Research & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

A researcher wants to determine whether a new reading intervention caused improvement in student scores. Which research design best supports a causal claim?

Answer: Randomized controlled experiment

Randomized controlled experiments allow researchers to establish causation by controlling for confounding variables through random assignment.

Which type of validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure?

Answer: Construct validity

Construct validity concerns whether an instrument accurately measures the theoretical construct it is intended to assess.

A teacher reviews several peer-reviewed studies before adopting a new math strategy. This practice is best described as:

Answer: Evidence-based practice

Evidence-based practice involves using findings from rigorous research to inform instructional decisions.

In a research study, the group that does NOT receive the experimental treatment is called the:

Answer: Control group

The control group is the untreated baseline group against which the experimental (treatment) group is compared.

Which statistic tells a researcher how spread out scores are from the mean?

Answer: Standard deviation

Standard deviation measures the average distance of each score from the mean, indicating the spread of a data set.

A study finds a correlation of –0.85 between student absences and GPA. What does this indicate?

Answer: Fewer absences are strongly associated with higher GPA

A correlation of –0.85 is a strong negative relationship, meaning fewer absences tend to be associated with higher GPA, but correlation does not imply causation.

Which step comes FIRST in the evidence-based practice cycle?

Answer: Identify the problem or question

The evidence-based practice cycle begins with clearly identifying the instructional problem or question before searching for relevant research.