Deck 1: The Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Question 1

Which of the following purposes for proposed research studies would be least acceptable to the scientific researcher?

A) To show that the educational philosophy of John Dewey has had an adverse effect on American education
B) To show changes in attitudes and values associated with college attendance
C) To predict performance in successive terms in college from tests and grades
D) To study the relationship between college students' ratings of professors and the grades they received from the professors
E) To determine if grade inflation has occurred at State University over the past five years

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Refer to Exhibit 1-1."This study is important because of the vital role task persistence plays in academic success." Exhibit 1-1: A researcher conducts a study on tutors' empathetic, non-informational feedback and their students' task persistence.Indicate which of the attitudes of the scientific approach that each statement violates.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize his findings into theory.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which one of the following steps in conducting a research study would most likely involve deductive reasoning?

A) Formulation of a hypothesis
B) Review of literature
C) Collection of data
D) Statistical analysis of data

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The person who was most prominent in the development and use of inductive reasoning as a source of knowledge was

A) Bacon.
B) Aristotle.
C) Newton.
D) Darwin.

Question 5

All men are mortal.Socrates is a man.Therefore, Socrates is mortal.This is an example of

A) deductive reasoning.
B) syllogistic reasoning.
C) perfect induction.
D) a and b
E) b and c

Question 6

In deductive reasoning, if the major and minor premises are true, then the conclusion

A) may be true.
B) is necessarily true.
C) must be subjected to empirical study before its truth or falsity can be determined.
D) none of these are true.

Question 7

Which of the following is not more of a problem in the social sciences than in the physical sciences?

A) Hypothesis formation
B) Control of variables
C) Measurement of variables
D) Replication of experiments

Question 8

A principal difference between the scientific approach and inductive reasoning is that the scientific approach involves

A) observation.
B) data collection.
C) data analysis.
D) hypothesis testing

Question 9

To arrive at a true conclusion in deductive logic one must begin with

A) enumeration of causes.
B) common sense.
C) personal experience.
D) true premises.

Question 10

In which one of the following sciences is observation and its interpretation the most difficult?

A) Physics
B) Chemistry
C) Mathematics
D) Sociology

Question 11

An advantage of the scientific approach over deductive reason is that the scientific approach

A) is infallible.
B) produces absolute truth.
C) doesn't include reflective thinking.
D) doesn't include inductive reasoning.
E) probes beyond what is already known.

Question 12

Which one of the following steps in undertaking a research study most likely involves the use of authority?

A) Selection of a question for research
B) Review of literature
C) Data collection
D) Data analysis

Question 13

Theory formation is

A) not acceptable in the areas where little factual information is available.
B) not needed in the areas where accumulation of factual information has proceeded to advanced levels.
C) pure speculation.
D) the ultimate goal of science.

Question 14

According to the text, the typical result of a scientific investigation is

A) established truth.
B) probability statements.
C) information only useful for solving problems.
D) facts in the basic sciences, but suggestions in the applied sciences.

Question 15

To establish what percent of teachers in the Nashville School District hold master's degrees, an investigator examined the files of all those teachers who were employed in that school district.This investigation is an example of

A) perfect induction.
B) perfect deduction.
C) imperfect induction.
D) imperfect deduction.

Question 16

The final authority in educational research, as in all sciences, is

A) observation.
B) past knowledge.
C) expert judgment.
D) theory.
E) common sense.

Question 17

Refer to Exhibit 1-1."The findings of this study are absolute proof that an empathetic tutor will help the student attend to his task." Exhibit 1-1: A researcher conducts a study on tutors' empathetic, non-informational feedback and their students' task persistence.Indicate which of the attitudes of the scientific approach that each statement violates.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize his findings into theory.

Question 18

An inductive theory is

A) not as scientific as a deductive theory.
B) not sensitive to empirical data.
C) formed only after extensive observations have been made.
D) based on a great deal of conceptualization.

Question 19

Perfect induction differs from imperfect induction in that perfect induction

A) moves from major and minor premises to a particular conclusion about a class of phenomena.
B) arrives at a generalization by observing samples of a class of phenomena.
C) involves an exhaustive enumeration of all of the instances that make up a class of phenomena.

Question 20

Refer to Exhibit 1-1."The results of this study are obvious and I leave my readers to draw the appropriate conclusions." Exhibit 1-1: A researcher conducts a study on tutors' empathetic, non-informational feedback and their students' task persistence.Indicate which of the attitudes of the scientific approach that each statement violates.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize his findings into theory.

Question 21

A limitation in applying the scientific approach in educational research is

A) complexity of subject matter to be studied.
B) difficulty in controlling variables.
C) lack of researchable problems.
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 22

Exhibit 1.2: A teacher wants to know which method of teaching German verb forms can be expected to result in the greatest student achievement in that skill.The following is a list of procedures the teacher could follow.Which of the procedures best fits the definition of the inductive reasoning as a source of knowledge?

A) The teacher could employ various methods in her teaching until she gets a "feel" about which one works best.
B) The teacher could administer achievement tests to students taught by the different methods and compare the test results.
C) The teacher could systematically begin with known facts about the relationship between the teaching of foreign language and language achievement and logically determine what would be true concerning the results of various teaching methods.
D) The teacher could ask an eminent professor of German at a respected university.

Question 23

According to Pirsig, which of the following is not a typical step in scientific inquiry?

A) Identifying a problem
B) Stating a problem
C) Formulating a hypothesis
D) Proving the hypothesis
E) Gathering objective data

Question 24

Which of the following is not an expected attitude of scientists?

A) Scientists maintain a skeptical attitude toward the findings of scientific investigations.
B) Scientists are willing to discard their theories if new evidence is found.
C) Scientists make possible the verification of their findings by other investigators.
D) Scientists point out the moral implications of their findings.

Question 25

Exhibit 1.2: A teacher wants to know which method of teaching German verb forms can be expected to result in the greatest student achievement in that skill.The following is a list of procedures the teacher could follow.Which of the procedures best fits the definition of deductive reasoning as a source of knowledge?

A) The teacher could employ various methods in her teaching until she gets a "feel" about which one works best.
B) The teacher could administer achievement tests to students taught by the different methods and compare the test results.
C) The teacher could systematically begin with known facts about the relationship between the teaching of foreign language and language achievement and logically determine what would be true concerning the results of various teaching methods.
D) The teacher could ask an eminent professor of German at a respected university.

Question 26

Scientific theory serves to

A) understand and explain phenomena.
B) control phenomena.
C) predict phenomena.
D) All of these are true.

Question 27

Exhibit 1-3.Each answer option lists an attitude expected of scientists.Indicate which attitude is violated in each statement.The findings prove conclusively that block scheduling leads to higher achievement and greater satisfaction among students.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize findings into theory.
E) The scientist makes procedures known so other scientists can verify findings.

Question 28

Which one of the following statements presents a denial of the assumption of universal determinism?

A) I wonder why the anxiety level in my class has increased.
B) For no reason the anxiety level in my class has increased.
C) It is quite clear that the anxiety level in my class has increased.
D) I don't think that the anxiety level in my class has increased.

Question 29

Exhibit 1-3.Each answer option lists an attitude expected of scientists.Indicate which attitude is violated in each statement.This study undertakes to prove that block scheduling in high school is better than other scheduling options.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize findings into theory.
E) The scientist makes procedures known so other scientists can verify findings.

Question 30

Which one of the following steps is not an essential step in conducting a research study?

A) Formulating a hypothesis
B) Selecting a problem
C) Selecting a research strategy
D) Collecting and interpreting the data

Question 31

Evaluate the following deductive argument: All good basketball players are over six feet tall.Luke is a good basketball player.Therefore, Luke is over six feet tall.

A) Argument is correct.
B) Argument is flawed; major premise is incorrect.
C) Argument is flawed; minor premise is incorrect.
D) Argument is flawed; based on imperfect deduction.

Question 32

Exhibit 1.2: A teacher wants to know which method of teaching German verb forms can be expected to result in the greatest student achievement in that skill.The following is a list of procedures the teacher could follow.Which of the procedures best fits the definition of experience as a source of knowledge?

A) The teacher could employ various methods in her teaching until she gets a "feel" about which one works best.
B) The teacher could administer achievement tests to students taught by the different methods and compare the test results.
C) The teacher could systematically begin with known facts about the relationship between the teaching of foreign language and language achievement and logically determine what would be true concerning the results of various teaching methods.
D) The teacher could ask an eminent professor of German at a respected university.

Question 33

Which statement is amenable to scientific investigation?

A) All middle schools should teach sex education.
B) Sex education is an important part of the middle school curriculum.
C) Sex education is more important than drug abuse education.
D) The incidence of teenage pregnancies is lower in schools where sex education is taught.

Question 34

Exhibit 1-3.Each answer option lists an attitude expected of scientists.Indicate which attitude is violated in each statement.All schools should adopt block scheduling.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize findings into theory.
E) The scientist makes procedures known so other scientists can verify findings.

Question 35

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a sound theory?

A) It is consistent with the existing body of knowledge.
B) It provides means for its verification.
C) It stimulates new investigations in an area.
D) It provides a complex explanation of observed phenomena.

Question 36

Exhibit 1-3.Each answer option lists an attitude expected of scientists.Indicate which attitude is violated in each statement.Further research on this question by other investigators is necessary.

A) The scientist deals with facts, not values.
B) The scientist is objective and impartial.
C) The scientist maintains a skeptical attitude and regards findings as tentative.
D) The scientist seeks to integrate and systematize findings into theory.
E) The scientist makes procedures known so other scientists can verify findings.

Question 37

Exhibit 1.2: A teacher wants to know which method of teaching German verb forms can be expected to result in the greatest student achievement in that skill.The following is a list of procedures the teacher could follow.Which of the procedures best fits the definition of authority as a source of knowledge?

A) The teacher could employ various methods in her teaching until she gets a "feel" about which one works best.
B) The teacher could administer achievement tests to students taught by the different methods and compare the test results.
C) The teacher could systematically begin with known facts about the relationship between the teaching of foreign language and language achievement and logically determine what would be true concerning the results of various teaching methods.
D) The teacher could ask an eminent professor of German at a respected university.

Question 38

Which of the following is a limitation of authority as a source of knowledge?

A) Authorities are fallible.
B) Authorities often disagree among themselves.
C) Authorities may be biased and subjective.
D) All of these are true

Question 39

Scientific research differs from other ways of knowing in that research

A) can be verified.
B) deals with objective data.
C) leads to theories with wide applicability.
D) results in irrefutable knowledge.
E) a, b, and c

Question 40

Measurement of variables is more difficult in

A) physical sciences.
B)
B) natural sciences.
C) social sciences.
D) a and

Question 41

Syllogism is a characteristic of

A) deductive reasoning.
B) inductive reasoning.

Question 42

Observation is a characteristic of

A) deductive reasoning.
B) inductive reasoning.

Question 43

_____ probes beyond what is already known

A) Deductive reasoning.
B) Inductive reasoning.

Question 44

The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) called for

A) annual testing of children in grades 3 to 8.
B) standards-based school reforms.
C) instructional methods whose effectiveness is based on scientific evidence
D)a and c
E)a, b, and c.

Question 45

"Premises must be true if conclusion is to be true" characterizes

A) deductive reasoning.
B) inductive reasoning.

Question 46

Previous research has shown that changing answers on a multiple-choice test has resulted in

A) more gains than losses.
B) more losses than gains.
C) about as many gains as losses.
D) more wrong to wrong than anything else.

Question 47

For many years, students were advised to stick to their original answers on a multiple-choice test.Recent meta-analysis now shows that a majority of changes on multiple-choice tests were from wrong to right.We now advise students to change an answer if, after rethinking, they find an answer preferable to their original one.This example illustrates which characteristic of the scientific method.

A) control of variables.
B) replication and verification of findings.
C) objectivity.
D) interaction.

Question 48

An assumption of science is

A) events are random.
B) events are controlled by intelligent design.
C) knowledge is derived from direct and objective observation.
D) scientific theory is irrefutable.

Question 49

Observation is more objective in the

A) physical sciences.
B) social sciences.
C) metaphysical sciences.
D) education.

Question 50

Darwin combined ____to develop his theory of evolution.

A) faith and authority
B) authority and deduction
C) inductive and deductive reasoning

Question 51

In his research, Darwin was the first to use

A) induction.
B) deduction.
C) both induction and deduction.

Question 52

Scientific research differs from other ways of knowing in that scientific research

A) can be verified.
B) deals with objective data.
C) leads to theories with wide applicability.
D) results in irrefutable knowledge.
E) a, b, and c

Question 53

Charles Darwin reported that he found ____ more productive than pure induction.

A) authority
B) random speculation
C) common sense
D) hypothesis testing

Question 54

Which of the following was not one of the six principles for scientific inquiry the National Academy of Sciences declared to underline all scientific inquiry?

A) Posing significant questions that can be investigated empirically.
B) Posing questions that may solve a felt problem.
C) Using methods that permit direct investigation of the problem.
D) Linking research to relevant theory.

Question 55

The statement that you have about one chance in ten thousand of scoring a passing 12 or more correct in a 20 item test through shear guessing was made through

A) authority.
B) deductive reasoning.
C) inductive reasoning.
D) inspiration.

Question 56

Educational practices whose effectiveness has been determined through rigorous scientific investigations include:

A) reduced class sizes in grades K to 3.
B) one-on-one tutoring for at-risk readers in grades 1 to 3
C) instruction in phonics for early readers
D) All of these are true.

Question 57

The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that federal dollars may be spent only on instructional methods and materials that

A) have scientifically-based evidence of their effectiveness.
B) have demonstrated that they meet the needs of the local community.
C) challenge students to expand their competence.
D) demonstrate a high moral standard.

Question 58

J.M.Rice found that

A) children who spent 40 minutes per day studying spelling learned considerably more than those who spent 10 minutes per day.
B) children who spent 40 minutes per day studying spelling learned considerably less than those who spent 10 minutes per day.
C) the question was impossible to answer.
D) many of the words children were required to spell had little practical value.

Question 59

Which of the following illustrates the idea of universal determinism?

A) If a bullet has your name on it, it will hit you no matter what you do.
B) Your fate is in the stars.
C) All natural phenomena have antecedent factors.
D) Whatever will be will be.

Question 60

If theories have equal explanatory power, the principle of parsimony favors.

A) A simple theory over a complex one
B) An inclusive theory
C) A theory that explains relationships that cannot be observed

Question 61

If your teacher says "It is right because Ary, Jacobs, and Sorensen say so in your textbook" what source of knowledge is he/she using?

Question 62

Explain the concept of universal determinism and its importance in the development of modern science.

Question 63

Why is scientific inquiry more difficult in the social sciences than in the physical sciences?

Question 64

Scientists are expected to

A) indicate any moral implications of their findings.
B) remain steadfast in defending their conclusions.
C) deal with values as well as observations.
D) remain skeptical.

Question 65

Why are scientists expected to be skeptical?

Question 66

What is your understanding of the scientific method as a source of new knowledge? Why is it regarded as the most reliable source?

Question 67

Imperfect induction yields

A) absolute truth.
B) probability statements.
C) hypothetical constructs.
D) nonsense.

Question 68

Why is the scientific approach described as "self-correcting"?

Question 69

The most important difference between the scientific approach and inductive reasoning is the use of

A) authority
B) experience
C) hypothesis
D) accepted knowledge

Question 70

Exhibit 1.4: In the following research examples, indicate whether the study demonstrates the use of (a) induction, (b) deduction, and/or the (c) scientific method.Using Pasteur's germ theory, Joseph Lister developed antiseptic surgery.

A) induction
B) deduction
C) scientific method

Question 71

Exhibit 1.4: In the following research examples, indicate whether the study demonstrates the use of (a) induction, (b) deduction, and/or the (c) scientific method.Mendel studied many generations of plants in his garden, and developed a theory of inherited characteristics.

A) induction
B) deduction
C) scientific method

Question 72

What is meant by evidence-based education?

Question 73

Why is the scientific approach often called the inductive-deductive approach?

Question 74

Exhibit 1.4: In the following research examples, indicate whether the study demonstrates the use of (a) induction, (b) deduction, and/or the (c) scientific method.Darwin made many biological observations which led to the formulation of a tentative hypothesis from which deductions were made; further observations resulted in a theory of evolution.

A) induction
B) deduction
C) scientific method

Question 75

Why does Pirsig say, "An experiment is never a failure solely because it fails to achieve predicted results"?

Question 76

The best source of knowledge for decision-making in education is

A) experience.
B) authority.
C) evidence.
D) tradition.

Question 77

What is the role of theory in scientific research?

Question 78

A useful theory

A) explains phenomena.
B) makes predictions relevant to the phenomena.
C) provides means for its own verification.
D) All of these are true.

Question 79

Explain the concept of universal determinism.

Question 80

Explain the principle of parsimony.