The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Quantitative Research Methods: New Doctoral Student Self-Assessment
 
Introduction
Instructions
Resources
Assessment
1. Algebraic Notation and Operations
2. Descriptive Statistics
3. Tabular Displays of Data
4. Graphical Displays of Data
5. Research Topics, Theory, Constructs, Questions, and Hypothesis
6. Research Designs
7. Measurement
8. Sampling
9. Probability
10. Basics of Inferential Statistics
11. One-Group Inferential Statistics
12. Two-Group Inferential Statistics
13. Critiquing Education and Social Science Research
Answer Key
Module 3:
Tabular Displays of Data
This section assesses interpretation of data presented in tables. Such presentations are common in quantitative research.

Table 3.1
Master's Degrees Conferred by Sex of Student
YearTotalMenWomen% Women
1970-71230,509138,14692,36340.1
1980-81295,739147,043148,69650.3
1990-91337,168156,482180,68653.6
1999-2000385,000163,000222,00057.7
Source: U.S. Department of Education
Digest of Educational Statistics, 1999
Table 249, page 286.

Question 1:  In Table 3.1, how was the 57.7 percent rate for women in 1999-2000 computed?
A.  163,000/222,000
B.  222,000/385,000
C.  92,363/222,000
D.  From numbers not shown in the table
E.  None of the above

Question 2:  What major conclusion(s) are suggested by Table 3.1?
A.  The percentage of woman in the U.S. who earn master's degrees has increased substantially and the percentage of men in the U.S who do so has decreased
B.  Women have been interfering with men's earning of master's degrees, and that has become worse over the years
C.  The number of earned master's degrees has increased faster for women than men, and women now earn more degrees than men
D.  In another 40 years it is likely that women will earn all the master's degrees
E.  None of the above

Question 3:  According to Table 3.1, by about when are women likely to be earning 75 percent of all master's degrees?
A.  2030
B.  2050
C.  Cannot safely predict because the trends of the past 30 years may not continue; indeed, women's gains relative to men's gains were greater from 1970-80 than over the subsequent decades.
D.  The civil rights laws and the courts will prevent women from earning 75% of all masters degrees
E.  None of the above


Table 3.2
Mean Percentage of Time That Full-Time Faculty Spent on Various Activities: Fall 1992
ActivityFull Prof.Assoc. Prof.Assist. Prof.
Teaching50.252.355.3
Research/scholarship21.519.419.7
Professional growth4.14.44.5
Administration15.113.69.3
Consulting3.02.92.1
Service and other6.07.18.9
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
The Condition of Education 1999, Indicator 33, p. 96

Question 4:  According to Table 3.2, assistant professors spend relatively less of their time on what activities when compared to the other two ranks of professors?
A.  Research/scholarship, administration, and consulting
B.  Teaching, professional growth, and service and other
C.  Consulting and professional growth
D.  Administration and consulting
E.  None of the above

Question 5:  According to Table 3.2, do full professors spend more, less, or equal hours than the other ranks doing research / scholarship?
A.  More, 21.5 versus 19.4 and 19.7
B.  Less
C.  Equal, the numbers are just about the same for all practical purposes
D.  Cannot determine from the above table, because it doesn't indicate the total hours
E.  None of the above

Question 6:  According to Table 3.2, does the distribution of time vary much among the three ranks of faculty member?
A.  Hardly at all
B.  By only a few percentage points
C.  Moderately
D.  Substantially
E.  None of the above

Question 7:  What does Table 3.2 tell us about the professors who prepared this damn self-assessment?
A.  They are exceeding the norm for service
B.  They should spend more time teaching and less on this self-assessment
C.  They aren't average
D.  It doesn't tell us anything about them other than they found Table 3.2 somewhere
E.  None of the above