Q1. Educational research is best understood as inquiry that does what?

• (A) Tests one lesson plan in a single classroom and generalises freely from it
• (B) Gathers classroom anecdotes chosen to support a preferred method
• (C) Uses systematic methods to answer questions about education and improve practice
• (D) Summarises existing textbooks for student revision

Q2. One important purpose of educational research for classroom teachers is that it helps them to do what?

• (A) Base teaching decisions on evidence rather than habit alone
• (B) Avoid reading about new methods
• (C) Follow the same routine every year
• (D) Ignore differences among learners

Q3. A psychologist studies how memory works in general, with no plan to use the findings in a school this year. This study is best described as which type of research?

• (A) Action research
• (B) Survey research
• (C) Case study research
• (D) Basic research

Q4. A district trials a remedial reading programme for weak readers and measures whether it raises their scores. This is mainly an example of which type of research?

• (A) Historical research
• (B) Applied research aimed at a current practical problem
• (C) Philosophical research
• (D) Pure research with no practical aim

Q5. A teacher records her own marking feedback, tries a clearer comment format, and checks whether student revision improves. This practitioner inquiry is best called which of the following?

• (A) Historical research
• (B) Experimental research with random assignment
• (C) Action research
• (D) Census research

Q6. Objectivity in research mainly means that the researcher should do what?

• (A) Report findings fairly, without letting personal wishes distort the evidence
• (B) Hide results that disagree with expectations
• (C) Select only the data that support a favoured method
• (D) Avoid explaining the method used

Q7. Which feature most clearly separates research from a personal opinion about teaching?

• (A) Research uses longer sentences
• (B) Research is always done by university professors
• (C) Research never changes its mind
• (D) Research gathers and checks evidence through a stated method

Q8. Why is it risky for a school to adopt a new method only because it worked in one famous school?

• (A) Famous schools never improve
• (B) A single example may not generalise, so wider evidence is needed before adoption
• (C) Research always contradicts successful schools
• (D) Teachers should never learn from other schools

Q9. The term fundamental research refers to which type of research?

• (A) Basic research that builds general theory and knowledge
• (B) Action research in one classroom
• (C) Survey research on current opinions
• (D) Historical research on past documents

Q10. Action research usually has which scope and aim?

• (A) National laws for all schools
• (B) A universal theory of intelligence
• (C) A review of ancient education systems
• (D) A small-scale, local improvement in a particular classroom or school

Q11. After a researcher has defined the research problem, the next usual step is to do what?

• (A) Publish the conclusions
• (B) Review related literature to see what is already known
• (C) Analyse data that have not yet been collected
• (D) Write the appendices

Q12. A gap in previous studies, where findings disagree or a question has not been answered, is valuable mainly because it can do what?

• (A) Prove that earlier researchers were careless
• (B) Remove the need for new data
• (C) Provide a justified starting point for a new research problem
• (D) Guarantee a significant result

Q13. Which problem statement is most suitable for a small classroom study?

• (A) “Does a weekly vocabulary quiz improve spelling scores in Class 8 at this school?”
• (B) “What is the history of education in the world?”
• (C) “How can all human learning be explained?”
• (D) “What will schools look like in the next hundred years?”

Q14. A study compares classes that receive detailed written feedback with classes that receive only marks. The type of feedback is which variable?

• (A) The dependent variable
• (B) The intervening variable
• (C) The control variable
• (D) The independent variable, because it is the factor being varied

Q15. A factor that a researcher deliberately keeps the same for all groups in an experiment is called a:

• (A) Dependent variable
• (B) Independent variable
• (C) Control variable
• (D) Sampling variable

Q16. In a study of a new revision technique, some students already knew much of the topic before the study began. This prior knowledge is best treated as which variable?

• (A) The dependent variable
• (B) An extraneous variable that could confuse the result if ignored
• (C) The research tool
• (D) The research hypothesis

Q17. A researcher suggests that test anxiety may stand between a new teaching method and final scores, raising scores for calm students and lowering them for anxious ones. Test anxiety here is best described as which variable?

• (A) An intervening variable linking the method to the outcome
• (B) The independent variable
• (C) The dependent variable
• (D) A sampling frame

Q18. The statement “There is a significant relationship between attendance and achievement” is an example of which hypothesis?

• (A) A null hypothesis
• (B) A descriptive statement with no variables
• (C) A research question with no prediction
• (D) An alternative hypothesis predicting a relationship

Q19. The statement “There is a difference in motivation between boarders and day students” predicts a difference but not its direction. It is therefore which type of hypothesis?

• (A) A directional hypothesis
• (B) A non-directional hypothesis
• (C) A null hypothesis
• (D) A historical hypothesis

Q20. A careful literature review helps a researcher avoid which common mistake?

• (A) Using a clear research problem
• (B) Reading too many journal articles
• (C) Repeating a study that has already answered the same question
• (D) Defining variables before collecting data

Q21. A questionnaire is least suitable when respondents:

• (A) Are widely scattered across a district
• (B) Can read and write easily
• (C) Need to answer the same set of items
• (D) Cannot read the items or may misunderstand them without help

Q22. An item that asks “What is your age? (a) Under 20 (b) 20-29 (c) 30-39 (d) 40 or above” is an example of which kind of item?

• (A) A closed item with fixed response categories
• (B) An open-ended item
• (C) An interview probe
• (D) An observation checklist

Q23. The question “Do you not agree that good teachers always give homework?” is poor mainly because it is which of the following?

• (A) A factual question
• (B) A leading question that pushes the respondent toward one answer
• (C) An open-ended question
• (D) A rating-scale question

Q24. In a structured interview, the interviewer reads each question in the same wording and order to all respondents. The main benefit is which of the following?

• (A) Answers become impossible to compare
• (B) The interview takes no preparation
• (C) Answers are comparable because every respondent faced the same questions
• (D) Respondents cannot give unexpected answers

Q25. A researcher with only a broad topic guide, who follows up interesting replies with new questions, is using which type of interview?

• (A) An unstructured interview
• (B) A structured interview
• (C) A postal questionnaire
• (D) A standardised test

Q26. In participant observation, the researcher:

• (A) Studies only documents from the past
• (B) Tests pupils with a standardised test
• (C) Surveys hundreds of people by post
• (D) Joins the group being studied and takes part in its activities while observing

Q27. A researcher spends a term as a helper in a classroom, joining daily routines while noting how group work develops. This is an example of which observation role?

• (A) Non-participant observation
• (B) Participant observation
• (C) Structured observation with a checklist only
• (D) Historical observation

Q28. A researcher counts, with a prepared tally sheet, how many times students ask questions in each lesson. This is best described as which approach?

• (A) Unstructured observation
• (B) Participant observation
• (C) Structured observation
• (D) Interview observation

Q29. A short test given to find exactly which multiplication facts a student has not yet mastered is best called which type of test?

• (A) An aptitude test
• (B) A personality test
• (C) A general achievement test
• (D) A diagnostic test

Q30. On a rating scale, a parent marks “Agree” for “My child enjoys school” and “Strongly Agree” for “My child enjoys reading”. What does the scale mainly capture here?

• (A) The strength of agreement with each statement
• (B) The exact number of books read
• (C) The child’s examination marks
• (D) The parent’s age and income

Q31. A researcher’s notes describing how students discuss a problem in groups are best classified as which type of data?

• (A) Quantitative data
• (B) Qualitative data, because they describe meanings in words
• (C) Secondary data
• (D) Census data

Q32. The number of books borrowed per student in a term, recorded as counts, is an example of which type of data?

• (A) Qualitative data
• (B) Historical data
• (C) Interview data only
• (D) Quantitative data expressed in numbers

Q33. Data gathered by the researcher herself through classroom tests designed for her own study are best called which of the following?

• (A) Primary data collected first-hand for the present study
• (B) Secondary data reused from an old report
• (C) Historical data from archives
• (D) Published data from a textbook

Q34. A researcher uses enrolment figures already published in the annual education census. These figures are best described as which type of data?

• (A) Primary data
• (B) Observation data
• (C) Secondary data collected earlier by another agency
• (D) Experimental data

Q35. If a study aims at all secondary teachers in a province but actually surveys 300 of them, those 300 teachers are best called which of the following?

• (A) The population
• (B) The sampling frame
• (C) The control group
• (D) The sample drawn from the population

Q36. Before drawing a simple random sample, a researcher most importantly needs:

• (A) A list of volunteers only
• (B) A complete list of all members of the population
• (C) Permission from one school only
• (D) Results from a previous study

Q37. In proportionate stratified sampling, the sample taken from each stratum is:

• (A) In proportion to the stratum’s share of the population
• (B) Equal in size for every stratum regardless of population
• (C) Drawn only from the largest stratum
• (D) Chosen by convenience within each stratum

Q38. A researcher randomly selects five whole schools from a district and includes every teacher in those schools. This is an example of which sampling method?

• (A) Simple random sampling of teachers
• (B) Stratified sampling
• (C) Cluster sampling using whole groups
• (D) Purposive sampling

Q39. A researcher numbers 1,000 students and selects every 10th student from the list. This procedure is best called which of the following?

• (A) Snowball sampling
• (B) Systematic sampling
• (C) Purposive sampling
• (D) Quota sampling

Q40. A researcher studying inclusive education deliberately selects teachers known for long experience with special-needs students. This deliberate, judgement-based choice is best called which sampling method?

• (A) Convenience sampling of whoever is nearby
• (B) Quota sampling to fill fixed numbers
• (C) Snowball sampling through referrals
• (D) Purposive sampling based on relevant knowledge

Q41. A true experiment is best recognised by the combination of which three features?

• (A) Manipulation of a variable, a control group and random assignment
• (B) A single case studied in depth
• (C) A survey of opinions at one time
• (D) Documents examined from the past

Q42. Two intact classes are compared, one using peer tutoring and one using usual teaching, but classes were not randomly formed. This design is best called which of the following?

• (A) A true experiment
• (B) A historical study
• (C) A quasi-experimental design
• (D) A case study

Q43. A questionnaire sent to 800 parents asks about homework habits and reports the pattern for the whole group. This is mainly which design?

• (A) An experimental design
• (B) A survey design
• (C) A correlational experiment
• (D) A historical design

Q44. A researcher follows one gifted student for two years, gathering test results, teacher notes and family interviews. This intensive study of a single unit is best called which design?

• (A) A survey design
• (B) An experimental design
• (C) A correlational design
• (D) A case study design

Q45. A researcher compares the study habits of students who passed with those who failed, after the examination has already taken place. Because the outcome already exists and nothing was manipulated, this is best called which design?

• (A) Ex post facto research
• (B) True experimental research
• (C) Historical research
• (D) Action research

Q46. A study reports a correlation of 0.68 between library visits and reading scores. The researcher should conclude which of the following?

• (A) Library visits certainly cause higher scores
• (B) Reading scores cause library visits
• (C) The two variables are positively related, but causation is not proved
• (D) The two variables are unrelated

Q47. Historical research differs from survey research mainly because it does which of the following?

• (A) Manipulates a present-day variable
• (B) Reconstructs past events by critically examining surviving sources
• (C) Surveys present opinions with a questionnaire
• (D) Assigns subjects randomly to groups

Q48. If a researcher wants the strongest evidence that a new drill method itself raises spelling scores, the best choice among these is which design?

• (A) A case study of one pupil
• (B) A survey of teacher opinions
• (C) A historical review
• (D) A true experiment with random assignment and a control group

Q49. A survey that only describes how many teachers use group work, without changing any teaching, differs from an experiment mainly in which way?

• (A) It collects no data
• (B) It studies only one teacher
• (C) It does not manipulate a variable to test its effect
• (D) It cannot report percentages

Q50. The question “What percentage of schools in this district have a functioning science laboratory?” is best answered by which design?

• (A) A survey design
• (B) A true experiment
• (C) A case study of one school
• (D) A correlational design

Q51. In the scores 4, 7, 9, 12 and 18, the median is which value?

• (A) 4
• (B) 9, the middle value when scores are in order
• (C) 10
• (D) 18

Q52. In the scores 5, 6, 6, 8 and 9, the mode is which value?

• (A) 5
• (B) 6.8
• (C) 7
• (D) 6, the most frequently occurring score

Q53. Two classes both have a mean score of 70, but one class has a standard deviation of 3 and the other of 14. What does this difference mainly show?

• (A) The class with the larger standard deviation has scores more spread out from the mean
• (B) The class with the larger standard deviation has a higher mean
• (C) The class with the smaller standard deviation has no mean at all
• (D) Standard deviation measures the most frequent score

Q54. A correlation coefficient of -0.82 between absences and achievement is best interpreted as which of the following?

• (A) A weak positive relationship
• (B) No relationship at all
• (C) A strong negative relationship: as absences rise, achievement tends to fall
• (D) Proof that absences cause low achievement

Q55. A researcher counts how many students passed and failed under two revision methods and wants to test whether the pattern differs. Which test fits categorical frequencies of this kind?

• (A) A test of the median only
• (B) A chi-square test
• (C) A test of the mode only
• (D) A correlation test only

Q56. The usual order of stages in one action research cycle is which of the following?

• (A) Reflect, plan, act, observe
• (B) Act, reflect, plan, observe
• (C) Observe, act, reflect, plan
• (D) Plan, act, observe, reflect

Q57. After reflecting on an action research trial, a teacher finds the new grouping helped strong students but not weak ones. The most consistent next step is to do what?

• (A) Plan a revised grouping that gives weak students extra support and try again
• (B) Abandon all inquiry and keep the old routine forever
• (C) Report that the trial had no results at all
• (D) Delete the notes from the first trial

Q58. A student copies two paragraphs from a journal article into a thesis without quotation marks or a citation. This is an example of which ethical breach?

• (A) Poor sampling
• (B) Weak statistics
• (C) Plagiarism, presenting another author’s work as one’s own
• (D) Confidentiality failure only

Q59. Before interviewing school children, a researcher explains the study in simple language, seeks parental permission, and promises not to use real names in reports. These steps together uphold which principles?

• (A) Random sampling and stratification
• (B) Correlation and standard deviation
• (C) Informed consent and confidentiality
• (D) Quota sampling and control

Q60. At the end of a thesis, the list that gives full details of every source cited in the text is best called which of the following?

• (A) An appendix of raw data
• (B) The references list
• (C) The methodology chapter
• (D) The findings chapter