DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

REGION III
Schools Division of Cabanatuan City
Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City

Formulating Hypothesis and

Identifying Variables

RESEARCH I

Writer/Illustrator: Krystel Joy D. Legaspi (Teacher I, Honorato C. Perez Sr.

Memorial Science High School)

Project EL AR:
Enhance Learning
thru Adequate Resources
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 GUIDE FOR THE LEARNER, PARENTS,
GUARDIANS AND LEARNING FACILITATOR

To You, Learner:

Welcome to Research I (Grade 9) Self-Learning Module (SLM) Formulating

Hypothesis and Identifying Variables! This module was made to give you with fun and
meaningful time for guided and independent learning at your convenience. You will be
able to process the contents of this Module while being an active learner.

To You, Parent/s, Guardian/s and Learning Facilitator/s:

This Module was collaboratively developed and reviewed by the teachers, school
heads and supervisors of DepEd Division of Cabanatuan City to assist you in helping the
learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their different
constraints in schooling. As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how
to use this module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and
assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

This Module is about formulating a hypothesis and identifying the relationship

between and among variables. After identifying a problem, a researcher proceeds to
formulating a hypothesis relevant to the problem. When conducting scientific
experiments, researchers develop hypotheses to guide experimental design. One
important characteristic of a good hypothesis is that it states a relationship between and
among variables. The three types of variables are dependent, independent, and
controlled variables. Learning activities to practice formulating a hypothesis and defining
variables are included in this module. Let us now begin, try to think as a scientist as we go
along!

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 OBJECTIVES

1. Define hypothesis.
2. Explain the process in formulating a hypothesis.
3. Explain the process in identifying the relationship between and among variables.

COMPETENCY

1. Formulate a hypothesis.
2. Explain the relationship between and among variables.

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 WHAT DO YOU ALREADY KNOW?

Pre-Test Directions: Read carefully the following questions and encircle

the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following best describes a hypothesis?

a. Statement that you set out to prove.
b. Tested by collecting only the data that support it.
c. Proposed before a good research question can be developed.
d. Posits a clear relationship between different factors.
2. In the study of the effect of the amount TV viewing on children’s aggressiveness,
amount of TV viewing would be what type of variable?
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Control variable
d. Simple variable
3. Which of the following is a characteristic of a well-written research hypothesis?
a. It asks a pertinent question
b. It is based on researcher’s instinct
c. It should be long and detailed
d. It is testable
4. What comes after the "If.." part of your hypothesis?
a. Your Prediction
b. Your Scientific Reason
c. Your Test
d. All of the above
5. What comes after your "then..." portion of your hypothesis?
a. Your Prediction
b. Your Scientific Reason
c. Your Test
d. All of the Above
6. Complete the hypothesis: Question: Will a dog eat meat over vegetables? If...
______________________________________ then... the dog will choose the steak
because... dogs need protein more than vegetables.
a. You plant a plant in fertilizer
b. You feed a dog steak and dog-food
c. You feed a dog steak and vegetables
d. You feed a dog carrots and broccoli

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7. Complete the hypothesis: Question: What effect does studying with music have
on student test scores? If... one student studies with music and one student
studies without music then... _______________________________________________
because... music can be distracting to some students
a. Both students will do great
b. It depends on the student
c. The student who listened to music won't show up to class
d. The student who listened to music will do worse on a test
8. When experimenting with the growth of a plant, a scientist uses three (of the
same type of) plants, two different fertilizers, equal light, and equal water. What
type of variable is the water?
a. Dependent variable
b. Independent variable
c. Controlled variable
d. Complex variable
9. When experimenting with the growth of a plant, a scientist uses three (of the
same type of) plants, two different fertilizers, equal light, and equal water. What
type of variable is the fertilizer?
a. Dependent variable
b. Independent variable
c. Controlled variable
d. Simple variable
10. Which variable is the same for each test subject in an experiment?
a. Dependent variable
b. Independent variable
c. Controlled variable
d. Simple variable

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 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Formulation of a Hypothesis

Hypothesis is a statement or supposition, which explains an observation or an

educated guess about how things work. It is important that hypothesis can be tested
scientifically. A researcher typically look back at the end of the experiment to see whether
the conclusion supports the hypothesis or not. Forming good hypotheses can be
challenging for students to grasp. As a researcher, remember that the hypothesis is not a
question, it is a testable statement.

Source:
https://i.vimeocdn.com/filter/overlay?src0=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F768207434_1280x720.jpg&src1=https%3A%2F%2Ff
.vimeocdn.com%2Fimages_v6%2Fshare%2Fplay_icon_overlay.png

Three types of Hypothesis

1. Null Hypothesis - a denial of an attribute, an existence, a difference or an effect or

relationship expressed in negative statement.

2. Alternative hypothesis - affirms the existence of a phenomenon, acceptance of the

attribute of relationship, effects and differences.

3. Cause and Effect Hypothesis - determines if changes in one variable cause

changes in another.

Example:

Research Problem: “The Effects of Varying Temperature and Concentrations on the

Index Refraction of Sugar Solution.”

Research Question: What factors affect the index of refraction of sugar solution?

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 We can state this in any of the three types of hypothesis:

Null Hypothesis Alternative Hypothesis Cause and Effect

Hypothesis
1. Varying 1. Varying 1. If the temperature is
temperatures have temperatures have varied, then the index of
no significant effect a significant effect refraction of a sugar
on the index of on the index of solution is affected.
refraction of a sugar refraction of a sugar
solution. solution.
2. Varying 2. Varying 2. If concentration is
concentrations concentrations have a varied, then the index of
have no significant significant effect on the refraction of a sugar
effect on the index index of refraction of a solution is affected.
of refraction of a sugar solution.
sugar solution.

A good hypothesis has several basic characteristics. It should be testable, logical,

directly related to the research problem, represents a single unit or subset of the problem,
factually or theoretically based or states a relationship between variables and sets limits
of study or stated in a form that can be accepted or rejected.

The sources of hypothesis is based on observation in the environment, on literature,

on other empirical data, or from personal experiences.

Identifying Variables

Research variables are qualities, properties or characteristics of person, things or

situations that you are trying to measure in some way. They may change or vary.

There should be three categories of variables in every experiment: dependent,

independent, and controlled.
1. Dependent Variable - what will be measured; it's what the investigator thinks will be
affected during the experiment.
2. Independent Variable - what is changed during the experiment; it is what the
investigator thinks might affect the dependent variable.
3. Controlled Variable - variables held constant (that means they are measured and
CONTROLLED). Since the investigator wants to study the effect of one particular
independent variable, the possibility that other factors are affecting the outcome
must be eliminated.

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 Below is an example of a Discussion Storyboard. It describes the variables in an
experimental design.

Let us take this example.

How temperature affects the amount of sugar able to be dissolved in water?

Independent Variable Water Temperature
(Range 5 different samples at 10°C, 20°C,
30°C, 40°C and 50°C)
Dependent Variable The amount of sugar that can be
dissolved in the water, measured in
teaspoons.
Controlled Variable - Volume of water (500 mL -
measured using a graduated
cylinder)
- Type of water (get the water from
the same tap)
- Whether the water is stirred or not
- Type of sugar
- Grain size of the sugar

After identifying the variables, the hypothesis then takes the form if [change in
independent variable], then [change in dependent variable].

For example, if an experiment were looking for the effect of caffeine on reaction
time, the independent variable would be amount of caffeine and the dependent
variable would be reaction time. The “if, then” hypothesis could be: If you increase the
amount of caffeine taken, then the reaction time will decrease.

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 WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

Post-Test Directions: Read carefully the following questions and encircle

the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about null hypothesis?

a. It is a denial of an attribute, an existence, a difference or an effect or
relationship expressed in negative statement.
b. It affirms the existence of a phenomenon, acceptance of the attribute of
relationship, effects and differences.
c. It is a general statement or default position that there is no relationship
between two measured phenomena
d. It says there is no statistical significance between the two variables
2. Which of the following is the best example of a null hypothesis?
a. There will be no relationship between the amount of cookies you eat and
your blood sugar level.
b. As the amount of cookies you eat increases, your blood sugar level will
increase.
c. As the amount of cookies you eat increases, your blood sugar level will
decrease.
d. As the amount of cookies you eat decreases, your blood sugar level will
remain constant.
3. If the null hypothesis states, 'There is no relationship between the amount of sleep a
person gets each night and the amount of coffee they drink,' which of the following
could be an example of an alternative hypothesis for this study?
a. The amount of sleep a person gets each night does not affect the amount of
coffee they drink.
b. As the amount of sleep a person gets each night decreases, the amount of
coffee they drink increases.
c. As the amount of sleep a person gets each night increases, the amount of
tea they drink decreases.
d. If a person drinks coffee before going to sleep at night, they will have more
dreams.
4. It determines if changes in one variable cause changes in another.
a. Null hypothesis
b. Alternative hypothesis
c. Cause and effect hypothesis
d. Variable

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 5. Complete the following hypothesis. Question: What effect does smiling have on
teacher giving homework? If... the students smile at the teacher then... the teacher
will not give any homework because...
_________________________________________________________.
a. There was no homework for that day
b. The smiles made the teacher happy which made the teacher want to be
nice to the students
c. The teacher will give it another day
d. The homework was really easy
6. In an experiment to determine what type of acid is the MOST corrosive (destructive)
which of these would NEED to be a controlled variable?
a. The acids used
b. The material the acid is poured on
c. The size of the hole created by the acid
d. None of the above
7. What would the INDEPENDENT variable be in an experiment testing the
effectiveness different types of paper airplane?
a. the paper used
b. the type of folds made
c. the distance of each plane's flight
d. the fold’s distance
8. Students were involved in an experiment to investigate whether playing music while
they took a test affected their scores. What would their test scores be?
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Controlled variable
d. Hypothesis
9. If you were running an experiment to determine the temperature at which beans
sprout the fastest, what would be the variable?
a. The number of beans you plant
b. The height of the sprouts you grow
c. The amount of water you give the beans
d. The temperature at which each bean is kept
10. A student hypothesized that robins prefer large birdhouses to small ones. He build
four birdhouses of different sizes to test his hypothesis. What was the independent
variable in the students study?
a. The size of the birdhouse
b. The number of birds in the house
c. The location of the birdhouse
d. The season of the year

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 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 1

Enrichment Activity Directions: Choose 5 from the testable questions

below and formulate 3 different hypotheses for each.

A. What effect does studying with music have on student test scores?

B. Does giving chocolate to teachers decrease the amount of homework?

C. How does the brand of diaper affect how much liquid the diaper can hold?

D. How does the type of liquid used to make ice cubes affect the rate at which it melts?

E. How does the type of material (cotton, plastic, rubber) affect the amount of water it
can absorb?

F. How does the height of a ramp affect the distance a toy car rolls?

G. How does fertilizer effect the growth of a plant?

H. How does temperature affect the length of time it takes for mold to grow on bread?

I. How does the size of a rubber ball affect the height of its bounce?

J. How does music effect the growth of a plant?

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 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 2

Enrichment Activity directions: Create your own research problem and

research question. Formulate your null, alternative and cause and
effect hypothesis based on your problem. Complete the table below to
organize your ideas.

Research Research Null Hypothesis Alternative Cause and

Problem Question Hypothesis Effect
Hypothesis

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 3

Enrichment Activity Directions: In the following hypotheses, identify

the independent and dependent variables.

1. If you increase the number of cigarettes you smoke, then you will increase your risk for
lung cancer.

2. If you increase the amount of blood in the water, then you will increase the number of
sharks in the area.

3. If you increase the amount of milk you drink, then you will increase the strength of your
bones.

4. If you increase the number of hours you spend in practice, then you will increase the
number of free throw shots you will make.

5. If the amount of sugar added to water is increased, then the amount of hummingbirds
attracted to the water will increase

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 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY 4

Enrichment Activity Directions: Identify the variables in the given

research questions below. Complete the table to organize your ideas.

1. How does the number of batteries affect brightness?

2. How does the amount of light affect plant growth?
3. How does the age of a student affect the time it takes to complete a jigsaw puzzle?

Independent Variable/s Dependent Variable/s Controlled Variable/s

1

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 14
What Have You Learned?
What Do You Already Know? 1. b
2. a
1. d 3. b
2. a 4. c
3. d 5. b
4. c 6. b
5. a 7. b
6. c 8. b
7. d 9. d
8. c 10. a
9. b
10. c
Activity Number 1 Activity Number 2
1. ? 1. ?
2. ? 2. ?
3. ? 3. ?
4. ? 4. ?
5. ? 5. ?
6. ? 6. ?
7. ? 7. ?
8. ? 8. ?
9. ? 9. ?
10. ? 10. ?
Activity Number 3 Activity Number 4
1. ? 1. ?
2. ? 2. ?
3. ? 3. ?
4. ? 4. ?
5. ? 5. ?
6. ? 6. ?
7. ? 7. ?
8. ? 8. ?
9. ? 9. ?
10. ? 10. ?
ANWER KEYS
 REFERENCES

Books

1. Helen E. Caintic PhD., Juanita M. Cruz, PhD., Scientific Research Manual (Philippines: C & E
Publishing, Inc., 2008), page: 9-10, 15

Online Sources

1. Nalzaro, Ludy Mae, SlideShare, Chapter 4-Research Hypothesis and Defining Variables,
Date last accessed: June 29, 2020,URL: https://www.slideshare.net/ludymae/chapter-
4research-hypothesis-and-defining-variables
2. ProProfs Quizzes, Forming A Hypothesis, Date last accessed: June 29, 2020,URL:
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=odayndq3e546
3. Quizizz, Hypothesis Testing, Date last accessed: June 29, 2020,URL:
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/58d2bf6d47b3a35403c4a42a/hypothesis-testing
4. Quizizz, Identifying Variables, Date last accessed: June 29, 2020,URL:
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/580bc920affa5c4c63620639/identifying-variables
5. Smith, Oliver., StoryboardThat., Teach Students the Design of Experiments., Date last
accessed: June 29, 2020,URL: https://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/e/experimental-
design
6. Study.com, Formulating the Research Hypothesis and Null Hypothesis, Date last accessed:
June 29, 2020,URL: https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-formulating-the-
research-hypothesis-and-null-hypothesis.html
7. Study.com, Hypothesis Testing: Comparing the Null & Alternative Hypothesis, Date last
accessed: June 29, 2020,URL: https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-
comparing-the-null-alternative-hypothesis.html
8. Date last accessed: June 29, 2020,URL:
http://mshawks.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/5/7/13575549/scientific_method_stations.pd
9. Date last accessed: June 29, 2020, URL:
https://oepos.ca.uky.edu/files/asking_good_scientific_questions.pdf

Royalty-Free Pictures and Illustrations

1. https://i.vimeocdn.com/filter/overlay?src0=https%3A%2F%2Fi.vimeocdn.com%2Fvideo%2F7
68207434_1280x720.jpg&src1=https%3A%2F%2Ff.vimeocdn.com%2Fimages_v6%2Fshare%2F
play_icon_overlay.png. Date accessed: June 30, 2020
2. https://i1.pickpik.com/photos/184/716/976/chalkboard-slate-green-blackboard-
preview.jpg. Date accessed: June 30, 2020
3. https://encrypted-
tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQ3HWNuiTK17bduePE0jYdbczkn30alif7yMw&
usqp=CAU. . Date accessed: June 30, 2020

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 Formulating Hypothesis and
Identifying Variables
Hypothesis gives directional to the researcher to answer the research question. It is
considered as an intelligent guess or prediction. Hypothesis or Hypotheses explain the
relationship between two or more variables in a specified population. Furthermore, it helps to
interpret the research problem and objective into a clear explanation of the expected results
or outcomes of the research study.

This Self-Learning Module explained how to formulate a hypothesis and the relationship
between and among research variables. There are three types of hypothesis – null, alternative,
and cause and effect hypothesis. A variable is defined as anything that has a quantity or quality
that varies. It has three categories namely independent, dependent, and controlled variables.

As a student researcher, you are going to conduct an experiment or research study in

the future. You need to come up with a scientific explanation for what you are going to do in
your experiment. This learning module have taught you a lot. Practice and apply the ideas. They
will surely make your future research study a perfect one.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region 3
Division of Cabanatuan City
Curriculum Implementation Division (CID)
Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS)
This self-learning module (SLM) is developed by the SDO Cabanatuan City CID-LRMDS Team under Project
EL AR: Enhanced Learning thru Adequate Resources.
Cover and page elements illustrations by Jan Carl B. Briones ● Project EL AR logo by Gemmarie G. Rivas