Educational Research Methods EDUC 3026 - Lecture 2 Quiz 1

In Lecture 2, we were presented with a basic definition of 'knowledge'. Which of the following is the exact formulation?

• Justified true belief

• Justified truth

• True beliefs

• Beliefs truly justified

Why would be the problem with accepting 'justified truth' as a sufficient definition for knowledge?

• Justification is very tricky and always debatable.

• Something has to be believed in for it to be true.

• Truth is highly subjective and does not meet the standards of 'knowledge'

• If nobody holds to a belief, we cannot call it 'knowledge', even if it's true and justifiable.

Which of the following counts as 'ontology'? Choose one.

• Ontology is our assumption about how we can know things about reality.

• Ontology is our assumption about what reality is there to be known.

• Ontology is our overall worldview about what reality is and how we can know it.

What are some of the main research paradigms elaborated in Lecture 2?

• Positivism

• Humanism

• Pragmatism

• Post-modernism

Select the characteristics that are typically associated with interpretivist/constructivist paradigm:

• There is a single reality with rules to be discovered

• The researcher uses flexible instruments and are themselves a 'research instrument'

• Typically, mixed methods are used

• The researcher values authenticity and trustworthiness

'Triangulation' is favoured within the post-positivist paradigm. Which of the scenarios below demonstrate triangulation?

• The use of the same instrument collecting data multiple times, for comparison

• The use of different instruments to collect data, for comparison

• The use of different instruments to see which works best, before choosing one.

• A systematic review of literature to ensure that all variables of study are determined in advance.

Which of the following are of importance to a (post) positivist researcher?

• External validity

• Internal validity

• Reliability

• Authenticity

What is the best definition of reliability in terms of post-positivist (quantitative) research?

• That your results obtained through an instrument are stable and consistent over time and under the same conditions.

• That your results obtained truly reflects the phenomenon that you are studying.

• That your results can be generalised to other contexts under all circumstances

Select the characteristics that apply to interpretivism:

• It is also sometimes called constructivism

• It focuses on the perspectives and lived experiences of participants as a way of understanding reality

• It concerns itself with statistical generalisability

• It is chiefly concerned with solving practical educational problems

Of the following scenarios, what study would best exemplify pragmatism?

• A researcher conducts an experiment to study the relationship between motivation and language learning

• A researcher seeks to understand the perspectives of refugees regarding learning English as a second language

• A researcher studies the social problem of learning loss among ESL learners using mixed methods

• A researcher designs, evaluates and improves an intervention programme to improve language learner motivation, using mixed methods