WGU RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS, WGU C224
OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS RATED A | 2024 UPDATE
A teacher has noticed that students in her math class are not performing well on
her end of semester exam. She suspects that their lack of interest in math is
affecting their ability to perform. She decides to integrate computerized math
games into her curriculum and see if it has an impact on the end of semester
exam scores.
What is the objective of this research project? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > To solve a local
problem in her classroom
What outcome of educational research is used to support a theory or concept? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evidence
A researcher hypothesizes that kindergarten students can increase vocabulary
retention by drawing pictures of new words learned.
Which research should be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Basic
research
4.
A researcher hypothesizes that master's prepared business administration
graduates who are male get hired faster and are paid a higher salary than their
female counterparts.
Which research will be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Orientational research
,Carefully aligned strategies were developed for a reading intervention program
after analyzing data from a series of surveys and experiments. At the conclusion
of the program, 64% of participants were reported reading at or above grade
level.
Which kind of research was implemented in this scenario? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Evaluation research
What is the purpose of evidence in research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Support theories
What is the purpose of a hypothesis in a quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It
provides an educated guess about the relationship between variables studied.
Which major research approach is based on the assumption that objective truths
exist in the world and can be discovered? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
What are quantitative researchers primarily interested in examining? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Hypotheses
What is one strength of quantitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
research can be used to test and validate existing theories.
Researchers seeking to eliminate spider phobias among young children conducted
a study in which each participant was presented with a live spider. Group A
participants were asked to describe their emotional response to the spider. Group
B participants were asked to describe the room they were in. All participants
rated their fear of the spider on a scale from 1 to 100.
What is the dependent variable in this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The fear rating
Researchers who were studying stress found that teenagers with high stress also
had some negative physical symptoms. Symptoms included a suppressed immune
system and increased blood pressure.
,Which statement represents the relationship between these variables? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Stress is positively correlated with physical ailments.
As one variable is manipulated, it directly brings about change in a second
variable.
What is the variable called that is being manipulated? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Independent variable
A researcher wanted to know if students in rural areas had different study skills
than students in urban areas. She gave a chapter about "life in the city" to 50
urban and 50 rural students and asked them to study it. A week later, she gave
them all a test to see how much they had learned.
What is a critical limitation of this quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The
content of the chapter would be more familiar to one group than the other.
Which method of data collection would qualitative researchers be likely to use? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Observations in natural environments
A researcher has formulated specific research questions about one school's high
absenteeism among its freshman student population. The researcher plans to
conduct in-depth analyses of this population using multiple sources of data.
Which theoretical framework is this researcher using? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Case
study
A qualitative researcher wants to collect data on a phenomenon and then
develop a theory that describes the data.
Which research design should this researcher choose? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Grounded theory
, What is one strength of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The research can
be conducted in a natural setting.
Which assumption about the nature of knowledge characterizes qualitative
research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It is personal
What is one limitation of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Researcher's
biases can easily influence results for this approach.
Which goal indicates a developmental purpose for choosing a mixed-method
design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The researcher wants to describe a phenomenon in
detail, then use the descriptions to construct a survey.
What impact does the time orientation criterion have on the design of mixed
methods research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It involves the decision of whether to
conduct the quantitative and qualitative components concurrently or
sequentially.
What is one reason for choosing a mixed-methods design over a qualitative or
quantitative design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed-methods designs can produce
more integrated knowledge.
Compared to the other major research approaches, what is the main strength of
mixed methods research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It produces integrated knowledge
that informs theory and practice.
Which research method has the strength of being able to include words, pictures,
and narrative to add meaning to numbers? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed methods
Which assumption characterizes action research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Theory and
research can be integrated with practice.
Which research approach views research with the attitude of being both a
practitioner and a researcher? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Action
A community organization that offers English language classes to non-native
speakers wants to employ action research to determine whether adding
multimedia learning options to its offerings would be beneficial.
OFFICIAL STUDY GUIDE | WGU C224
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS RATED A | 2024 UPDATE
A teacher has noticed that students in her math class are not performing well on
her end of semester exam. She suspects that their lack of interest in math is
affecting their ability to perform. She decides to integrate computerized math
games into her curriculum and see if it has an impact on the end of semester
exam scores.
What is the objective of this research project? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > To solve a local
problem in her classroom
What outcome of educational research is used to support a theory or concept? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Evidence
A researcher hypothesizes that kindergarten students can increase vocabulary
retention by drawing pictures of new words learned.
Which research should be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Basic
research
4.
A researcher hypothesizes that master's prepared business administration
graduates who are male get hired faster and are paid a higher salary than their
female counterparts.
Which research will be used to conduct this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Orientational research
,Carefully aligned strategies were developed for a reading intervention program
after analyzing data from a series of surveys and experiments. At the conclusion
of the program, 64% of participants were reported reading at or above grade
level.
Which kind of research was implemented in this scenario? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Evaluation research
What is the purpose of evidence in research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Support theories
What is the purpose of a hypothesis in a quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It
provides an educated guess about the relationship between variables studied.
Which major research approach is based on the assumption that objective truths
exist in the world and can be discovered? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
What are quantitative researchers primarily interested in examining? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Hypotheses
What is one strength of quantitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Quantitative
research can be used to test and validate existing theories.
Researchers seeking to eliminate spider phobias among young children conducted
a study in which each participant was presented with a live spider. Group A
participants were asked to describe their emotional response to the spider. Group
B participants were asked to describe the room they were in. All participants
rated their fear of the spider on a scale from 1 to 100.
What is the dependent variable in this study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The fear rating
Researchers who were studying stress found that teenagers with high stress also
had some negative physical symptoms. Symptoms included a suppressed immune
system and increased blood pressure.
,Which statement represents the relationship between these variables? - ✔✔✔
ANSWER > Stress is positively correlated with physical ailments.
As one variable is manipulated, it directly brings about change in a second
variable.
What is the variable called that is being manipulated? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Independent variable
A researcher wanted to know if students in rural areas had different study skills
than students in urban areas. She gave a chapter about "life in the city" to 50
urban and 50 rural students and asked them to study it. A week later, she gave
them all a test to see how much they had learned.
What is a critical limitation of this quantitative study? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The
content of the chapter would be more familiar to one group than the other.
Which method of data collection would qualitative researchers be likely to use? -
✔✔✔ ANSWER > Observations in natural environments
A researcher has formulated specific research questions about one school's high
absenteeism among its freshman student population. The researcher plans to
conduct in-depth analyses of this population using multiple sources of data.
Which theoretical framework is this researcher using? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Case
study
A qualitative researcher wants to collect data on a phenomenon and then
develop a theory that describes the data.
Which research design should this researcher choose? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER >
Grounded theory
, What is one strength of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The research can
be conducted in a natural setting.
Which assumption about the nature of knowledge characterizes qualitative
research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It is personal
What is one limitation of qualitative research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Researcher's
biases can easily influence results for this approach.
Which goal indicates a developmental purpose for choosing a mixed-method
design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > The researcher wants to describe a phenomenon in
detail, then use the descriptions to construct a survey.
What impact does the time orientation criterion have on the design of mixed
methods research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It involves the decision of whether to
conduct the quantitative and qualitative components concurrently or
sequentially.
What is one reason for choosing a mixed-methods design over a qualitative or
quantitative design? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed-methods designs can produce
more integrated knowledge.
Compared to the other major research approaches, what is the main strength of
mixed methods research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > It produces integrated knowledge
that informs theory and practice.
Which research method has the strength of being able to include words, pictures,
and narrative to add meaning to numbers? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Mixed methods
Which assumption characterizes action research? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Theory and
research can be integrated with practice.
Which research approach views research with the attitude of being both a
practitioner and a researcher? - ✔✔✔ ANSWER > Action
A community organization that offers English language classes to non-native
speakers wants to employ action research to determine whether adding
multimedia learning options to its offerings would be beneficial.
