WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224
OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A teacher has noticed that students in her math class are not performing well on her end of semester
exam. She suspects that their lack of interest in math is affecting their ability to perform. She decides to
integrate computerized math games into her curriculum and see if it has an impact on the end of
semester exam scores.
What is the objective of this research project? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > To solve a local problem in her
classroom
What outcome of educational research is used to support a theory or concept? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evidence
A researcher hypothesizes that kindergarten students can increase vocabulary retention by drawing
pictures of new words learned.
Which research should be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Basic research
4.
A researcher hypothesizes that master's prepared business administration graduates who are male get
hired faster and are paid a higher salary than their female counterparts.
Which research will be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Orientational research
Carefully aligned strategies were developed for a reading intervention program after analyzing data
from a series of surveys and experiments. At the conclusion of the program, 64% of participants were
reported reading at or above grade level.
1 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
,Which kind of research was implemented in this scenario? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evaluation research
What is the purpose of evidence in research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Support theories
What is the purpose of a hypothesis in a quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It provides an educated
guess about the relationship between variables studied.
Which major research approach is based on the assumption that objective truths exist in the world and
can be discovered? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
What are quantitative researchers primarily interested in examining? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Hypotheses
What is one strength of quantitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative research can be used to
test and validate existing theories.
Researchers seeking to eliminate spider phobias among young children conducted a study in which each
participant was presented with a live spider. Group A participants were asked to describe their
emotional response to the spider. Group B participants were asked to describe the room they were in.
All participants rated their fear of the spider on a scale from 1 to 100.
What is the dependent variable in this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The fear rating
Researchers who were studying stress found that teenagers with high stress also had some negative
physical symptoms. Symptoms included a suppressed immune system and increased blood pressure.
Which statement represents the relationship between these variables? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Stress is positively correlated with physical ailments.
As one variable is manipulated, it directly brings about change in a second variable.
What is the variable called that is being manipulated? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Independent variable
A researcher wanted to know if students in rural areas had different study skills than students in urban
areas. She gave a chapter about "life in the city" to 50 urban and 50 rural students and asked them to
study it. A week later, she gave them all a test to see how much they had learned.
2 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
, What is a critical limitation of this quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The content of the chapter
would be more familiar to one group than the other.
Which method of data collection would qualitative researchers be likely to use? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Observations in natural environments
A researcher has formulated specific research questions about one school's high absenteeism among its
freshman student population. The researcher plans to conduct in-depth analyses of this population
using multiple sources of data.
Which theoretical framework is this researcher using? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Case study
A qualitative researcher wants to collect data on a phenomenon and then develop a theory that
describes the data.
Which research design should this researcher choose? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Grounded theory
What is one strength of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The research can be conducted in a
natural setting.
Which assumption about the nature of knowledge characterizes qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
It is personal
What is one limitation of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Researcher's biases can easily
influence results for this approach.
Which goal indicates a developmental purpose for choosing a mixed-method design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
The researcher wants to describe a phenomenon in detail, then use the descriptions to construct a
survey.
What impact does the time orientation criterion have on the design of mixed methods research? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > It involves the decision of whether to conduct the quantitative and qualitative components
concurrently or sequentially.
What is one reason for choosing a mixed-methods design over a qualitative or quantitative design? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed-methods designs can produce more integrated knowledge.
3 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A teacher has noticed that students in her math class are not performing well on her end of semester
exam. She suspects that their lack of interest in math is affecting their ability to perform. She decides to
integrate computerized math games into her curriculum and see if it has an impact on the end of
semester exam scores.
What is the objective of this research project? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > To solve a local problem in her
classroom
What outcome of educational research is used to support a theory or concept? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evidence
A researcher hypothesizes that kindergarten students can increase vocabulary retention by drawing
pictures of new words learned.
Which research should be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Basic research
4.
A researcher hypothesizes that master's prepared business administration graduates who are male get
hired faster and are paid a higher salary than their female counterparts.
Which research will be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Orientational research
Carefully aligned strategies were developed for a reading intervention program after analyzing data
from a series of surveys and experiments. At the conclusion of the program, 64% of participants were
reported reading at or above grade level.
1 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
,Which kind of research was implemented in this scenario? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evaluation research
What is the purpose of evidence in research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Support theories
What is the purpose of a hypothesis in a quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It provides an educated
guess about the relationship between variables studied.
Which major research approach is based on the assumption that objective truths exist in the world and
can be discovered? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
What are quantitative researchers primarily interested in examining? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Hypotheses
What is one strength of quantitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative research can be used to
test and validate existing theories.
Researchers seeking to eliminate spider phobias among young children conducted a study in which each
participant was presented with a live spider. Group A participants were asked to describe their
emotional response to the spider. Group B participants were asked to describe the room they were in.
All participants rated their fear of the spider on a scale from 1 to 100.
What is the dependent variable in this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The fear rating
Researchers who were studying stress found that teenagers with high stress also had some negative
physical symptoms. Symptoms included a suppressed immune system and increased blood pressure.
Which statement represents the relationship between these variables? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Stress is positively correlated with physical ailments.
As one variable is manipulated, it directly brings about change in a second variable.
What is the variable called that is being manipulated? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Independent variable
A researcher wanted to know if students in rural areas had different study skills than students in urban
areas. She gave a chapter about "life in the city" to 50 urban and 50 rural students and asked them to
study it. A week later, she gave them all a test to see how much they had learned.
2 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
, What is a critical limitation of this quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The content of the chapter
would be more familiar to one group than the other.
Which method of data collection would qualitative researchers be likely to use? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Observations in natural environments
A researcher has formulated specific research questions about one school's high absenteeism among its
freshman student population. The researcher plans to conduct in-depth analyses of this population
using multiple sources of data.
Which theoretical framework is this researcher using? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Case study
A qualitative researcher wants to collect data on a phenomenon and then develop a theory that
describes the data.
Which research design should this researcher choose? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Grounded theory
What is one strength of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The research can be conducted in a
natural setting.
Which assumption about the nature of knowledge characterizes qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
It is personal
What is one limitation of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Researcher's biases can easily
influence results for this approach.
Which goal indicates a developmental purpose for choosing a mixed-method design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
The researcher wants to describe a phenomenon in detail, then use the descriptions to construct a
survey.
What impact does the time orientation criterion have on the design of mixed methods research? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > It involves the decision of whether to conduct the quantitative and qualitative components
concurrently or sequentially.
What is one reason for choosing a mixed-methods design over a qualitative or quantitative design? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed-methods designs can produce more integrated knowledge.
3 WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224 OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224 RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#()*!!!!!!!!
