CPCE: Research and Program Evaluation questions well answered 2024/2025

CPCE: Research and Program Evaluation Research vs. Evidence Based Inquiry - correct answer Research: the systematic process of collecting and analyzing data for some purpose such as investigating a problem or answering a question. Evidence-based inquiry: the search for knowledge using empirical data which has been gathered systematically. Quantitative Research - correct answer Assumes social facts have a single objective reality. Tends to study samples or populations. Researchers try not to influence collection of data (instruments). Statistical methods comparing and contrasting groups occurs. Researchers examine for causes and relationships. Qualitative Research - correct answer Assumes multiple realities socially constructed by individuals and groups. Tends to study individual units - person, family, community — in naturalistic setting. Researchers may be primary instrument for collecting data (through observation). Researchers' impressions, judgments and feelings may be used. Goal is to describe the nature of things. Inductive vs. Deductive Research - correct answer Inductive: this research begins at the real world, practical level. It tends to be descriptive, correlational, or historical and leads to the building of theory. Deductive: this research springs from theory which is already established. This research tries to determine what the relationships are between elements of the theory and may be experimental in nature. Quantitative (Non-Experimental Designs): Survey - correct answer This may occur through questionnaires, interviews, etc. and is used to measure attitudes, perceptions, etc. (For example: Public Opinion Poll). Often the response rate of survey research is low, below 50 percent. Unless you know that the characteristics of the non- respondents are similar to the characteristics of the respondents, you must be cautious in generalizing. Quantitative (Non-Experimental Designs): Descriptive - correct answer Descriptive: this research simply describes an existing state of events. Numbers may be used to characterize groups or individuals. Quantitative (Non-Experimental Designs): Comparative - correct answer This research method investigates whether there are differences between two or more groups. There is no manipulation of conditions experienced by each group. Quantitative (Non-Experimental Designs): Correlational - correct answer This research method uses the correlation coefficient to determine the degree of relationship between two or more variables or phenomena. Quantitative (Non-Experimental Designs): Ex Post Facto - correct answer Also called causal-comparative, this research design studies possible causal relationships among variables ex post facto (after the fact). You do not manipulate any variables; the focus is on what has already happened (after the fact). You may generate 'several' reasons (causes) for the relationships you discover.