Ontology in research primarily concerns:
How data should be statistically analyzed
The nature of reality and what exists
The tools used to collect data
Ethical approval procedures
If a researcher believes that reality is socially constructed and varies across individuals, this reflects:
Objectivist ontology
Relativist ontology
Positivist epistemology
Experimental methodology
Epistemology is concerned with:
The moral values of researchers
The structure of academic articles
How knowledge is generated and validated
A researcher states: “Teacher well-being has one measurable, objective reality that can be captured through standardized scales.”This statement reflects:
Interpretivism
Critical theory
Positivism
Constructivism
Which of the following statements reflect a relativist ontology? (multiple-choice)
Reality is independent of human perception.
Different participants may experience the same event differently.
Social reality is constructed through interaction.
Truth can only be discovered through experiments.
Which of the following are epistemological questions? (Multiple-choice)
Does leadership exist independently of human perception?
How can we know whether leadership influences teacher well-being?
What methods should we use to study leadership?
Is teacher well-being measurable?
Which of the following research approaches is most consistent with a realist ontology?
Large-scale survey with statistical modeling
Narrative inquiry
Autoethnography
Phenomenology
A researcher conducts in-depth interviews with teachers to explore how they personally interpret the meaning of “well-being” in their school context. The researcher believes that reality is socially constructed through interaction.This study most clearly reflects:
Positivism
Interpretivism / Constructivism
Pragmatism
Subjectivism
Critical Theory
A researcher combines a survey measuring teacher burnout with focus group discussions. The researcher states:“What matters is what works best to answer the research question, regardless of philosophical purity.”This study most clearly reflects:
Positivism
Interpretivism / Constructivism
Pragmatism
Subjectivism
Critical Theory
A researcher writes an autoethnographic narrative describing their own experience as a teacher in a disadvantaged school, focusing on their personal emotional journey and subjective reflections.This study most clearly reflects:
Positivism
Interpretivism / Constructivism
Pragmatism
Subjectivism
Critical Theory
A researcher examines how neoliberal education policies create structural inequality and increase teacher stress. The study aims to challenge power structures and promote social transformation.This study most clearly reflects:
Positivism
Interpretivism / Constructivism
Pragmatism
Subjectivism
Critical Theory
Which of the following scenarios reflect Positivism? （Multiple-choice）
A researcher tests a hypothesis using experimental manipulation.
A researcher believes social reality is objective and measurable.
A researcher explores multiple meanings of leadership through interviews.
A researcher uses statistical regression to identify predictors of burnout.
A researcher argues that knowledge must be value-free.
Which of the following scenarios reflect Interpretivism / Constructivism? (Multiple-choice)
A researcher studies how teachers interpret policy reforms in different schools.
A researcher assumes there is one universal truth about teacher stress.
A researcher uses participant observation to understand school culture.
A researcher focuses on meaning-making processes.
A researcher prioritizes causal generalization.
Which scenarios best reflect Pragmatism? (Multiple-choice)
A researcher combines quantitative and qualitative methods to solve a practical educational problem.
A researcher insists that only experiments can produce real knowledge.
A researcher focuses on practical solutions rather than philosophical debates.
A researcher chooses methods based on usefulness.
A researcher aims to challenge ideological domination.
Which of the following reflect Subjectivism? （Multiple-choice）
A researcher believes reality exists independently of human perception.
A researcher emphasizes personal lived experience as the primary source of knowledge.
A researcher writes a personal narrative to understand professional identity.
A researcher uses standardized measurement tools.
A researcher believes truth is deeply personal and individual.
Which of the following reflect Critical Theory? (Multiple-choice)
A researcher analyzes how gender inequality shapes leadership opportunities.
A researcher seeks to empower marginalized teachers.
A researcher focuses on neutral statistical modeling.
A researcher critiques dominant ideology in education policy.
A researcher aims to produce objective, value-free knowledge.
A researcher wants to test whether an AI-based teaching intervention improves students’ mathematics achievement compared to traditional instruction. The researcher plans to randomly assign students into two groups and compare post-test scores.The most appropriate research method is:
Ethnography
Experimental design
Narrative inquiry
Phenomenology
Case study
A researcher aims to explore how first-year teachers experience emotional stress in rural schools and how they make sense of those experiences.The most appropriate research method is:
Survey research
Grounded theory
Phenomenology
Quasi-experiment
A researcher wants to generate a new theoretical model explaining how leadership identity develops among novice teachers. There is little prior theory in this area.The most appropriate research method is:
Grounded theory
Randomized controlled trial
Cross-sectional survey
Experimental design
A researcher investigates one high-performing disadvantaged school to understand how the principal’s leadership strategies contribute to teacher well-being.The most appropriate research method is:
Large-scale survey
Single-case study
Systematic review
Meta-analysis
A researcher wants to explore how teachers define “well-being” in their own words.Which methods are appropriate? （Multiple-choice）
Semi-structured interviews
Focus groups
Likert-scale questionnaire only
Thematic analysis
Open-ended survey questions