Educational Research (D180)

Correct Answer

D. Increased opportunity and efficiency in small groups.

Explanation

The study by Pennington (2020) highlights that offering students more choice in their seating arrangements or learning environments increases opportunities for collaboration and improves efficiency, particularly in small groups. When students have the autonomy to choose where and how they work, they are more likely to engage productively with their peers.

Why other options are wrong

A. More restrictions on student choices.

This is incorrect because the study focuses on increasing, not restricting, student choice. The goal is to empower students by offering more options in how they engage in learning.

B. Less engagement in physical activities.

This is incorrect because increased choice typically leads to greater movement and engagement in physical activities, particularly when flexible seating allows for more dynamic learning setups.

C. Decreased collaboration among students.

This is incorrect because the study suggests that increased student choice actually encourages more collaboration, especially in small group settings where students have the freedom to work together in various ways.

Correct Answer:

To identify gaps in existing research and support the research question

Explanation:

A literature review is a critical part of the research process that helps situate a study within the context of what is already known. It allows the researcher to identify patterns, trends, and gaps in existing knowledge. This in turn helps justify the need for the study and supports the formulation of a strong, researchable question. It does not serve to prove a hypothesis but rather to provide a foundation and rationale for the inquiry.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

To prove the researcher's hypothesis is correct

This is incorrect because the role of the literature review is not to confirm a hypothesis, but to inform the research question. Proving or disproving a hypothesis is the role of the study itself, not the background research.

To summarize personal teaching experiences

This is inaccurate. While reflective practice is valuable in education, the literature review relies on published, peer-reviewed academic sources, not anecdotal accounts or personal reflections.

To provide statistical analysis of the study’s results

This is incorrect because statistical analysis is part of the data analysis section, not the literature review. The literature review happens early in the research process, before any data is collected or analyzed.

Correct Answer

A. Pre-alphabetic phase

Explanation

In the pre-alphabetic phase, children rely on visual cues or other features of words (such as the shape of the letters) rather than understanding the alphabetic system. They may recognize a word by its visual characteristics without connecting it to the sounds of the letters or the phonetic structure of the word. This phase is typically early in the reading development process before children understand letter-sound relationships.

Why other options are wrong

B. Partial Alphabetic Phase

In the partial alphabetic phase, children begin to connect some letters to sounds, but they still rely on partial decoding strategies. They start recognizing some letters and their sounds but may not yet fully decode words using the entire alphabetic system.

C. Full Alphabetic Phase

In the full alphabetic phase, children have mastered letter-sound relationships and can fully decode words. They no longer rely on visual features or patterns like those seen in the pre-alphabetic phase. They understand and apply phonetic rules to read words.

D. Consolidated Alphabetic Phase

In the consolidated alphabetic phase, children begin to recognize common letter combinations (like "ch" or "sh") and use this knowledge to decode more complex words. They have moved beyond simply decoding individual letters and start recognizing chunks of letters, but they still use the alphabetic principle.

Correct Answer

B. Makes me think of

Explanation

In the QAR strategy, students are taught to categorize questions based on where the information is found. "On my own," "Think and search," and "Author and you" are all types of QARs, as they direct students to either use their prior knowledge or locate information in the text. "Makes me think of," however, is not one of the standard QAR categories.

Why other options are wrong

A. On my own.

This category refers to questions where the answer is based on the student's personal experiences or knowledge, which aligns with the QAR strategy of helping students recognize when to use their own background knowledge.

C. Think and search.

This is a QAR category where the answer is found by piecing together information from multiple parts of the text. It helps students understand that some answers require deeper engagement with the content.

D. Author and you.

This category in QAR involves answering questions based on both the text and the reader's own knowledge or interpretation. It highlights the interaction between the author's words and the reader's understanding.

Correct Answer

B. Autonomy, relatedness, and competence

Explanation

Intrinsic motivation is driven by internal factors that are personally fulfilling. The primary factors that contribute to intrinsic motivation include autonomy (having control over one's actions), relatedness (feeling connected to others), and competence (feeling effective and capable). These elements foster an internal drive for learning and engagement, as opposed to relying on external incentives like rewards.

Why other options are wrong

A. External rewards and recognition

These are external motivators, not intrinsic ones. While they may encourage behavior in the short term, they do not foster long-term intrinsic motivation, which is driven by personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

C. Peer pressure and competition

Peer pressure and competition can be extrinsically motivating, but they do not inherently contribute to intrinsic motivation, which is more about self-driven interest and personal growth.

D. Standardized testing and grading

Standardized testing and grading are external measures of achievement and often contribute to extrinsic motivation, not intrinsic motivation. These systems focus on outcomes rather than the personal, internal reasons for learning.

Correct Answer

D. To establish a student's independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels

Explanation

The primary purpose of a standardized Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) is to assess a student's reading levels across different types of texts. By evaluating independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels, it helps educators determine where to start instruction and how to best support the student in developing reading skills.

Why other options are wrong

A. To establish how prior knowledge and text organization influence a student's reading comprehension

This is more aligned with comprehension-based assessments, but it is not the primary purpose of an IRI, which focuses on reading levels rather than comprehension factors like prior knowledge.

B. To determine how a student uses semantic, syntactic, and other text clues to deduce a word's meaning

While this is a valuable aspect of reading, it is not the main goal of an IRI. The IRI is more concerned with measuring reading levels rather than word meaning deduction strategies.

C. To analyze how a student's silent reading comprehension is influenced by oral reading fluency

This option describes a type of assessment related to fluency, but it does not directly address the core purpose of an IRI, which is focused on reading levels, not the relationship between fluency and comprehension.

Correct Answer

B. 2018

Explanation

Schwartz's article was published in 2018. This year marks the time the article's strategies and recommendations were introduced to support English Language Learners. The date is relevant in understanding the context in which the research and strategies were developed, given the ongoing developments in educational theory and practice.

Why other options are wrong

A. 2015

This option is incorrect because Schwartz’s article was not published in 2015. The correct year of publication is 2018.

C. 2012

This is incorrect, as Schwartz’s article was not published in 2012. The strategies and research outlined in the article are more recent, published in 2018.

D. 2021

This option is incorrect because the article was not published in 2021. The publication year is 2018, not 2021.

Correct Answer

C. There is a decline in explicit instruction about how to read

Explanation

After second grade, explicit reading instruction generally begins to decrease as students start to focus more on using reading skills to learn content across other subjects. While reading continues to be an essential skill, instruction becomes less centered around decoding and fluency and more about reading comprehension, analysis, and applying reading to various academic contexts.

Why other options are wrong

A. Instruction time increases significantly after second grade

While reading instruction may continue, it typically doesn't increase significantly after second grade. Instruction shifts toward deeper comprehension and application rather than just increasing time spent on basic skills.

B. Reading instruction is eliminated after second grade

Reading instruction is not eliminated after second grade; it continues, but the focus shifts from basic skills to more advanced literacy strategies, such as comprehension and analysis.

D. Students receive more individualized reading instruction after second grade

While some individualized instruction may still occur, the trend is more about shifting from explicit instruction to a broader approach, where students are expected to read and analyze texts more independently, with less specific one-on-one teaching.

Correct Answer

D. All of the above

Explanation

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate various components of spoken language, such as sounds and syllables. All of the skills listed—identifying onset and rime, phoneme manipulation, and syllable segmentation—are components of phonological awareness. These skills involve recognizing and manipulating sounds at different levels, including individual phonemes, syllables, and onset-rime patterns, which are crucial for developing reading and writing abilities.

Why other options are wrong

A. Identifying onset and rime

Identifying onset and rime is a part of phonological awareness, but it is only one skill within a broader set. It involves recognizing the initial consonant sound (onset) and the vowel and following consonants (rime) of a syllable. While correct in part, it does not encompass the full range of phonological awareness skills as option D does.

B. Phoneme manipulation

Phoneme manipulation is another specific skill within phonological awareness that involves changing, adding, or deleting individual sounds in words. While it is an important skill, it is not the only one that constitutes phonological awareness. Therefore, it does not capture the full range as option D does.

C. Syllable segmentation

Syllable segmentation involves breaking words into their syllables and is a form of phonological awareness. However, like identifying onset and rime, it is just one of the many skills that contribute to phonological awareness. Therefore, it is not as comprehensive as option D.