research design determines the relationships between continuous variables.

The research design investigates cause and effect relationships.

The research design emerges as the study progresses.

The research design describes the role of researcher as an objective observer.

Which of the following statements likely reflects a quantitative research method?

Results are described in narrative form.

Phenomena are examined from the participant’s perspectives.

The research design emerges as the data are collected.

Variables of interest are manipulated.

Which term is used to describe a concept or characteristic that differs in the size, amount, degree or nature from something else of the same type?

Abstraction

Educational concept

Scientific construct

Variable

The following are definitions of the term tantrum. Identify the conceptual definition.

An uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration

The number of times the student tips his desk over

A record of the types of actions a child exhibits when presented with a frustrating situation 

The frequency of violent acts toward other students

Which of the following is an example of an operational definition?

Intelligence is defined as the subject’s score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale.

Attitude is defined as a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something.

Classroom climate is the social, emotional, and physical aspects of the classroom.

A developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions due to mental or physical impairments.

Which of the following italicized variables can be described as a dependent variable?

It was found that high school GPA was a better predictor of college performance than SAT scores.

The data from the study showed that the timeout procedure was effective in reducing the students’ misbehavior.

The researcher studied the effect of students’ socioeconomic status on academic achievement.

The teacher was able to increase the number of books read by the students in her class by offering a prize to students who read four books in one month.

Which variable could be considered a confounding variable in the research study described below?

 This study was designed to measure the differences in scores on a state-administered math achievement test between fourth-grade students who participated in an after-school reading enrichment program versus those who participated in an after-school math enrichment program?

Grade level of the students

Time of day of the enrichment program

Students’ math scores in third grade

Students’ scores on the test

Which of the following represents a continuous variable?

Religion

Grade point average

Socioeconomic status measured as high, middle, or low

White-collar or blue-collar workers

Which research question below indicates the type of research that will be used in the study?

Can laws be written that require teachers and students to change?

What is the effect on student achievement between students who received formative quizzes versus those who received summative quizzes?

How do you determine the overall risk level for an operation?

Should schools have parents with sociodemographic characteristics work in the school?

The following is an example of which type of research hypothesis? 

Ninth-grade students with greater levels of math test anxiety will score lower on a math achievement test.

Directional

Null

Attitudinal

Statistical

The results of a study showed that first-grade students who were instructed using an active-learning approach developed literacy skills at the same rate as students who received the traditional approach. Which of the following describes the results in terms of the null hypothesis?

The researcher rejected the null hypothesis.

The researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis.

The researcher retested the null hypothesis to confirm the original findings.

The researcher proved the null hypothesis was true.

Which of the following statements is testable using a research study?

Math test anxiety should be dealt with in high school.

There is a relationship that results from an ineffective method of changing behavior.

There is an effect of math test anxiety on student math performance.

Teachers need to increase their literacy knowledge and skills.

Which of the following is an example of a qualitative research question?

Do students who participate in cooperative learning groups score higher than students who do not?

What is the effect of attendance on students’ scores on a college entrance exam?

What is the relationship between students’ reading test scores and math test scores?

How do math teachers describe their pedagogical decisions before and after implementation of the new math curriculum?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a qualitative research problem?

It is open-ended.

It is evolving.

It is process oriented.

It identifies specific variables to be studied.

Short answer questions:

What is the main difference between a confounding variable and an extraneous variable? 

Why is it important to use operational definitions of variables in a study?

Essay question:

Describe at least three main differences between a quantitative study and a qualitative study.