WGU C224 Study Set Questions & Accurate Detailed
Answers\Verified 100% \LATEST UPDATE 2026-2027
How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study
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 PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT
FACTORS or "generate" new ideas for further research?
description
(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
,descriptive research
(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.
Steps in Descriptive Research
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
explanation
(type of research objective)
how and why a phenomenon operates as it does
*the objective of the majority of educational research is explanation*
,How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research
study
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 IDENTIFYING CAUSE-AND-EFFECT
relationships?
explanatory research
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.
, prediction
(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
predictive research
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.
influence (motivation)
(type of research objective)
attempting to apply research to make certain outcomes occur
**application of research knowledge to control various aspects of the
world
Answers\Verified 100% \LATEST UPDATE 2026-2027
How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study
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 PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT
FACTORS or "generate" new ideas for further research?
description
(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
,descriptive research
(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.
Steps in Descriptive Research
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
explanation
(type of research objective)
how and why a phenomenon operates as it does
*the objective of the majority of educational research is explanation*
,How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research
study
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 IDENTIFYING CAUSE-AND-EFFECT
relationships?
explanatory research
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.
, prediction
(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
predictive research
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.
influence (motivation)
(type of research objective)
attempting to apply research to make certain outcomes occur
**application of research knowledge to control various aspects of the
world
