WGU C224 - STUDY GUIDE WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
Characteristics of Quantitative Research - Answer numerical data (quantity); hypothesis & research procedure are stated BEFORE data collection; large sample size; rely on statistical procedure; low interaction with subjects; rely on controlling, measuring, and generalizing; objective by nature Quantitative Methods/Designs - Answer survey research; correlational research; causal comparative; experimental; single subject experimental Sampling techniques for quantitative research - Answer simple random; stratified; cluster; systematic; Simple random - Answer (quant) selection using table of random numbers Stratified - Answer (quant) selection based on dividing up into subgroups which have roughly equal representation Cluster - Answer (quant) intact groups are selected as by classroom, efficient but less representative Systematic - Answer (quant) take a population and select every Kth invidual i.e.sample population = 100 and you select every 5th person on list.Qualitative Research - Answer *emphasis on words and feelings; *research problems/methods evolve as understanding of topic increases; *smaller sample sizes; *relies on categorizing & organizing data into themes or patterns to describe & synthesize the data; *high level interaction with subjects; *many possible contexts & meanings for different people; *subjective by nature Qualitative Research Methods - Answer observation/field notes; interviews: face-to- face, phone, focus group; questionnaires; archival documents; journals; audio/video Qualitative Sampling Techniques - Answer intensity; homogenous; criterion; snowball; random purposive Characteristics of Action Research (comes out of qualitative research) - Answer *persuasive & authoritative b/c it's done by teachers for teachers; *relevant b/c solves real world problems; *accessible b/c teachers already have built-in audience as test subjects; *encourages school reform by providing an action plan; *practical by nature (see ch20).Selecting topics - Characteristics of good research topics - Answer *researchable (can be solved by collecting and analyzing data); *interesting enough to hold your attention (love it); *significant (contributes to field of knowledge); *ethical (no harm done); *manageable (keep it in scope) How to write a good research question - Answer *solvable by collecting data; *cannot be answered with simple yes/no; *what is the effect of x on y (x is indep. Variable, y 1 / 2
WGU C224 - STUDY GUIDE WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
is dependent variable); *i.e. What is the effect of an after school reading program (x) on students' reading comprehension scores (y)?Purpose & function of literature review - Answer *see what's already been done; *reveals what needs to be done; *addresses the research questions; *provides rationale for your hypothesis; *avoids mistakes of others; *may suggest ideas not previously considered; *provide new direction to your research Resource Identification Evaluation & Selection - Answer *primary & secondary
sources; WGU library: books, articles, e-reserves, ERIC; *What was problem
statement?; *Who was studied?; *Where was source published?; When was source published?; *How was study conducted?; *see ch 3 for more detail
- types Hypotheses - Answer 1. Deductive, 2. Inductive, 3. Directional, 4. Non-
- / 2
directional, 5. Null Hypothesis - Answer based on sound reasoning consistent with theory or observation; provides reasonable explanation for a predicted outcome; states the expected relationship between variables; is testable within a reasonable time frame Evaluating a research report - Answer *does it include all appropriate heading according to the research design? (i.e. intro, prob. Stmt., lit review, hypothesis, etc.); *enough detail to allow the reader to completely understand the what, why, when, and how.; *look out for researcher bias; *review comprehensive list in ch. 22 Measurement instruments - Answer *reliability - degree to which a test consistently measures whatever it is measuring; *validity - degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure; *validity assumes reliability Factors that threaten validity of measurement instruments - Answer *unclear test directions; *ambiguous test items; *complex vocabulary & sentence structure; *subjective scoring; *items on test not covered in instruction; *inconsistent testing procedures; *cheating (see pg 158) How to determine reliability? - Answer *stability (test - re-test); *equivalence (2 similar tests); *Internal Consistency (requires only 1 test administration) split half, Kuder Richardson, Chronibachs Alpha) ; see chapter 6 Types of Measurement Instruments (see Ch. 6) - Answer Achievement tests; aptitude tests; Affective tests; Projective tests Dependent variable - Answer the effect or outcome Independent variable - Answer the cause or treatment Measurement Scales - Answer variables - a placeholder that can assume any one of a range of values