Question
You are a researcher studying the effectiveness of a new teaching method in improving student learning outcomes. You come across a research paper that claims to have found a significant improvement in student performance after implementing the new teaching method. However, upon reviewing the methodology section, you notice that the study only collected data from one class in a single school. What aspect of the research methodology raises concerns about the credibility of the study's conclusions?
The lack of statistical analysis.
The duration of the study.
The absence of a control group.
The limited sample size.
All of the above.
The lack of statistical analysis.
The duration of the study.
The absence of a control group.
The limited sample size.
All of the above.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The aspect of the research methodology that raises concerns about the credibility of the study's conclusions is **the limited sample size**. Collecting data from only one class in a single school limits the generalizability of the findings. A small sample size may not adequately represent the larger population, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about the effectiveness of the new teaching method across different contexts.
While all the mentioned aspects (lack of statistical analysis, duration of the study, and absence of a control group) can also raise concerns, the limited sample size is the most critical issue in this context, as it fundamentally affects the reliability and validity of the study's conclusions.
While all the mentioned aspects (lack of statistical analysis, duration of the study, and absence of a control group) can also raise concerns, the limited sample size is the most critical issue in this context, as it fundamentally affects the reliability and validity of the study's conclusions.