Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of using a conceptual framework in a doctoral dissertation?
- To list all authors cited in the literature review
- To provide a structure of concepts, theories, and assumptions that guide the study (Correct answer)
- To demonstrate statistical significance of findings
- To summarize the research methodology in one diagram
Correct answer: To provide a structure of concepts, theories, and assumptions that guide the study
A conceptual framework synthesizes relevant theories and concepts to define how the researcher understands and investigates the problem, guiding every subsequent decision in the study.
Question 2: In Kotter's 8-step change model, what must leaders establish before implementing change?
- A detailed budget allocation
- A sense of urgency (Correct answer)
- A new organizational structure
- A performance bonus system
Correct answer: A sense of urgency
Kotter's first step is creating a sense of urgency so stakeholders understand why change is necessary and are motivated to act before complacency sets in.
Question 3: Which type of validity is threatened when a research instrument measures something other than the intended construct?
- External validity
- Statistical conclusion validity
- Construct validity (Correct answer)
- Internal validity
Correct answer: Construct validity
Construct validity is compromised when a measure does not accurately capture the theoretical construct it was designed to assess.
Question 4: Culturally responsive pedagogy, as theorized by Gloria Ladson-Billings, requires educators to do which of the following?
- Avoid discussing students' cultural backgrounds to treat everyone equally
- Use students' cultural knowledge and strengths as vehicles for learning (Correct answer)
- Focus exclusively on remedial instruction for marginalized groups
- Adopt a single standardized curriculum for all students
Correct answer: Use students' cultural knowledge and strengths as vehicles for learning
Culturally responsive pedagogy leverages students' cultural references and identities to make learning meaningful, rigorous, and relevant for all students.
Question 5: In mixed methods research, what does 'integration' refer to?
- Running qualitative and quantitative phases simultaneously without linking them
- The intentional merging, connecting, or embedding of quantitative and qualitative data to produce richer insights (Correct answer)
- Averaging numerical and textual data into a single score
- Reporting qualitative and quantitative findings in separate sections with no cross-reference
Correct answer: The intentional merging, connecting, or embedding of quantitative and qualitative data to produce richer insights
Integration in mixed methods is the active process of linking, merging, or embedding the two data strands so each informs and enriches the other.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'distributed leadership' in schools?
- A model where one principal makes all major decisions unilaterally
- Leadership practice spread across multiple individuals who share responsibility for organizational outcomes (Correct answer)
- A system where teachers rotate the principal role each semester
- An approach where district officials control all school-level decisions
Correct answer: Leadership practice spread across multiple individuals who share responsibility for organizational outcomes
Distributed leadership, associated with Spillane and colleagues, conceptualizes leadership as a collective practice stretched across leaders, followers, and their situation.
Question 7: Which concept explains why educational reforms often fail to penetrate classroom practice despite administrative mandates?
- Loose coupling (Correct answer)
- Span of control
- Zero-sum competition
- Bureaucratic inertia
Correct answer: Loose coupling
Weick's concept of loose coupling describes how the various elements of a school system—administration, teachers, classrooms—are connected yet maintain their own autonomy, allowing classroom practice to remain insulated from top-down mandates.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Conceptual 5
What is the primary purpose of using a conceptual framework in a doctoral dissertation?