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Characteristics of Research
Research as a purposeful activity to increase knowledge and understanding
of phenomena has some characteristics

. Understanding these characteristics
will help you to know more about what research in education is.

Leedy (1974) pointed out that research has, at least, seven characteristics. The
characteristics are described below.

(a) Research begins with a question, an issue o,r problem in the mind
of the researcher.
This characteristic points out that when you set to do research you must have in mind a question to answer, an issue to explain, or a problem to solve. Unless you begin your research in this way you will not be doing what scholars term research.

You must note that research usually arises from a question, an issue or, a problem that a researcher has observed and
I puzzle him/her. So, if in your teaching you observe that a

the particular method is not effective in promoting your students’
understanding and learning, then you have a problem you can seek a solution to through research. You can find out why the method ds does not work well with you.

Your observation that the method is not effective and your concern for finding out why it does not work may begin the research into the method. Remember every useful
research begins with a problem of some sort.

(b) Research requires a plan. the research tails a clearly stated plan, including direction and procedures. Research is a purposeful activity and for it to be successful, it requires a plan.

In research language, the plan is known as a research proposal. The research plan (proposal) is important in the sense that if you set out on a journey without knowing your destination you cannot get there!

By developing a plan you get to know what specific questions you want to answer, what data to collect, how to aan analyze data, and what conclusion to reach. This does not rule out accidental f dings in research. However, meaningful research must have a
plan for it to proceed purposively.

This characteristic behooves you
to plan your project work once you have identified the problem or
I use you want to study. We explain the research plan and its c ponents in detail in Session Six of this Unit

1. Which of the following statements about measurement and assessment is true?
   a. Measurement is continuous but assessment is than at the end of instruction
   b. Measurement involves the people but assessment is than by the teacher only
   c. Measurement involves figures only and assessment involves words only
   d. Measurement provides data for assessment
2. Which of the following definitions is not most suitable for a test?
   a. A list of written questions
   b. A device used by teachers and others to ascertain a person’s achievement
   c. A set of questions used to find out the level of learning that has been achieved by a person
   d. A systematic method of gathering data for the purpose of making intra- or inter individual
   comparisons.
3. Which of the following statements is most appropriate for evaluation?
   a. The act of finding out the quality of a curriculum or programme
   b. It is the general process of making judgments and decisions
   c. A means of determining the consistency of a learner’s performance
   d. A situation where performance is constantly measured and assessed
4. Which of the following statements best defines formative evaluation?
   a. It involves a series of tests that are conducted at the end of a topic
   b. The type of evaluation that is used to form an opinion about the attitude of pupils.
   c. It is used to gather information about a pupil along the way
   d. It involves monitoring the quality of tests administered to pupils so as to improve them
5. Which of the following statements best defines summative evaluation?
   a. It involves putting together all the evaluations made on a pupil
   b. It is used for terminal judgment of worth or appropriateness.
   c. It is evaluation that is designed to find out the quality of teaching
   d. It is an evaluation of the process rather than the product of teaching
6. Modern assessment is based on two approaches. These are………………………… approaches.
   a. criterion- referenced and norm- referenced b. process and product
   c. direct and indirect assessment d. internal and external
7. Which of the following concepts can be defined as a statement of desired change in pupils
   behavior, knowledge or affect?
   a. Earning b. Achievement c. Educational objective d. All of the above
8. Bloom (1956) proposed a taxonomy of objectives. List the hierarchy of cognitive objectives he
   proposed from the lowest (a) to the highest (f).
   a. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   b. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   c. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   d. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   e. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   f. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. State three characteristics that a good instructional objective must possess.
   a. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   b. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   c. ………………………………………………………………………………………………
   10.When a test specifically measures what was learned by the pupil, it is said to be
   a. consistency b. reliable c. valid d. a precision instrument
   11.When a test produces consistent results whenever it is used, it is said to be………….
   a. consistence b. reliable c. valid d. a precision instrument
   12.One way to get a balanced assessment of topics you teach is to design a table showing the number
   of test items needed for each topic. What is the name of this table?
   a. Table of assessment b. Operational matrix
   c. Item analysis table d. Table of specifications
   13.In a multiple choice test item, the statement that poses the question is known as……………..
   a. the stem b. the base c. the premix d. the case
   14.In a multiple choice objective item, the optional answers provided after the question are known as…
   a. choices b. deciders c. answers d. alternatives
   15.In a multiple choice test item, there is always one best answer and some incorrect answers. The
   incorrect answers are referred to as…………………………
   a. spillovers b. distracters c. deviators d. wrong options
   16.The form of objective questions where pupils are expected to provide their own answers instead of
   selecting from a list are called items.
   a. answering b. supply c. filling-in d. written
10. The process of monitoring pupils progress to find out how they can be helped to learn better is
    termed…………………………
    a. diagnosis b. evaluation c. guidance d. prediction
11. One difference between criterion- referenced tests and norm- referenced tests is that norm￾referenced test use…………………………….
    a. absolute standards b. classroom test standards
    c. raw standards d. relative standards
12. The part of the education of an individual which is concerned with emotions and attitudes is
    referred to as the…………………………………………….domain.
    a. aesthetic b. affective c. cognitive d. psychomotor
13. At which point in curriculum implementation should test items be designed?
    a. After content delivery b. After statement of objectives
    c. At the evaluation stage d. Halfway through the content.
14. When a teacher writes a lesson objectives requiring pupils to summarize what has been taught in
    their own words, what category of learning will you put this under?
    a. Analysis b. Application c. Comprehension d. Knowledge
15. Which domain of educational objectives do the following classifications refer to?
    Receiving, Responding, Valuing, Organization.
    a. Affective domain b. Cognitive domain
    c. Psychomotor domain d. None of the above
    24 Testing in which attainment is measured in terms of specific levels of mastery is known as…………
    a. criterion- referencing b. norm- referencing
    c. post- testing d. pre- testing
16. Which of the following factors should we consider most when we are writing lesson objectives?
    a. Content of what we are going to teach b. Form or structure of the statement we write
    c. Length of the statement of objectives d. Relevance of what we intend to teach
17. Which of the following question statements will be the best as an objective test item?
    a. Kwame Nkrumah was……………………………………………………
    b. The first president of Ghana was………………………………………..
    c. The name of the first president of Ghana was…………………………..