Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Senge's concept of a 'learning organization' is best characterized by which feature?
- Strict hierarchical control that prevents costly errors
- Continuous capacity-building where members expand their ability to create desired results (Correct answer)
- Standardized procedures that eliminate individual variation
- An emphasis on short-term performance metrics
Correct answer: Continuous capacity-building where members expand their ability to create desired results
Senge defined a learning organization as one where people continually expand their capacity to create, where new patterns of thinking are nurtured, and collective aspiration is set free.
Question 2: When a researcher uses axial coding in grounded theory, what is the analyst doing?
- Assigning broad thematic labels to raw data for the first time
- Reassembling fractured data by identifying relationships between categories (Correct answer)
- Conducting member checks with participants
- Performing statistical tests on coded frequency counts
Correct answer: Reassembling fractured data by identifying relationships between categories
Axial coding in grounded theory re-examines open codes and identifies how categories relate to one another, building the connective structure of the emerging theory.
Question 3: Which policy framework argues that education decisions should prioritize equity by directing more resources to historically underserved populations?
- Adequacy model
- Equity model (Correct answer)
- Market-based model
- Efficiency model
Correct answer: Equity model
An equity model of education finance holds that disparities in opportunity require targeted resource allocation to close gaps for disadvantaged groups.
Question 4: In the context of action research, what is the role of a 'critical friend'?
- An IRB representative who approves the study design
- A trusted colleague who challenges assumptions and offers honest feedback to improve the inquiry (Correct answer)
- A peer who validates statistical analyses
- A supervisor who grades the final dissertation
Correct answer: A trusted colleague who challenges assumptions and offers honest feedback to improve the inquiry
A critical friend provides supportive yet challenging dialogue that helps the action researcher examine assumptions and strengthen the rigor of their inquiry.
Question 5: Which theoretical lens would a researcher use to examine how power dynamics and institutional norms marginalize certain student populations?
- Behaviorism
- Critical theory (Correct answer)
- Cognitive development theory
- Attribution theory
Correct answer: Critical theory
Critical theory interrogates how power, ideology, and social structures reproduce inequality, making it the appropriate lens for examining marginalization in educational institutions.
Question 6: A doctoral candidate proposes studying their own school's program as the sole site. Which methodological concern does this primarily raise?
- Insufficient sample size for quantitative analysis
- Researcher positionality and potential conflicts of interest in insider research (Correct answer)
- Inability to use grounded theory methodology
- Violation of APA citation standards
Correct answer: Researcher positionality and potential conflicts of interest in insider research
Insider research raises concerns about positionality—the researcher's role, relationships, and assumptions may bias data collection and interpretation in ways that must be explicitly addressed.
Question 7: Which component of Bandura's social cognitive theory is most directly linked to a teacher's belief that they can successfully instruct all students?
- Outcome expectation
- Observational learning
- Self-efficacy (Correct answer)
- Reciprocal determinism
Correct answer: Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their capacity to execute the behaviors needed to produce specific outcomes, such as effective instruction for diverse learners.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 4
Senge's concept of a 'learning organization' is best characterized by which feature?