Q1. Educational research is most useful to a classroom teacher when it:

• (A) Confirms every existing teaching habit without question
• (B) Provides dependable evidence for choosing and improving teaching approaches
• (C) Lengthens staff meetings with extra reports
• (D) Replaces lesson planning with administrative orders

Q2. Basic research in education is primarily concerned with:

• (A) Solving one teacher’s immediate timetable problem
• (B) Evaluating a single textbook for a single class
• (C) Training teachers in a new administrative procedure
• (D) Expanding general knowledge and developing theory

Q3. Applied research is best described as research that:

• (A) Uses existing knowledge to solve a practical educational problem
• (B) Tests a theory with no concern for any practical outcome
• (C) Describes past events without analysing their causes
• (D) Studies a single learner in exhaustive biographical detail

Q4. A teacher tries a new grouping strategy, records what happens, reflects on the result, and adjusts the strategy for the next lesson. This best illustrates:

• (A) Historical research
• (B) A single case study of one school
• (C) The action research cycle in classroom practice
• (D) An experimental study with random assignment

Q5. Research objectives are normally formulated:

• (A) After the problem is identified, to state clearly what the study intends to achieve
• (B) Only after the data have been analysed
• (C) In the final chapter, as a summary of the findings
• (D) Before any research problem is identified

Q6. In the action research cycle, after a teacher has acted on a plan and observed its effects, the next step is to:

• (A) Publish the results without any further review
• (B) Repeat exactly the same plan without change
• (C) Move to a completely unrelated classroom problem
• (D) Reflect on the evidence and revise the plan for the next cycle

Q7. The delimitations section of a research proposal mainly states:

• (A) Every study ever done on the topic
• (B) The boundaries and limits the researcher sets for the study, such as its scope and population
• (C) The final results in advance
• (D) The personal diary of the researcher

Q8. A researcher reads the closing sections of several theses and notes the topics their authors recommend for further study. This is an example of identifying a problem from:

• (A) A classroom observation made during one lesson
• (B) The personal opinion of a single school head
• (C) Recommendations for further research in published studies
• (D) A casual conversation with a parent at a school gate

Q9. The methodology chapter of a research report should mainly:

• (A) List the researcher’s personal opinions about the topic
• (B) Repeat the full literature review in shorter form
• (C) Present the final conclusions and recommendations
• (D) Describe the design, sample, tools and procedure clearly enough for the study to be understood and replicated

Q10. A researcher keeps class size the same for all groups while varying homework frequency. Class size in this study is:

• (A) A control variable, held constant so it cannot explain the result
• (B) The independent variable
• (C) The dependent variable
• (D) An intervening variable

Q11. A study follows the same group of pupils over three years to track how their reading skills grow. This design is best called:

• (A) A cross-sectional survey
• (B) A historical study
• (C) A longitudinal study
• (D) A single case experiment

Q12. A student’s motivation comes between the teaching method and the pupils’ achievement, helping to explain the link, but it is not directly measured. Such a factor is best called a(n):

• (A) Independent variable
• (B) Intervening variable
• (C) Dependent variable
• (D) Research hypothesis

Q13. A researcher keeps the length of the lesson, the textbook and the test the same for both groups, changing only the teaching method. The factors kept the same are:

• (A) Dependent variables
• (B) Intervening variables
• (C) Extraneous variables that were ignored
• (D) Control variables

Q14. Which of the following claims would a statistical test most directly examine as a statement of no effect?

• (A) Homework frequency has no significant effect on mathematics scores
• (B) More homework always raises scores
• (C) Homework harms weaker pupils
• (D) Homework and scores rise together

Q15. A hypothesis that predicts pupils taught by a new method will score higher than pupils taught by the usual method is:

• (A) Null hypothesis
• (B) Directional alternative hypothesis
• (C) Non-directional hypothesis
• (D) Sampling plan

Q16. A research question differs from a hypothesis mainly in that a research question:

• (A) States a predicted answer in advance
• (B) Is the statement tested statistically
• (C) Asks what will be found, without predicting the answer in advance
• (D) Is written only in the final chapter

Q17. A hypothesis is most useful to a researcher when it is:

• (A) Testable, clear and stated in advance of data collection
• (B) Deliberately vague so that any result can support it
• (C) Changed after every new observation during analysis
• (D) Written only after the conclusions are already known

Q18. Which practice best protects the rights of research participants?

• (A) Recording interviews without telling participants
• (B) Pressuring reluctant teachers to complete a questionnaire
• (C) Using participants’ real names in published examples
• (D) Allowing participants to withdraw at any stage without penalty

Q19. A literature review that merely lists studies one after another, without synthesis, is weak mainly because it:

• (A) Uses too many references for one study
• (B) Is always too long to read
• (C) Fails to show how the studies connect or where the gap lies
• (D) Contains no statistical analysis

Q20. When a researcher uses the exact words of another author in a report, correct referencing requires that the researcher:

• (A) Change a few words and present the passage as original writing
• (B) Place the words in quotation marks and cite the source
• (C) Mention the author only in the acknowledgements
• (D) Omit the source if the passage is shorter than one paragraph

Q21. In sampling terminology, the population of a study is:

• (A) The small group actually studied in detail
• (B) The list of names used to draw the sample
• (C) The statistical test applied to the data
• (D) The complete group to which results are to be generalised

Q22. Simple random sampling is characterised by the fact that:

• (A) Every member of the population has an equal chance of selection
• (B) Only the most willing volunteers are included
• (C) The researcher hand-picks experts for their special knowledge
• (D) Whole schools are selected as intact clusters

Q23. The main difference between stratified sampling and cluster sampling is that:

• (A) Stratified sampling uses no random selection at all
• (B) Cluster sampling studies every member of the population
• (C) Stratified sampling selects randomly within every group, while cluster sampling selects whole groups at random
• (D) Stratified sampling is used only for small populations

Q24. Cluster sampling is most appropriate when:

• (A) A complete list of individuals is available and the population is small
• (B) The population is widely spread and naturally occurs in intact groups such as schools or classes
• (C) The researcher needs only a few expert informants
• (D) Participants must be found through referrals from other participants

Q25. In systematic sampling, the researcher selects:

• (A) A fixed quota from each subgroup without randomisation
• (B) Only those who happen to be easiest to reach
• (C) Every kth member from a list after a random start
• (D) Participants recommended by earlier participants

Q26. A researcher studying experienced head teachers deliberately selects only heads with more than ten years of service. This is:

• (A) Simple random sampling
• (B) Purposive sampling
• (C) Systematic sampling
• (D) Cluster sampling

Q27. A researcher distributes questionnaires to the teachers present in the staff room on the day of the visit because they are readily available. This is:

• (A) Convenience sampling
• (B) Stratified random sampling
• (C) Systematic sampling
• (D) Quota sampling

Q28. A researcher deliberately selects only experienced science teachers because their views are central to the question. This is:

• (A) Simple random sampling
• (B) Cluster sampling
• (C) Systematic sampling
• (D) Purposive sampling

Q29. Quota sampling differs from stratified random sampling mainly because quota sampling:

• (A) Uses only one group from the population
• (B) Fills fixed category numbers without random selection within categories
• (C) Studies every member of the population
• (D) Uses no categories at all

Q30. A teacher tries group work, observes that weaker students still stay silent, and then plans paired work for the next lesson. This best illustrates:

• (A) A single survey with no follow-up action
• (B) A historical study of past classroom practice
• (C) A true experiment with random assignment
• (D) The action research cycle of acting, observing and replanning

Q31. A questionnaire is least suitable when a researcher needs to:

• (A) Reach many people cheaply
• (B) Compare answers across groups
• (C) Probe complex personal reasons in depth through follow-up questions
• (D) Collect the same items from everyone

Q32. A semi-structured interview is characterised by:

• (A) A prepared guide of topics with freedom to probe and follow up
• (B) Identical fixed questions with no follow-up allowed
• (C) No questions prepared in advance at all
• (D) Questions sent only by post or email

Q33. Non-participant observation means that the observer:

• (A) Watches and records behaviour without joining in the activity being observed
• (B) Takes part in the lesson as a co-teacher
• (C) Interviews every participant after the lesson
• (D) Distributes a questionnaire during the observation

Q34. A Likert-type rating scale is commonly used to measure:

• (A) A student’s exact score on a mathematics test
• (B) The height and weight of school children
• (C) Attitudes and opinions by asking agreement with statements
• (D) The number of books in a school library

Q35. Enrolment figures published by a ministry, reused by a researcher who did not collect them, are:

• (A) Primary data
• (B) Qualitative interview data
• (C) Experimental data
• (D) Secondary data

Q36. Test scores expressed as numbers and analysed statistically are an example of:

• (A) Qualitative data
• (B) Quantitative data
• (C) Historical data
• (D) Secondary opinion data

Q37. In an experimental design, the essential feature is that the researcher:

• (A) Studies events exactly as they occurred in the past
• (B) Describes a single case in great depth without comparison
• (C) Manipulates the independent variable and controls other conditions
• (D) Surveys opinions without any comparison group

Q38. Quasi-experimental designs are most often used in schools because:

• (A) Random assignment to new groups is often impossible in real classrooms
• (B) They need no comparison group at all
• (C) They study only events from the distant past
• (D) They collect no quantitative data

Q39. A survey design is best suited to:

• (A) Establishing a strict cause-and-effect relationship in a laboratory
• (B) Describing the characteristics, opinions or practices of a large group at one point in time
• (C) Tracing the history of a school over fifty years
• (D) Studying one exceptional student in exhaustive detail

Q40. Ex post facto research is characterised by the fact that the researcher:

• (A) Manipulates the independent variable before measuring outcomes
• (B) Randomly assigns students to treatment and control groups
• (C) Creates a new teaching method and tests it immediately
• (D) Studies an effect after the presumed cause has already occurred, without manipulation

Q41. Correlational research is primarily used to:

• (A) Determine whether two variables vary together and how strongly
• (B) Prove that one variable causes another variable
• (C) Describe the past development of an institution
• (D) Manipulate a treatment under controlled conditions

Q42. When a historian checks whether an old school record is genuine and accurate before using it, this checking is called:

• (A) Random sampling of documents
• (B) Surveying present opinions
• (C) Historical criticism of sources
• (D) Experimental control

Q43. The mean of a set of scores is:

• (A) The most frequently occurring score
• (B) The middle score when scores are arranged in order
• (C) The difference between the highest and lowest scores
• (D) The sum of all scores divided by the number of scores

Q44. For an even number of scores, the median is found by:

• (A) Taking the most frequently occurring score
• (B) Taking the mean of the two middle scores
• (C) Taking the difference between the highest and lowest scores
• (D) Taking the score that occurs exactly twice

Q45. In the scores 5, 8, 8, 11, 14, 14, 14 and 19, the mode is:

• (A) 8
• (B) 14
• (C) 11
• (D) 12

Q46. Standard deviation is best understood as a measure of:

• (A) How spread out scores are around their mean
• (B) The most common score in a distribution
• (C) The middle point of a distribution
• (D) The total number of scores collected

Q47. A correlation coefficient of +0.82 between study hours and test scores suggests:

• (A) No relationship between the two variables
• (B) A weak negative relationship
• (C) That study hours cause high scores in every case
• (D) A strong positive relationship

Q48. Descriptive statistics are used to:

• (A) Test hypotheses about a wider population
• (B) Estimate population values from a sample
• (C) Summarise and describe the data actually collected
• (D) Decide whether a result is statistically significant

Q49. Inferential statistics differ from descriptive statistics because they:

• (A) Only present scores in tables and charts
• (B) Only calculate averages for the sample
• (C) Only describe qualitative interview responses
• (D) Use sample data to draw conclusions about a population

Q50. The median is most useful as a measure of central tendency when scores:

• (A) Are all identical
• (B) Include extreme scores that would distort the mean
• (C) Are categories with no order
• (D) Come from a single pupil only

Q51. A chi-square test is most appropriate when the data are:

• (A) Frequencies in categories, such as numbers of students choosing each option
• (B) Exact scores measured on a continuous scale
• (C) Paired measurements from the same group over time
• (D) Correlation coefficients between two variables

Q52. When a researcher says a result is significant at the 0.05 level, this means the observed difference:

• (A) Is large enough to matter in every classroom
• (B) Proves the research hypothesis with certainty
• (C) Is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone, with a probability of 5 percent or less
• (D) Applies to all schools in the country without exception

Q53. A case study design is best used when a researcher wants to:

• (A) Survey opinions across a whole province at one time
• (B) Compare the means of two large randomly assigned groups
• (C) Investigate a single school, class or learner in great depth
• (D) Trace the history of education over several decades

Q54. A correlation of -0.68 indicates:

• (A) A strong positive relationship
• (B) Almost no relationship
• (C) A perfect positive relationship
• (D) A fairly strong negative relationship

Q55. The main purpose of action research is to:

• (A) Create universal laws of learning for all countries
• (B) Improve practice in a particular setting through cycles of action and reflection
• (C) Study only events that happened in the past
• (D) Test hypotheses using randomly assigned samples

Q56. In action research, reflection after observation is important mainly because it:

• (A) Helps the practitioner judge what worked, what did not, and how to improve the next cycle
• (B) Allows the researcher to discard all collected data
• (C) Proves that the first plan was perfect
• (D) Replaces the need for any further planning

Q57. In research ethics, the right to withdraw means that participants:

• (A) May leave the study at any time without penalty
• (B) Must complete every question once they have started
• (C) Are paid only if they stay to the end
• (D) Are named in the published report

Q58. Confidentiality in research is best protected when the researcher:

• (A) Publishes participants’ names alongside their answers
• (B) Keeps identities private and reports results without linking answers to named individuals
• (C) Shares raw questionnaires with anyone who asks for them
• (D) Stores identifiable data in an unlocked public place

Q59. Plagiarism in a research report is:

• (A) Quoting a source accurately with full acknowledgement
• (B) Paraphrasing an idea in one’s own words with a citation
• (C) Presenting another person’s words or ideas as one’s own without acknowledgement
• (D) Listing every source consulted in a bibliography

Q60. A thesis or dissertation normally ends with:

• (A) A new research problem stated without any findings
• (B) A list of tools that were never used in the study
• (C) Raw questionnaires with participants’ names attached
• (D) A summary of findings, conclusions, recommendations and references