Educators are interested in the variables that affect academic achievement.Which of the following variables would require an ex post facto research design to assess its effect?
A) Number of siblings in the home
B) One-parent vs.two-parent home
C) Parent(s) educational background
D) Aptitude for academic work
E) All of these are true.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All of the given variables are examples of factors that require an ex post facto research design to assess their effect on academic achievement. Ex post facto research designs are non-experimental designs that observe and compare groups that differ in some pre-existing characteristic to determine the relationship between that characteristic and a particular outcome. In this case, the characteristic is the variable of interest (e.g., number of siblings, parental education), and the outcome is academic achievement. Because the characteristic cannot be manipulated or controlled by the researcher, an ex post facto design is necessary to determine its effect.

Educators Are Interested in the Variables That Affect Academic Achievement