UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

In experimental terminology, the independent variable is the factor that the researcher manipulates or changes to observe its impact. In this case, the teaching method is deliberately varied to see how it influences achievement scores. The scores obtained by students are the dependent variable because they depend on the treatment given. Hence, teaching method is correctly identified as the independent variable.

Option A:
Option A labels teaching method as dependent variable, which is incorrect. The dependent variable is the outcome measure, here the achievement scores, not the instructional strategy itself.

Option B:
Option B rightly designates teaching method as the independent variable because it is under the control of the experimenter. The researcher decides which groups receive which method, and then measures the resulting performance. This fits the standard definition of independent variable.

Option C:
Option C calls it an extraneous variable, which refers to unwanted variables that may affect the dependent variable but are not of primary interest. Teaching method is actually central to the study, not extraneous.

Option D:
Option D treats it as an intervening variable, which usually refers to hypothetical internal states mediating between cause and effect. Teaching method is an externally manipulated condition, not an intervening construct.