Basics of research
What is the first step in the scientific method used in educational research?
What is informed consent in research?
Ensuring that the participants enter a study of their own free will, and with understanding of the nature of the research and any possible dangers that may arise as a result of their participation.
This type of study operates under the guiding principle that there are multiple truths. It also relies more on data such as interviews and observations.
Qualitative research
What is validity?
The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
What are the two groups in an experimental research study?
The experimental group (receiving treatment/the intervention), and the control group (not receiving treatment/the intervention)
What is an independent variable and a dependent variable?
Independent variable/s are what the researcher is manipulating, and dependent variables are what the researcher is evaluating.
What are the two overriding rules of ethics in research?
1. Participants should not be harmed in any way physically, mentally, or emotionally, and 2. Researchers must obtain participants informed consent
This type of study involves statistical analyses.
Quantitative research
What is reliability?
The degree to which a test consistently measures what it is designed to measure.
What is a single-subjects experimental design?
These are research designs that can be applied when the sample size is one, or when a number of individuals are considered as one group.
What are the four different types of data, with an example of each?
Nominal (categorical; cat, dog, rabbit), ordinal (class rank), interval (does not include an absolute zero, temperature of zero does not mean no temperature. So temperature is interval data), and ratio (weight; someone could weigh zero pounds, so zero is an absolute zero)
What is meant by the "golden thread" in designing a research study?
What is the purpose of mixed methodological (mixed methods) research?
To combine quantitative and qualitative data so their complementary strengths yield a fuller understanding of a phenomenon or research topic.
What is one of the biggest pros to using surveys for your research projects?
Experimental research
What is the purpose of a literature review in research?
To determine what is already known and what research has already been done on the research problem.
Describe the difference between correlation and causation.
Correlation: means two variables relate to one another, or vary together in a particular way. Causation: one variables CAUSES another variable to change.
It helps you to find existing gaps in knowledge so you can help to fill those gaps with your research project. It can also be helpful with choosing your research instruments and data collection strategies to know what has worked before with similar projects.
Achievement tests measure what you have already learned (example: ACT at the end of high school measures knowledge learned in high school), while aptitude tests measure your potential to learn new skills in the future (example: IQ testing).
Why is it that causal-comparative research cannot determine cause and effect relationships?
Because it is ex post-facto (after the fact) looking at data, and the researchers are not manipulating variables or controlling for confounding factors.
What is research? What is its purpose? And why is it important?
Research is a systematic process of inquiry, data collection, and analysis designed to establish facts, test hypotheses, and expand human knowledge. Research is how we know what we know to be true. It helps us to solve practical and real life problems.
What is described as the most meaningful source of research problems in the text?
Existing theories. These theories commonly generate the most meaningful research problems because they suggest testable relationships and help to guide inquiry throughout the research process.
What is most important about selecting your sample in quantitative research?
You want to try your best to ensure that your sample is representative of the population you are aiming to study so that your results are generalizable.
What is the most commonly used measure of internal consistency?
Cronbach's alpha
What are some of the challenges to conducting experimental studies in educational settings?
There is lack of sufficient exposure to treatments (i.e., treatments are too short or diffuse), failure to make treatments significantly different from one another (e.g., an experimental instructional program in math
may not be different enough from the comparison math instructional program), and there is less of an ability to manipulate and control variables on the part of the researchers.