11

Practical Research 1

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and

reviewed by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and
or/universities. We encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to
email their feedback, comments, and recommendations to the Department of
Education at [email protected].

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Lesson
1 The Subject Matter of the Research

Developing a good research topic may not be easy for you but it is an
important skill. Your teacher may assign you a particular topic but often requires you
to choose a topic that interests you .In this lesson you are given the guidelines in
choosing a topic when you begin your research work. These pointers will guide you
in selecting a good topic. Other factors affecting in choosing and writing your
research are topics that need to be avoided this will help you focus clearly on your
subjects. Likewise the sources of information are important for you to know where
your research topic may come from.

(
In the previous lesson, you learned to illustrate the importance of qualitative
research across fields of inquiry .Research can be conducted in any field of
knowledge .Whatever field you belong you can freely choose the basic research
approaches either the scientific ,naturalistic or mixed. The areas of disciplines that
are classified into soft and hard sciences assist you to understand where you really
fit. These will guide you into this next learning of designing a research project and
writing a research title.

I. What is a Research Title1?

1. The most important element that defines the research problem.

2. It is usually read first and the most read part of the research.
3. It contains the least words enough to describe the contents and the purpose
of your research paper.
4. It can be revised any and many times as the research develops and reach its
final phase. It becomes final on its final defence before the panel of judges.
____________________
1
For more information about what is a research title see Abdullah, S.N. (2018) .Practical Research 1: Qualitative
Research [PowerPoint slides].Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu./ppt.

4
 Elements of a Research Title

The research title does not need to be entertaining but informative.

A part of a research title has the following information:

1. The subject matter or
2.
3. The population
4. The time period of the study during which the data are to be collected.

Example:

Subject matter: The teaching of English

Place or locale: in the high schools of Province A
Time period: during the school year 1989-1990
Population: as perceived by teachers and students

Subject matter: The effects of the use of cell phones on the academic
performance
Population to senior high school students
Place or locale: at Department of Education
Time period: during the first semester, school year 2018-2019

II. Rules in Choosing a Research Topic1

1. Interest in the subject matter. Interest in a subject drives you to research,

investigate, or inquire about it with full motivation, enthusiasm, and energy.

2. Availability of information. Information will serve as evidence to support your

claims about your subject matter from varied forms of literature like books, journals,
and newspapers, among others, is a part and parcel of any research work.

What to include in the investigation of the available materials?

a. Update and authority of the materials.
b. Copyright dates of the materials? Are they new or old?
c. Expert or qualification of the writers of reading materials about your topic

____________________
1
For more information about rules in choosing a research topic see Barbour, R. (2014). Introducing Qualitative
Research: A Student Guide. Los Angeles: Sage Pub.USA.

5
3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic.

How relevant is the topic?

a. It yields results that are useful in society
b. Related to the present. (Except for pure or historical research)

4. Limitations on the subject. Connect your choice with course requirements. You
need to decide on one topic to
finish your course.

5. Personal resources. Do an assessment on your research abilities in terms of your

financial standing, health condition, mental capacity, needed facilities, and time
schedule to enable you to complete your research. You have to raise an amount of
money needed to spend on questionnaire printing and interview trips.

III. Research Topics to be avoided1

1. Controversial topics.
It depends . Facts cannot support
this topic.

2. Highly technical subjects.

Not advisable for beginners as these topics require an advanced study, technical
knowledge, and skills.

3. Hard-to-investigate subjects.
Happens if there are no available reading materials about it and if such materials are
not up-to-date.

4. Too broad subjects.

It prevents you from to focus on the subject matter of the paper.
Narrow down or limit the subject to eliminate the problem.

5. Too narrow subjects.

Subjects that are so limited where an extensive searching is necessary.

6. Vague subjects.
Titles beginning with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, some, etc., as in
ments on the RH

____________________
1
For more information about rules in choosing a research topic see Baraceros, E.L. (2016).Practical
.Ist ed. Rex Bookstore. Manila

6
IV. Sources of Research Topics1

1. Mass media communication press (newspapers, ads, TV, radio, films, etc.)

2. Books, Internet, peer-reviewed journals, government publications

3. Professional periodicals like College English Language Teaching Forum, English

Forum, the Economist, Academia, Business Circle, Law Review, etc.

Magazine, Time Magazine, World Mission Magazine, etc.

5. Previous reading assignments in your other subjects

6. Work experience clues to a researchable topic from full-time or part-time jobs,

OJT (on-the-job training) experience, fieldwork, etc.

Activity 1: Question and Answer

Directions: Answer the questions in 3-5 sentences only. Write your answers on the
space provided.

1. What are the rules in choosing a research topic?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. What are those topics to avoid in preventing you to have a clear focus on your
research paper?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

____________________
1
For more information about sources of research topic s see: Silverman, D. 2013. Doing Qualitative
Research. 4th ed. London: Sage Pub.USA.

7
Lesson The Research Problem and
2 Research Question

Having a problem makes you anxious that pushes you to exert efforts on
finding a solution. There will be doubts that you are uncertain of your solutions thus
conducting a research is the best thing to do. Doing a research always begins with a
problem which points you to a topic to look out. Getting the background and
establishing your research question that causes the problem is a hint to start
knowing what your problem is all about In this lesson you have to study the concept
of research problems and research questions including its scope and delimitation,
cite the significance

(
In the previous lesson, you learned to how to choose research topics and
write a title. Following those rules and what to avoid had guide you to create a good
topic for your research. You have the sources of research topics which you can use
to find a researchable topic. Even your work experiences can be a clue to a research
topic which relates to daily life situations.

I.An Overview of the Research Problem and Research Question

Chapter I of the research paper is called The Problem and Its Background
(sometimes also called The Introduction)

It is composed of the following sections:

1) Background of the Study,
2) Statement of the Problem,
3) Scope and Delimitation, and
4) Significance of the Study.

Others have sections such as Objectives of the Study, Hypotheses but these will not
be considered in this lesson

17
What is a research problem?

The Research Problem (According to Calderon & Gonzales,1993)

A problem ation, real or artificial,

research topic or research title.

An illustration showing the description between a research topic, research problem,

purpose statement and research question.

General
A research topic is the Topic: Distance Learning
broad subject matter
of the study
Research Problem:
A research problem is
a general issue or Lack of learners knowledge
concern about the about distance in distance
research that narrow education .
the topic.

A purpose of the Purpose Statement:

study used to address
the problem. To study why learners do not
attend distance education
A research question classes in a community college
narrows the purpose
into specific questions
that the researcher Research Questions:
would like to answer
Does the use of website
in the study
Specific technology in the classroom
deter learners from enrolling in a
distant education class?

18
A. Background of the Study

Purpose of background of the study

a. The general definition of the topic/problem area

b. Historical basis for the existence of the problem
c. Efforts made towards addressing similar challenges
d. How the efforts failed to be realized hence the need for your study

Contents of the background of the study:

a. Presentation of the problem. Describe the existence of an unsatisfactory

condition or a problem that needs a solution.

b. Historical background of the problem - Give the historical background of the

problem, if applicable.

c. Geographical conditions of the study locale - If applicable, describe the

geographical location of the study.

d. Rationale of the study - Give the reason(s) why the study should be conducted.

Example:

In 2004, the researcher migrated to the Philippines to accompany her spouse

who was at the time studying at the Adventist Institute for International Advanced
Studies (AIIAS) in Silang, Cavite. They discovered the study opportunities and
were motivated by the quality of education and low school fees being offered.
They visited several colleges and universities to collect pamphlets and sent them
back to Vanuatu for educational awareness. The Ni-Vanuatus became aware
and decided to send students to study in the Philippines. The first two schools to
receive Vanuatu students were AMA Computer College in Dasmariñas, Cavite
and Air Link Aviation College in Paranaque City. The researcher came to know
Cavite State University (CvSU) in 2009 and transferred from AMA.
(Ngwele, March 2011)

(Ngwele, March 2011)

of Writing a Research Background Study 1

19
 Explain the importance of your o Write a background that is too
research topic long or short
Talk about the main o Be ambiguous in your writing,
developments and missing links disorganized and discuss
and gaps in your research area unrelated subjects.
Focus on the relevant aspects o Forget the reader may not be
of your study explaining how it familiar with the details of your
will lead to the progress of work.
scientific knowledge.
Engage your findings in a o Elaborate on your background
chronological findings literature
Articulate your ideas in a clear o Forget to provide a historical
and concise manner perspective
Engage the readers by building o Forget to check your target
a story around the central instruction for presenting
theme of your research the study background

B.Statement of the Problem

(Purpose Statement and Research Questions)

A series of questions used in researching the topic.

It is composed of
1. The general statement of the problem (the purpose statement) and
2. The specific sub-problems or sub-questions (or research questions).

Guidelines in Writing the Statement of the Problem

(According to Calderon & Gonzales,1993)

1. The general statement of the problem and the research questions should be
formulated first before conducting the research.

2. Research questions should be stated in the interrogative and each should be clear
to avoid confusion.

3 Each research question should be researchable separately from the other

questions and must be based upon known facts and phenomena which is accessible
to the researcher.

____________________
1
For more information about , see online link
on www.editage.com/insights/8-dos-and-8-donts-of-writing-an-engaging-study-background

20
4. Answers to each research question can be interpreted apart from the answers to
the other specific questions and must contribute to the development of the whole
research study.

8. The summary of the answers to all the specific questions will give a complete
development of the entire study.

9. The number of research questions should be enough to cover the development of

the whole research study.

Example:

This research aims to develop an evaluation model of a web-based tool used in

test administration for Grade 11 and 12 students. (Leanillo, 2016)

Specifically it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the commonly used web-based tools used in test administration?
2. How are these web-based test tools evaluated?
3. How could evaluation model be designed for web-based test administration?
IV.Sco and Delimitation of Research

C.Scope and Delimitation of the Study1

Scope of a Study

It is the coverage of the research to be explored which includes the facts and
theories about the subject

Example:

A research study on the impact of social networking on the attitude of senior high
school learners.

It is not possible to cover all aspects of the selected subject. The scope will have to
be restricted to a specific section of the target population over a specified duration.

In the above-cited study, a group of 40 learners in senior high school at one

particular school would be an ideal coverage to study their attitude for five months.

____________________
1
For more information about scope and delimitation of the study see Cristobal, A.P., Jr, & Cristobal, M.D. (2016).
Practical Research 1 for Senior High School. Ist ed.C & E Publishing Inc. Quezon City.
These would form the next parameter.
21
 Delimitation of a Study

It limits the scope and outlines the boundaries of the study.

These limitations include the following:

1. Sample size.
a. The research design and method will determine whether if it is small or
large sample size.
b. The sample size will determine the quality of data and the relationships
that will be identified among the variables.

2. Lack of available and/or reliable data.

This will limit the scope of analysis and the ability of the researcher to
determine meaningful trends and relationships among the data.

3. Lack of prior studies.

This will limit the effectiveness of the literature review and initial
understanding of the research.

4. Chosen data collection method.

The quality of data collected must be clear to avoid erroneous answers
from the respondents.

5. Nature of the information collected.

Researcher should not rely on pre-existing data.

6. Access.
The amount and quality of available data will depend on the ability of the
researcher to access people, organizations, libraries, and documents.

7. Time period.
It is advisable to select a research problem and design

8. Bias.
The researcher should be aware of his or her personal biases .

9. Language.
This may have an effect on data collection, especially if the researcher is
involved with respondents that speak a variety of languages.

22
 When writing the paper, the researcher should ensure that any delimitation
factor is noted down at the introduction, discussion, and conclusion sections. He or
she should clarify why the study included and excluded some delimitation.

D.Significance of the Study

The significance of the study discuss the purpose that the research will serve
to society, the country, the government, the institution or agency concerned,
the curriculum planners and developers, and the research community.

Describes the contribution of the study to the existing body of knowledge.

It could be the following:

a. A form of new knowledge in the field,
b. A validation of the major findings of other studies,
c. A verification of the validity of findings in a different population,
d. Analysis of trends over time, and validation of other findings using different
methodologies.

The researcher must identify specifically the beneficiaries who will directly
gain from the results of the study mentioning them in the paper according to
the significance of the result. The specific benefits must also be enumerated
and explained if necessary.

Example:

The Effects of Computer-assisted Instruction in the Performance of Students in

Asian History and Civilization (Cuenca, 2008)

The findings of the study may provide deeper insights on how teaching can be made
easier and more meaningful by the use of computer-aided instruction. The study determined the
significant effects of slide presentation in instruction, a form of computer instruction on the
performance of the students in the subjects Asian History and Civilization.

To the students, the results may serve as an inspiration for them to continuously
improve their skills in using computers because they will realize the comfort that computer skills
offer in complying with the requirements of major subjects in the coming years.

To the administrators, the results may serve as a guide in the program-planning and
implementation of the IT department so that they can be of great help to the teachers of the
university.

To the teachers, the results may serve as an eye opener for those who are not
comfortable on the use of computers in their class lesson presentations. The findings of this
study may encourage more of them to apply computer-aided instruction in teaching.

23
II. Presenting Written Statement of the Problem

The following sections compose the presentation of the written statement of the
problem

1. Introduction

States briefly the background of the study and identifies the rationale of the
research problem.

It begins with a general statement of the problem, outlines the specific

problem or issue within the existing literature.

2. Statement of the Problem

States clearly the purposes or interest of the study, poses specific questions
about research problem.

3. Scope and Delimitation

Sets the boundaries and parameters of the study, narrows the scope of the
inquiry.

4. Significance of the Study

Shows the benefits of the study to address issues and l problems, in improving
economic and health conditions or even finding solutions to problems
encountered in daily life.

Activity 1: Question and Answer

Directions: Answer the questions in 3-5 sentences only. Write your answers on the
space provided.

1. What is Chapter 1 of a research paper and its sections that comprise?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

24