Evaluate the fundamentals of experimental research. Use examples

What will be an ideal response?

Experimental research allows one to establish cause-and-effect relationships. In an experiment, one variable is systematically controlled and its effects on another
variable are measured. The variable that is controlled is referred to as the independent variable. The variable that is measured is referred to as the dependent variable. For example, one might be interested in whether a new teaching technique is more effective than another in terms of student performance. In this case, the teaching technique is the independent variable and student performance is the dependent variable. There would have to be at least two groups, one of which is taught using a traditional method (referred to as the control group) and another of which is taught using the new technique (the experimental group). Ultimately, the performance of the control group would be compared to the performance of the experimental group. Perhaps the most important consideration in an experiment is ensuring that variables other than the independent variable are not responsible for differences between the groups. For example, in evaluating different teaching techniques, you would have to consider who is teaching, the time of day of the classes, the motivational levels of the students, and many other factors. The more similar the two groups are in factors
other than the independent variable, the more likely that changes in the dependent variable are due to the independent variable.