WGU C224 STUDY SET UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. research literature
Answer:
is the set of published research studies on a particular topic various studies with the same result =
CONFIDENCE **Don't trust a single research study as the final word on a topic!**
Question:
2. AERA
Answer:
American Educational Research Association - largest and most prestigious research association in the
field of education
Question:
3. abstract
Answer:
a brief summary of what is included in the article. provides a concise breakdown of article goals,
methods, and tentative results researchers choose to include
Question:
4. understanding
Answer:
(type of research objective) attempting to learn about and generate ideas about specific and unique
phenomena
Question:
5. How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. were the researchers studying a phenomenon or some aspect of a phenomenon about WHICH
LITTLE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN?
2. Did the researchers choose to study a phenomenon WITHOUT ANY PRECON- CEIVED
NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT FACTORS or "generate" new ideas for
further research?
Question:
6. description
Answer:
(type of research objective) an attempt to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon. one of the
most basic activities in research. ex. observing a phenomenon and recording what one sees
Question:
7. descriptive research
,Answer:
(type of research objective)
provide an accurate description or picture of the status or characteristics of a situation or phenomenon.
**focus is not specifically on searching out cause-and-effect relationships, but rather on relating the
variables that exist in a given situation and any relevant relationships that exist among them.
Question:
8. Steps in Descriptive Research
Answer:
1. randomly select a sample from a defined population.
2. determine the sample characteristics
3. infer the characteristics of the population based on the sample
Question:
9. explanation
Answer:
(type of research objective) how and why a phenomenon operates as it does **the objective of the
majority of educational research is explanation**
Question:
10. How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers trying to DEVELOP A THEORY about a phenomenon to explain how and
why it operates as it does?
2. Were the researchers trying to explain how phenomena operate by IDENTIFY- ING
CAUSE-AND-EFFECT relationships?
Question:
11. explanatory research
Answer:
testing hypotheses and theories that explain the functions of a phenomenon in detail **researcher is
focused on establishing clear and defensible evidence for cause-and-effect relationships.
***experimental research is the strongest form of explanatory research for providing evidence of
cause and effect.
Question:
12. prediction
Answer:
(type of research objective) forecast a phenomenon, wherein there is an association made between two
points in time. **when researchers determine cause-and-effect operations, they can use this
information to form predictions
Question:
13. predictive research
,Answer:
predict the future of one or more dependent (or criterion) variables on the basis of one or more
independent (or predictor) variables.
**is most applicable when researchers want to see how well they can predict a certain outcome based
on one or more independent or predictor variables.
Question:
14. influence (motivation)
Answer:
(type of research objective) attempting to apply research to make certain outcomes occur
**application of research knowledge to control various aspects of the world
Question:
15. How to determine if influence is the primary objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers applying research knowledge to MAKE SOMETHING USEFUL HAPPEN in
the world?
2. Were the researchers checking a "DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM" to see if it works in practice?
Question:
16. Integration Perspective
Answer:
(type of research objective) Two key perspectives: Emic and Etic consolidating insights from multiple
investigators, theories/perspectives, sets of data, and methods in order to understand a given entity of
study, such as a school, or a classroom or population.
Question:
17. Emic Perspective (when seeking integration objective)
Answer:
- provides insider's perspective
- gives meaning and views of people being studied
- gets inside the heads of groups members
- includes local languages, forms of expression, and jargon/slang
Question:
18. Etuc Perspective (when seeking integration objective)
Answer:
- provides external, social scientific perspective
- gives perspective of objective researcher
- uses social scientific concepts, terms, and procedures to describe and explain behavior
- brings research questions from outside
Question:
19. 5 General TYPES of research
, Answer:
1. Basic
2. Evaluation
3. Action
4. Orientational
5. Applied
Question:
20. basic research
Answer:
generating fundamental knowledge and theoretical understanding about primary human functions and
other natural processes. *Usually conducted by using rigorous research methods (e.g. experimental)
under tightly controlled laboratory conditions. (opposite of applied)
Question:
21. applied research
Answer:
answering real-world, practical questions in order to provide relatively immediate solutions
**conducted in more natural or real-world settings as opposed to basic research. **results would
potentially have practical implications for educational policy **applied research studies often lead to
intervention programs aimed at improving societal conditions
Question:
22. evaluation research
Answer:
determine how well social or educational programs work in real-world settings, as well as any
improvement possibilities **determines the worth, merit, or quality of a specific program. ***two
types of evaluation: formative & summative
Question:
23. formative evaluation
Answer:
is concerned with developing judgments of how a program can be improved and aids developers and
staff design and implement programs.
Question:
24. summative evaulation
Answer:
focuses on cultivating judgements of a programs effectiveness and any decisions regarding
continuation.
**is especially helpful for policymakers to appraise previous future-funding decisions and make future
ones.
Question:
25. 5 varieties of evaluation based on a fundamental evaluation questions
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. research literature
Answer:
is the set of published research studies on a particular topic various studies with the same result =
CONFIDENCE **Don't trust a single research study as the final word on a topic!**
Question:
2. AERA
Answer:
American Educational Research Association - largest and most prestigious research association in the
field of education
Question:
3. abstract
Answer:
a brief summary of what is included in the article. provides a concise breakdown of article goals,
methods, and tentative results researchers choose to include
Question:
4. understanding
Answer:
(type of research objective) attempting to learn about and generate ideas about specific and unique
phenomena
Question:
5. How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. were the researchers studying a phenomenon or some aspect of a phenomenon about WHICH
LITTLE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN?
2. Did the researchers choose to study a phenomenon WITHOUT ANY PRECON- CEIVED
NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT FACTORS or "generate" new ideas for
further research?
Question:
6. description
Answer:
(type of research objective) an attempt to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon. one of the
most basic activities in research. ex. observing a phenomenon and recording what one sees
Question:
7. descriptive research
,Answer:
(type of research objective)
provide an accurate description or picture of the status or characteristics of a situation or phenomenon.
**focus is not specifically on searching out cause-and-effect relationships, but rather on relating the
variables that exist in a given situation and any relevant relationships that exist among them.
Question:
8. Steps in Descriptive Research
Answer:
1. randomly select a sample from a defined population.
2. determine the sample characteristics
3. infer the characteristics of the population based on the sample
Question:
9. explanation
Answer:
(type of research objective) how and why a phenomenon operates as it does **the objective of the
majority of educational research is explanation**
Question:
10. How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers trying to DEVELOP A THEORY about a phenomenon to explain how and
why it operates as it does?
2. Were the researchers trying to explain how phenomena operate by IDENTIFY- ING
CAUSE-AND-EFFECT relationships?
Question:
11. explanatory research
Answer:
testing hypotheses and theories that explain the functions of a phenomenon in detail **researcher is
focused on establishing clear and defensible evidence for cause-and-effect relationships.
***experimental research is the strongest form of explanatory research for providing evidence of
cause and effect.
Question:
12. prediction
Answer:
(type of research objective) forecast a phenomenon, wherein there is an association made between two
points in time. **when researchers determine cause-and-effect operations, they can use this
information to form predictions
Question:
13. predictive research
,Answer:
predict the future of one or more dependent (or criterion) variables on the basis of one or more
independent (or predictor) variables.
**is most applicable when researchers want to see how well they can predict a certain outcome based
on one or more independent or predictor variables.
Question:
14. influence (motivation)
Answer:
(type of research objective) attempting to apply research to make certain outcomes occur
**application of research knowledge to control various aspects of the world
Question:
15. How to determine if influence is the primary objective of a research study
Answer:
ask yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers applying research knowledge to MAKE SOMETHING USEFUL HAPPEN in
the world?
2. Were the researchers checking a "DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM" to see if it works in practice?
Question:
16. Integration Perspective
Answer:
(type of research objective) Two key perspectives: Emic and Etic consolidating insights from multiple
investigators, theories/perspectives, sets of data, and methods in order to understand a given entity of
study, such as a school, or a classroom or population.
Question:
17. Emic Perspective (when seeking integration objective)
Answer:
- provides insider's perspective
- gives meaning and views of people being studied
- gets inside the heads of groups members
- includes local languages, forms of expression, and jargon/slang
Question:
18. Etuc Perspective (when seeking integration objective)
Answer:
- provides external, social scientific perspective
- gives perspective of objective researcher
- uses social scientific concepts, terms, and procedures to describe and explain behavior
- brings research questions from outside
Question:
19. 5 General TYPES of research
, Answer:
1. Basic
2. Evaluation
3. Action
4. Orientational
5. Applied
Question:
20. basic research
Answer:
generating fundamental knowledge and theoretical understanding about primary human functions and
other natural processes. *Usually conducted by using rigorous research methods (e.g. experimental)
under tightly controlled laboratory conditions. (opposite of applied)
Question:
21. applied research
Answer:
answering real-world, practical questions in order to provide relatively immediate solutions
**conducted in more natural or real-world settings as opposed to basic research. **results would
potentially have practical implications for educational policy **applied research studies often lead to
intervention programs aimed at improving societal conditions
Question:
22. evaluation research
Answer:
determine how well social or educational programs work in real-world settings, as well as any
improvement possibilities **determines the worth, merit, or quality of a specific program. ***two
types of evaluation: formative & summative
Question:
23. formative evaluation
Answer:
is concerned with developing judgments of how a program can be improved and aids developers and
staff design and implement programs.
Question:
24. summative evaulation
Answer:
focuses on cultivating judgements of a programs effectiveness and any decisions regarding
continuation.
**is especially helpful for policymakers to appraise previous future-funding decisions and make future
ones.
Question:
25. 5 varieties of evaluation based on a fundamental evaluation questions
