Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Updated on Apr 07, 2025, 14:04

In the IELTS Reading section, you’ll answer 40 questions based on three academic or general interest passages. You’ll have 60 minutes to complete this section, so it’s important to manage your time well and focus on finding specific information quickly. This part of the test assesses your ability to understand main ideas, locate details, and follow logical arguments.
 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading passage explores how quantitative research methods are used in the field of education. You’ll learn how researchers gather and interpret numerical data to study learning outcomes, teaching effectiveness, and student behaviour.


Let’s look at the Quantitative Research In Education reading answer passage, questions, and answers with explanations.

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1. Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answer Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 – 12 based on the Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answer Passage below.

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2. Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Quantitative Research In Education.

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3. Check Out Top 65+ IELTS Reading Practice Test Questions with Answers

Below are some top free IELTS Reading Practice test online questions with detailed answers to enhance your IELTS preparation online. 

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Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answer Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answer Passage

 

Paragraph A. The first area of criticism concerns the extent to which the results of ‘scientific’ educational research are valid. It has often been argued that, although the numerical evidence produced by such research has the appearance of being ‘ hard data’ of the kind used in the natural sciences, there are, in fact, fundamental doubts about its validity, about whether it accurately represents what it claims to represent. We can get a sense of these criticisms by looking briefly at the work of Piaget, mentioned earlier. Interestingly, this was not strongly quantitative in character, and it has been criticised by some for being insufficiently rigorous from an experimental point of view, reflecting, at least in part, a difference between Piaget and commentators on his work about the requirements of scientific research. This highlights the point we made earlier: that although it is convenient to refer to the ‘scientific method’, there is, in fact, a variety of interpretations of what is involved in a scientific approach to research and of how it should be applied to the study of human beings and their behaviours.

 

Paragraph B. Piaget carried out a number of experiments on the basis of which he developed the idea that children go through different stages of development and that only when they have reached the necessary stage of development can they carry out the most advanced forms of cognitive operation. A famous experiment of his required children to compare the amount of liquid held by different-shaped containers. The containers had the same capacity, and even when young children were shown that the same amount of liquid could be poured between the two containers, many claimed that one was larger than the other. Piaget’s interpretation of this was that the children were unable to perform the logical task involved in recognising that the two containers, while different in shape, were the same in capacity; this being because their cognitive development had not reached the necessary stage. Critics of his work have questioned this conclusion, for instance, Donaldson. They raise the possibility that the children were simply unwilling to play the experimenter’s game, or that the children misunderstood what the experimenter was asking. These criticisms point to the fact, obvious enough, but important in its implications, that experiments are social situations in which interpersonal interactions take place. The implication is that Piaget’s work and attempts to replicate it are not only measuring the children’s capacities for logical thinking, but also the extent to which they have understood what was required, their willingness to comply with these requirements, the experimenters’ success in communicating what was required, in motivating the children, etc.

 

Paragraph C. Similar criticisms have been applied to psychological and educational tests. For example, Mehan points out how test questions may be interpreted in ways different from those intended by the researcher. In all language development tests, children are presented with a picture of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, drawbridge, and parapets and three initial consonants: D, C, and G. The child is supposed to circle the correct initial consonant C for ‘castle’ is correct, but many children choose D. After the test, when I asked those children what the name of the building was, they responded ‘Disneyland’. These children used the same line of reasoning intended by the tester, but they arrived at the wrong substantive answer. The score sheet showing a wrong answer does not document a child’s lack of reasoning ability; it only documents that the child indicated an answer different from the one the tester expected.

 

Paragraph D. Here we have questions being raised about the validity of the sort of measurements on which the findings of quantitative research are typically based. Some, including, for example Donaldson, regard these as technical problems that can be overcome by more rigorous experimentation. Others, however, including Mehan, believe them to be not simply problems with particular experiments or tests, but serious threats to validity that potentially affect all research of this kind.

 

Paragraph E. At the same time, questions have also been raised about the assumption built into the logic of quantitative educational research that causes can be identified by physical and/or statistical manipulation of variables. Critics suggest that this fails to take account of the very nature of human social life, assuming it to consist of fixed, mechanical causal relationships, whereas, in fact, it involves complex processes of interpretation and negotiation that do not have determinate outcomes. From this point of view, it is not clear that we can understand why people do what they do in terms of the simple sorts of causal relationships on which quantitative research focuses. Social life, it is suggested, is much more contextually variable and complex.

 

Paragraph F. Such criticisms of quantitative educational research have been the stimulus for an increasing number of educational researchers, over the past thirty or forty years, to adopt more qualitative approaches. These researchers have generally rejected attempts to measure and control variables experimentally or statistically. Qualitative research can take many forms; loosely indicated by such terms as ‘ethnography’, ‘case study’, ‘participant observation’, ‘life history’, ‘unstructured interviewing’, ‘discourse analysis’, etc. In general, though, it has the following characteristics:

 

Paragraph G. A strong emphasis on exploring the nature of particular educational phenomena, rather than setting out to test hypotheses about them. A tendency to work with ‘unstructured data’: that is, data that have not been coded at the point of collection in terms of a closed set of analytical categories. When engaging in observation, qualitative researchers, therefore, audio- or video-record what happens or write detailed open-ended field notes, rather than coding behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories, as would a quantitative researcher employing ‘systematic observation’. Similarly when interviewing, open-ended questions will be asked rather than questions requiring predefined answers of the kind typical, for example, of postal questionnaires. In fact, qualitative interviews are often designed to be close in character to casual conversations.

 

Paragraph H. Typically, a small number of cases will be investigated in detail, rather than any attempt being made to cover a large number, as would be the case in most quantitative research, such as systematic observational studies or social surveys. The analysis of the data involves explicit interpretations of the meanings and functions of human actions, and mainly takes the form of verbal descriptions and explanations. Quantification and statistical analysis play a subordinate role at most. The two areas of educational research where criticism of quantitative research and the development of qualitative approaches initially emerged most strongly were the sociology of education and evaluation studies. The trend towards qualitative research in the sociology of education began in the UK in the l960s with studies of a boys’ grammar school, a boys’ secondary modern school, and a girls’ grammar school by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambart. They employed an ethnographic or participant observation approach, though they also collected some quantitative data on, for example, friendship patterns among the pupils. These researchers observed lessons, interviewed teachers and pupils, and drew on school records. They studied the schools for relatively long periods, spending many months collecting data and tracking changes over time.

 

Let’s explore the questions and answers of the Quantitative Research In Education reading answer passage.

2.

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Have you read the passage? Now, take the test and find the Quantitative Research In Education Reading answers! Try to answer these questions by yourself before you sneak a peek at the answers given below.

Questions and Answers 1-4
  • Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with the experiment or explanation below.
  • Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

 

A. Piaget

B. Mehan

C. Donaldson

 

1. a wrong answer indicates more of a child’s different perspective than incompetence in reasoning.

2.  logical reasoning involving in the experiments is beyond children’s cognitive development.

3. Children’s reluctance to comply with game rules or miscommunication may be another explanation.

4. Kinds of experiments or tests are flawed essentially and will not be justified by a more rigorous approach.
 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers with Explanations (1-4)

 

Type of question: Matching Features

 

In this task, you are required to match a list of opinions or deeds with the correct individuals from a provided list. This type of question tests your ability to identify relationships and connections between people and their contributions or viewpoints, as mentioned in the text.

 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Carefully read the instructions to know what criteria or basis you're using for matching.
  • Identify the key features or attributes of each item on the list.
  • Use the elimination process to narrow down the options for the remaining matches.
  • Review all matches to ensure they are coherent and aligned with the given criteria.
  • Look for patterns or relationships between items to improve the efficiency of making correct matches.
  • Finalise your answers.

 

1. B - Mehan

 

Reference: From Paragraph C: “These children used the same line of reasoning intended by the tester, but they arrived at the wrong substantive answer. The score sheet showing a wrong answer does not document a child’s lack of reasoning ability; it only documents that the child indicated an answer different from the one the tester expected.”

 

Explanation: This line indicates that Mehan viewed incorrect answers not as evidence of poor reasoning but as a result of different interpretations. It shows that children may apply valid logic but still arrive at unexpected answers, making Mehan the correct answer.

 

2. A - Piaget

 

Reference: From Paragraph B: “Piaget’s interpretation of this was that the children were unable to perform the logical task involved in recognising that the two containers, while different in shape, were the same in capacity; this being because their cognitive development had not reached the necessary stage. Critics of his work have questioned this conclusion, for instance, Donaldson.”

 

Explanation: This line explains Piaget’s belief that young children’s failure to understand the liquid experiment was due to undeveloped logical reasoning. He argued that until a certain stage of cognitive growth is reached, such reasoning is not possible.

 

3. C - Donaldson

 

Reference: From Paragraph B: “Critics of his work have questioned this conclusion, for instance, Donaldson. They raise the possibility that the children were simply unwilling to play the experimenter’s game, or that the children misunderstood what the experimenter was asking. These criticisms point to the fact, obvious enough, but important in its implications that experiments are social situations in which interpersonal interactions take place.”

 

Explanation: This line shows that Donaldson believed the children's responses might be due to their unwillingness to participate or confusion about the task. It suggests the outcome could be influenced by social or communicative factors, not just cognitive development.

 

4. B - Mehan

 

Reference: From Paragraph D: “Some, including, for example, Donaldson, regard these as technical problems that can be overcome by more rigorous experimentation. Others, however, including Mehan, believe them to be not simply problems with particular experiments or tests, but serious threats to validity that potentially affect all research of this kind.”

 

Explanation: This line shows that Mehan believed the issues with such studies were not just technical flaws but deeper problems affecting the credibility of the entire research approach. This makes it clear that the problem is fundamental, not just about improving the testing methods.

 

Also Read: 350+ English Vocabulary Words for IELTS

Questions and Answers 5-8
  • Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answer Passage
  • Use no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer.
  • Write your answers in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.

 

Quantitative research in education has sparked a debate about whether it is (5) _________ in the scientific area. Piaget’s experiment involved on children’s steps on development, which 

used an equal amount of (6) _________ in a couple of containers to test if the students would be able to judge their size. Another quantitative research was carried out by Mehan, he 

showed children a (7) _________ and requested children to make answers, but ultimately, most of them failed. In the 1960s, another method emerged along with quantitative research, 

(8) _________ in the UK was taken as experiment sites in the application of the combined approach.
 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers With Explanations (5-8)
 

Type of question: Summary completion

 

Under this task, you will be given a summary with incomplete sentences. However, you will not be given any list of words/phrases to choose the missing information. You must refer to the main passage to fill in the missing information. 

 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Read the summary to understand what information it’s missing.
  • Identify keywords and locate them in the main passage to find missing words. 
  • Review the context of the words you’ve chosen to match the summary.
  • Finalise your answers. 

 

5. Valid

 

Reference: From Paragraph A: “The first area of criticism concerns the extent to which the results of ‘scientific’ educational research are valid. It has often been argued that, although the numerical evidence produced by such research has the appearance of being ‘ hard data’ of the kind used in the natural sciences, there are, in fact, fundamental doubts about its validity; about whether it accurately represents what it claims to represent.”

 

Explanation: This line highlights the main concern about the credibility of scientific educational research. It suggests that despite appearing scientific, there are doubts about whether the data truly represent what they claim to. This makes "valid" the correct answer.

 

6. Liquid

 

Reference: From Paragraph B: “The containers had the same capacity, and even when young children were shown that the same amount of liquid could be poured between the two containers, many claimed that one was larger than the other.”

 

Explanation: This line explains that Piaget used liquid in his experiment to test children's logical reasoning. Although the containers held the same amount, children judged them differently, showing the role of liquid in the test. Hence, "liquid" is the right answer.

 

7. Picture

 

Reference: From Paragraph B: “Similar criticisms have been applied to psychological and educational tests. For example, Mehan points out how test questions may be interpreted in ways different from those intended by the researcher. In all language development tests, children are presented with a picture of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, drawbridge, and parapets and three initial consonants: D, C, and G.”

 

Explanation: This line describes how Mehan used a picture to assess children’s understanding in a language test. The children's unexpected answers revealed flaws in the testing method, making "picture" the appropriate answer.

 

8. Schools

 

Reference: From Paragraph H: “They employed an ethnographic or participant observation approach, though they also collected some quantitative data on, for example, friendship patterns among the pupils. These researchers observed lessons, interviewed teachers and pupils, and drew on school records. They studied the schools for relatively long periods, spending many months collecting data and tracking changes over time.”

 

Explanation: This line shows that researchers used schools in the UK to carry out long-term qualitative studies. These schools became the experimental settings for combining qualitative and quantitative methods, making "schools" the correct answer.

 

To build a strong word bank that can help you approach the Reading section with clarity and confidence, go through the IELTS Academic Reading 2025!

Questions and Answers 9-11
  • Choose the correct letter, A to F.
  • Write your answers in boxes 9-11 on your answer sheet.
  • Choose THREE correct statements of “qualitative research” features below

 

A. work with well-organised data in a closed set of analytical categories

B. record researching situations and apply note-taking

C. design the interview to be in an atmosphere like easy conversation

D. questionnaires full of details instead of loads of data

E. questionnaires full of requiring open-ended answers

F. code behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories

 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers With Explanations (9-11)

 

Type of question: List Selection

 

In this question type, you will be required to choose multiple correct answers from a list of options. The number of answers needed is specified in the instructions.

 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Carefully read the instructions to know how many options to select.
  • Skim the passage first to understand the main idea before looking at the options.
  • Use keywords from the question to locate relevant information in the text.
  • Focus on meaning rather than matching exact words. Synonyms and paraphrasing are common.
  • Eliminate incorrect options by checking if they contradict the passage.

 

9. B - record researching situations and apply note-taking

 

Reference: From Paragraph G: “When engaging in observation, qualitative researchers, therefore, audio-or video-record what happens or write detailed open-ended field-notes, rather than coding behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories, as would a quantitative researcher employing ‘systematic observation’.”

 

Explanation: This line shows that qualitative researchers focus on capturing the natural setting by using audio or video recordings and detailed note-taking. It highlights that they prefer documenting real situations as they unfold rather than fitting observations into pre-set categories, which makes “B” the correct answer.

 

10. C - design the interview to be in an atmosphere like easy conversation

 

Reference: From Paragraph G: “Similarly, when interviewing, open-ended questions will be asked rather than questions requiring predefined answers of the kind typical, for example, of postal questionnaires. In fact, qualitative interviews are often designed to be close in character to casual conversations.”

 

Explanation: This line indicates that qualitative interviews are intentionally designed to feel like relaxed, informal discussions. By making the atmosphere more like an easy conversation, researchers can encourage participants to express themselves more naturally and openly, which supports “C” as the correct answer.

 

11. E - questionnaires full of requiring open-ended answers

 

Reference: From Paragraph G: “Similarly, when interviewing, open-ended questions will be asked rather than questions requiring predefined answers of the kind typical, for example, of postal questionnaires. In fact, qualitative interviews are often designed to be close in character to casual conversations.”

 

Explanation: This line makes it clear that qualitative researchers prefer using open-ended questions during interviews. These types of questions give respondents the freedom to answer in their own words, which allows for deeper insights and aligns perfectly with E as the correct answer.

 

Read more about IELTS Academic Test

Questions and Answers 12
  • Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
  • Write your answers in boxes 12 on your answer sheet.

 

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. to educate children that quantitative research is most applicable

B. to illustrate the society's lack of deep comprehension of the educational approach

C. to explain that quantitative research ideas, characteristics from related criticisms

D. to imply that qualitative research is a flawless method compared with quantitative one
 

Quantitative Research In Education Reading Answers With Explanations (12)
 

Type of question: Multiple choice questions

 

In this question type, you are asked to answer the question followed by several options, typically lettered A, B, C, or D. The task is to select the correct answer from the given choices based on the information provided in the reading passage.

 

How to best answer: 
 

  • Read the question carefully and understand what it asks.
  • Pay attention to the keywords in the question.
  • Skim the passage quickly to locate relevant information.
  • Eliminate the clearly incorrect options.
  • Select the answer that best fits the information in the passage.

 

12. C - to explain that quantitative research ideas, characteristics from related criticisms

 

Reference: From Paragraph G: “Similarly, when interviewing, open-ended questions will be asked rather than questions requiring predefined answers of the kind typical, for example, of postal questionnaires. In fact, qualitative interviews are often designed to be close in character to casual conversations.”

 

Explanation: This line highlights the shift from structured, statistical methods to more flexible, descriptive approaches, illustrating key characteristics of qualitative research. It supports the main idea that the passage explains the ideas, features, and criticisms related to quantitative research and the resulting move towards qualitative methods.
3.

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FAQs

Q. What are common keywords in Quantitative Research In Education reading passage?

Ans. Common keywords include terms like "data," "statistics," "surveys," "numeric results," "sample size," "variables," and "measurable outcomes." You should also look out for names of researchers, years, percentages, and types of studies like "experimental" or "longitudinal."

Q. How to answer matching headings questions in the Quantitative Research In Education reading passage?

Ans. Read all headings first, then skim each paragraph to identify the main idea. Don’t get distracted by examples or data. Focus on the topic sentence and repeated keywords. Eliminate headings that are too specific or general. Match the heading that captures the overall purpose of the paragraph.

Q. What is a challenging aspect of the Quantitative Research In Education reading passage?

Ans. The presence of dense academic language, unfamiliar statistical terms, and complex sentence structures can make comprehension difficult. It’s also challenging to distinguish between facts, interpretations, and examples if you’re not familiar with educational research methods.

Q. Are Quantitative Research In Education passages part of the IELTS Academic or General Reading?

Ans. These types of passages typically appear in the IELTS Academic Reading test. They are designed to reflect academic writing and research-based content that students might encounter in university courses.

Q. Is there a specific vocabulary I should focus on for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Yes, focus on academic vocabulary, topic-specific words (e.g., science, education, environment), and synonyms. Also, learn signal words for cause-effect, comparison, and contrast. This helps in understanding the writer’s arguments and identifying correct answers.

Q. Are there any tips for guessing answers in the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Yes, use elimination to remove clearly wrong choices, look for keywords and paraphrases, and trust your instincts if you're unsure. Avoid leaving any questions blank, as there's no penalty for wrong answers. Make educated guesses based on context and logic.

Q. How is the IELTS Reading test scored?

Ans. The Academic and General Training reading tests are scored out of 40. Each correct answer gives you one point. Your raw score is then converted to a band score from 1 to 9. The number of correct answers needed for a specific band differs slightly between the two versions.

Q. Are spelling mistakes penalised for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Yes, spelling matters in the IELTS Reading test. If you spell a word incorrectly, even if the answer is right, you will lose the mark. Always double-check spellings, especially for names, places, and numbers written as words.

Q. Is grammar necessary for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Grammar is not directly tested in the reading section, but it does matter in tasks like sentence completion or summary completion. If your answer doesn't fit grammatically, it’s probably incorrect. So understanding basic grammar helps in choosing the right form of the word.

Q. What are some common misconceptions about the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Many think you must understand every word, but that's not true—you just need to locate and interpret key information. Another misconception is that the answers follow the same order as the questions, which is not always the case in every task type.

Q. How can I stay calm and focused during the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Practice under timed conditions beforehand to build confidence. During the test, take deep breaths, focus on one question at a time, and don’t panic if a passage seems tough. Skip and return to difficult questions if needed, and manage your time wisely.