Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which research design is most appropriate when a doctoral candidate wants to understand the lived experiences of first-generation college students navigating campus culture?
- Randomized controlled trial
- Phenomenology (Correct answer)
- Causal-comparative study
- Survey research
Correct answer: Phenomenology
Phenomenology seeks to describe the essence of a lived experience from the perspectives of those who have it, making it ideal for exploring first-generation students' subjective realities.
Question 2: In systems thinking applied to schools, what does 'feedback loop' refer to?
- A principal's annual performance review
- A circular process where outputs circle back as inputs influencing future behavior (Correct answer)
- A student's formative assessment cycle
- A district's reporting mechanism to the state
Correct answer: A circular process where outputs circle back as inputs influencing future behavior
A feedback loop in systems thinking describes how the output of a system re-enters as input, creating self-reinforcing or self-correcting dynamics over time.
Question 3: Which ethical principle requires researchers to ensure participants fully understand the study before agreeing to take part?
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Informed consent (Correct answer)
- Confidentiality
Correct answer: Informed consent
Informed consent obligates researchers to disclose the study's purpose, risks, and benefits so participants can make a voluntary, knowledgeable decision.
Question 4: Adult learning theory (andragogy) as described by Knowles differs from pedagogy primarily because adult learners are assumed to be:
- More dependent on instructor-directed content
- Motivated chiefly by external rewards
- Self-directed and drawing on rich prior experience (Correct answer)
- Less capable of abstract reasoning
Correct answer: Self-directed and drawing on rich prior experience
Andragogy assumes adults are self-directed learners who bring substantial life experience and are internally motivated, unlike the teacher-directed model of traditional pedagogy.
Question 5: A district implements a professional learning community (PLC) model. Which outcome is most aligned with PLC research?
- Reduced teacher collaboration time
- Improved student achievement through collective educator inquiry (Correct answer)
- Increased standardized testing frequency
- Faster teacher evaluation cycles
Correct answer: Improved student achievement through collective educator inquiry
PLC research consistently shows that when educators engage in collaborative inquiry focused on student learning data, student achievement improves.
Question 6: What is the primary distinction between formative and summative assessment in educational contexts?
- Formative assessments are always standardized; summative are teacher-made
- Formative assessments occur during learning to guide instruction; summative assess learning at the end (Correct answer)
- Summative assessments provide more detailed feedback than formative
- Formative assessments count toward a final grade; summative do not
Correct answer: Formative assessments occur during learning to guide instruction; summative assess learning at the end
Formative assessment is ongoing and used to inform and adjust instruction during the learning process, while summative assessment evaluates achievement at the conclusion of an instructional unit.
Question 7: Which concept describes the unwritten norms, values, and expectations that shape behavior in schools but are never formally taught?
- Explicit curriculum
- Hidden curriculum (Correct answer)
- Co-curriculum
- Null curriculum
Correct answer: Hidden curriculum
The hidden curriculum refers to the implicit messages students receive about social norms, power, and expectations through school structures and routines, beyond formal instruction.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 3
Which research design is most appropriate when a doctoral candidate wants to understand the lived experiences of first-generation college students navigating campus culture?