RSE4801 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2026 - DUE 15 May 2026
Research in Education
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Total Marks: 100
Instructions
• Answer all questions
• Number your answers exactly as the
questions are numbered
• Stick to the word count as indicated
for each question
• Provide correct scholarly references
both in-text and in the reference list
• Use the first person to refer to your
own insights, context, and experiences
• Upload your submission as a Word
document on or before 15 May 2026,
23:59 PM
1
,SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS (30 Marks)
Answer all questions in this section. Each
question is worth 2 marks.
QUESTION 1
Mr. Ndlovu works at Eskom, and he told his
family that stage-five loadshedding in their
area will be implemented starting from next
week. Mr. Ndlovu's family believed him and
began making plans in preparing for the
upcoming loadshedding. This is an
example of ....
A) tradition
B) authority
C) mysticism
D) common sense
Answer: B) Authority
Explanation: The family accepts Mr.
Ndlovu's statement as true because of his
position as an Eskom employee-an
authority figure on electricity matters-
2
,rather than based on their own
investigation or evidence. This reflects
knowledge accepted on the basis of trust
in an authoritative source .
QUESTION 2
Select the correct option listing the four
errors that may lead to a premature
closure of inquiry.
A) Inaccurate observation,
overgeneralisation, selective observation
and illogical reasoning
B) The "halo effect", ego involvement,
selective observation and inaccurate
observation
C) Selective observation, ego involvement,
science and ontology
D) Illogical reasoning, selective
observation, epistemology and ontology
Answer: A) Inaccurate observation,
overgeneralisation, selective observation
and illogical reasoning
3
, Explanation: These four errors represent
common pitfalls in human inquiry that can
lead researchers to reach conclusions
prematurely. Inaccurate observation
involves mis seeing or mishearing
phenomena; overgeneralisation occurs
when conclusions are drawn from
insufficient evidence; selective observation
involves noticing only evidence that
supports one's preconceptions; and
illogical reasoning involves drawing
conclusions that do not follow from
available evidence .
QUESTION 3
Which statement best describes the
interpretivist approach to research?
A) Social reality is created through
understanding the conscious actions and
experiences of human beings of the social
world
B) Social reality should not be approached
from the perspectives of human beings
because they do not contribute to its
4
ANSWERS) 2026 - DUE 15 May 2026
Research in Education
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Total Marks: 100
Instructions
• Answer all questions
• Number your answers exactly as the
questions are numbered
• Stick to the word count as indicated
for each question
• Provide correct scholarly references
both in-text and in the reference list
• Use the first person to refer to your
own insights, context, and experiences
• Upload your submission as a Word
document on or before 15 May 2026,
23:59 PM
1
,SECTION A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS (30 Marks)
Answer all questions in this section. Each
question is worth 2 marks.
QUESTION 1
Mr. Ndlovu works at Eskom, and he told his
family that stage-five loadshedding in their
area will be implemented starting from next
week. Mr. Ndlovu's family believed him and
began making plans in preparing for the
upcoming loadshedding. This is an
example of ....
A) tradition
B) authority
C) mysticism
D) common sense
Answer: B) Authority
Explanation: The family accepts Mr.
Ndlovu's statement as true because of his
position as an Eskom employee-an
authority figure on electricity matters-
2
,rather than based on their own
investigation or evidence. This reflects
knowledge accepted on the basis of trust
in an authoritative source .
QUESTION 2
Select the correct option listing the four
errors that may lead to a premature
closure of inquiry.
A) Inaccurate observation,
overgeneralisation, selective observation
and illogical reasoning
B) The "halo effect", ego involvement,
selective observation and inaccurate
observation
C) Selective observation, ego involvement,
science and ontology
D) Illogical reasoning, selective
observation, epistemology and ontology
Answer: A) Inaccurate observation,
overgeneralisation, selective observation
and illogical reasoning
3
, Explanation: These four errors represent
common pitfalls in human inquiry that can
lead researchers to reach conclusions
prematurely. Inaccurate observation
involves mis seeing or mishearing
phenomena; overgeneralisation occurs
when conclusions are drawn from
insufficient evidence; selective observation
involves noticing only evidence that
supports one's preconceptions; and
illogical reasoning involves drawing
conclusions that do not follow from
available evidence .
QUESTION 3
Which statement best describes the
interpretivist approach to research?
A) Social reality is created through
understanding the conscious actions and
experiences of human beings of the social
world
B) Social reality should not be approached
from the perspectives of human beings
because they do not contribute to its
4
