Lesson

3 Background of Research

What’s In
Reading a well-written research title gives the reader an insight of what the research
study is all about. Although it captures the main point of the study, it does not sufficiently explain
all the details of the study. Hence the reader opts to read on for better understanding.
When introducing your study to the readers, you must bridge the gap from what is known
to what is unknown. Establishing the importance of finding the answer to the question makes
the reader feel the need to answer such a question. Thus, it makes the research project more
meaningful and valuable.

What I Need to Know

Choosing a sound research topic entails a considerable amount of time, focus, and
preliminary research. Before a topic was finalized, you may have read and evaluated the
question many times and even consulted professionals or instructors to ensure its validity and
feasibility. How you relay to the reader the implication of the research problem formulated is
what constitutes the background of the study section of your paper. At the end of this lesson,
you should be able to describe the background of research and will learn what salient
information should be included in the background of the study segment of your paper.

What’s New
Expand Your Vocabulary!
Activity 1.
Directions: Read through the text of this lesson and look for an underlined word that has the
same meaning as the word in the list below. Write the word on the space provided.

1. Uncharted - _______________
2. Motivation - _______________
3. Background - ______________
4. Extensive - _________________
5. Communicate - ______________
6. Conceive - ________________
7. Remarkable - ________________
8. Inclusive - ______________
9. Understanding - _______________
10. Valid - __________________

What Is It
Background of the Study
The background of the study is the part of your paper where you inform the reader of the
context of the study. When we say context, it means the situation or circumstances within which
your research topic was conceptualized. Ideally, this part is written when you have already
conducted a literature review and has a good perception of the topic so you can articulate the
importance and validity of the research problem. It is also in this part of the paper where you
justify the need to conduct a research study about the topic selected by establishing the
research gap.

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 A research gap is an under or unexplored area of a topic that requires further
exploration. The gap can be in a form of other variables, conditions, population, methodology, or
test subject. To identify research gaps, an exhaustive literature review regarding the topic is
required. You may have to look for similar or related studies employing quantitative, qualitative,
or mixed-methods from legitimate sources and examine the gray areas. Reading through the
Discussion, Conclusion, or the Recommendations sections of the articles will help you know
potential areas of study that need further attention. Identifying research gaps sometimes would
even make researchers modify their research problem as they get noteworthy ideas from fellow
researchers.

While both the Background of the Study and the Review of Related Literature involves
reading past related studies, they differ in some aspects. The former is at the introductory part
of the paper with the purpose of relaying the importance of your research study; the latter is
more comprehensive and thoroughly discuss the studies mentioned in the background of
research. Moreover, the background of the study will answer the following questions:
1. What is already known about the topic?
2. What is not known about the topic?
3. Why do you need to address those gaps?
4. What is the rationale of your study?

While answering these questions, keep in mind that the studies you include in this part of
the paper are laid down as part of the introduction and should not be discussed in great detail.
The depth and length of the background information largely depend on how much information
you think the reader needs to know to have a full grasp of the topic being discussed.
ACTIVITY 2.
What I Have Learned
Directions: As you have learned from this lesson, answer each question comprehensively.

1. What is the relevance of the Background of the Study in your research paper?
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

2. Compare and contrast Background of the Study and Literature Review.

______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. What important components should be included in the Background of the Study?

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 Lesson
Research Questions
4

What’s In
In previous lessons of this Module 3, you were taught how to design research that is
interesting and something that you are passionate about. You have learned that research
problems are actually within your environment or area of interest. You are given various
activities to learn how to come up with interesting and useful research problems. Identification of
the research problems and research questions will be furthered explained in this lesson.

You have also learned how to craft qualitative research problems and questions when
you took Practical Research 1 In this lesson, quantitative research problems and types of
quantitative research questions will be elaborated.

What I Need to Know

Nature of Quantitative Research Problem

Once a person encountered uncertainty, being inquisitive, you will find ways for answers
or solution. Ignited by interest, curiosity, or need you will find yourself pondering about the
current problem you are facing. When you are thinking and behaving this way, you are then
confronted by a problem that can be a source of a research problem.

A research problem is simple as a problem you would like to research. Quantitative

Research Problem dealt more with the precision and specificity of the problem. Furthermore, the
quantitative research problem describes trends and patterns of a phenomenon.

When you have identified your quantitative research problem, you can now state it and
make sure to establish its place in your study. In your written paper, this can be found as
Statement of the Problem, where it formally introduces the problem that you want to investigate
or address. Then you will start specifying what you want to answer in your study.

Research Problem and Research Questions

The research questions help to clarify and specify the research problem. Research
questions are also considered as sub-problems of your research problem. These questions are
informative in nature. It specifies the method of collecting and analyzing data and the type of
data to be collected since you are exploring a quantitative research problem.

What’s New
Activity 3: That’s a Good Question

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Directions: Here are some samples of research questions. Rank them on a scale of 1 to 10 (1=
lowest, 10 = highest) based on its feasibility and clarity as a quantitative research
question. Then provide a brief explanation of your rating.

Your
Quantitative Research Question Explanation
Rating
1. How many Grade-7 students are
enrolled in blended learning this
School Year?

2. Is modular learning or online learning

more effective in Language or
Science subjects?

3. Is there a significant relationship in

the number of households and
COVID-19 confirmed cases in a
Barangay?

What Is It

Characteristics of Good Research Questions

Once you have already enumerated your research questions for your study, it is
important that you consider its quality to answer and explain your research problem. The
following are good characteristics of research questions, as described by Fraenkel and Wallen
(2020).

Feasible. Consider the amount of time, energy, money, respondents, and even your
current situation as a student-researcher. Is the research problem possible? Will it not spend
unreasonable amount? Consider these examples: “How do parents feel about the blended
learning modality for elementary learners?” and “How would giving each learner their own
laptop to be used in this blended learning modality affect their performance tasks?” The first
example is definitely a more feasible research question. Considering the resources, it is more
possible to gather the data needed to answer the question.

Clear. The clarity of how the questions stated lead to agreement of meaning of the
readers of your study. Since your research questions are also considered as the main focus in
the gathering and analyzing the data, it is therefore very important that these are stated clearly.

Significant. Ask if your research questions are relevant or important to ask. Will
answering these questions provide an additional contribution to address the given research
problem? In other words, are the research questions really worth investigating?
At this point, you do not just consider the time and money that you will spend, but more
importantly, the value of what you are trying to investigate. So aside from the reason that your
chosen research problem is within your interest, you should also provide a sound justification of
your choice as a researcher.

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 Ethical. Always consider the welfare of people, animals or who so ever involve in your
study. Look into ways of answering the research questions without inflicting physical and
psychological harm to persons involved.

Formulating Research Questions

Research questions can be generally classified into two: general and specific. The
general question of the study is derived from the research problem while the specific questions
are anchored on the general research problem.

For example:

This study aims to determine the relationship between the types learning delivery mode
and students’ learning styles. Furthermore, it seeks to answer the following research questions:
(1) What are the different learning delivery modes of the school? (2) What the various learning
styles of the students? (3) Is there a significant relationship between the different learning
delivery modes of the school and the learning styles of its students?

Notice that a general problem was presented first. Then it was followed by the specific
questions considered as research questions of the study.

In stating quantitative research questions, you should also consider the design of your
quantitative research. Quantitative research designs will be elaborated in Module 4. For the
purpose of writing your research question, here’s a quick guide of research questions for
descriptive research, correlational research, Ex Post Facto research, Experimental, and Quasi-
experimental research.

Research Questions for Descriptive Research focuses on observing and reporting

factors or aspects of the research problem. Phrases such as how often/frequently, how
many/much, what is/are, to what extent/degree, and the likes are used in these questions. For
example, you study the use of social media among Senior High School Students, you can ask
the following questions:

What are the various social media platforms used by Senior High Students?

How many hours students spend on social media per week?

Research Questions for Correlational Research aim to determine the relationships

among two or more variables in your research problem. Correlational research questions
usually begin with the phrases “Is there a significant relationship” or “What is the relationship
between/among”. In the study of use of social media and level of digital literacy of students
following questions can be asked:

What is the relationship between the length of hours spent on social media and level of
digital literacy of students?

Is there a significant relationship between the type of social media used and the level
digital literacy of students?
Research Questions for Ex Post Facto Research attempt to identify the causes of the
phenomenon in the context of your research problem. It is also assumed that no control or
manipulation of variable has been done in order to cause the effect. It is understood that the

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cause of the problem already exists before you conducted your study. For example, ex post
facto study on family background and digital literacy of students, the following questions can be
asked:

Is there a difference in the literacy level of students between their cultural and
educational family background?

Research Questions for Experimental and Quasi-experimental Research suggests

that answers to these questions are brought about by manipulation or control of a certain
variable during the conduct of the study. These questions provide explanation to the causal
relationship of variables. The following research questions can be asked on studies on
elementary student’s remedial sessions and academic performance of students:

Is there a significant difference in the posttest scores of the control group and
experimental group?

What’s More
Activity 4: The Very Good Questions

Directions: Using the same examples in your Activity 1, rank them on the scale of 1 to 10 (1=
lowest, 10 = highest) based on the given parameters in writing a good research
question. If you find that the questions are not so good, then rewrite the questions
on the last column of the table. If your think it is already good, then write your
justification also.

Your Rating Revised Question/

Quantitative Research
Feasibl Significan Ethical Justification
Question Clear
e t
1. How many Grade-7
students are enrolled in
blended learning this
School Year?

2. Is modular learning or
online learning more
effective in Language
or Science subjects?

3. Is there a significant
relationship in the
number of households
and COVID-19
confirmed cases in a
Barangay?

Activity 5: Write the Questions

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Directions: Write one general research question and two specific research questions for the
given research problem below.

Research Problem General Question Specific Questions

The Relationship
between Media
Exposure and Health
Anxiety

Organization’s
Leadership Practices
and Employee’s Job
Satisfaction

Effects of Parenting
Style and Children
Study Habits

What I Have Learned

Directions: As you have learned from this lesson, answer each question comprehensively.

1. What I know about research question?

_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. I have learned that good questions are

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 _________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. This time, I have learned that when stating quantitative research questions
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________