K to 12 BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL – SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) SPECIALIZED SUBJECT

GRADE: 12
SUBJECT TITLE: RESEARCH/CAPSTONE SUBJECT
PRESENTED BY: PRECELITA L. OSILLOS

GENERATING RESEARCH IDEAS

• Identify past researches on a given topic

• Look for gaps or areas that need further exploration – review of literature

• Narrow down the topic – realistic and feasible

Where to generate ideas?

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE…

 Issues - environment

 Media

PREVIOUS RESEARCH…

 Conference presentations

 Journal articles

 Academic literatures

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

RESEARCH PROBLEM/ QUESTION

“The uncertainty about something in the population that the investigator wants to resolve by making measurements on
study subjects” (Hulley et al., 2001)

RESEARCH QUESTION

“Developing a good research question is one of the first critical step in the research process. The
research question, when appropriately written will guide the research project and assist in the construction of a
logical argument. The research question should be a clear, focused question that summarizes the issue that the
researcher will investigate.” (Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, (n.d.))

DEVELOPING A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Identify a broad subject of interest that can accommodate a further investigation

(A researcher might be interested in developing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as

biofertilizer)

2. Do preliminary research on the general topic to find out what research has already been done and
what literature already exists

(How much research has been done on AMF? Is there a unique area that is yet to be
investigated or is there a particular question that may be worth replicating?)

3. Begin to narrow the topic by asking open-ended “how” and “why” questions with appropriate key
words. Create a list of potential questions for consideration and choose one that interests you and
provides an opportunity for exploration.

Topic: Identification of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi found in the soils of La Union

 What are the AMF species associated with plants found in the soils of Agoo? (too broad)

What are the AMF species isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) of wild legumes found in the
soils of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union ? (narrower)

Is this a good research problem?

What are the AMF species isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) of wild legumes found in the
soils of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union ?

Something is missing in this problem…

 What are the AMF species isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) of wild legumes found
in the soils of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union as determined by: spore shape, spore
size, spore color, number of spore walls

4. Evaluate the questions. (Do they show the F-I-N-E-R qualities?)

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM/QUESTION

(F-I-N-E-R) (Teves, 2016)

1. FEASIBLE

• Manageable scope and doable

• Affordable in time and money

• Adequate consultants or technical experts

• sufficient materials, subjects or participants

2. INTERESTING

• Researcher is fascinated to the problem

-he must have passion on what he is doing (passion is an important driving force)

• to others

3. NOVEL - NEW AND DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS BEEN KNOWN BEFORE

• Provides new findings or results

• Extends findings of previous researches

• Confirms or refutes previous findings

4. ETHICAL

• Beneficence or non-maleficence

• Respect and value for persons

5. RELEVANT

• To scientific knowledge

• To public policy

• To future research directions

BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH

BASIC RESEARCH

• pure, fundamental research

• descriptive in nature

• focused on improving, expanding scientific theories

• promotes better and fuller understanding of a phenomena

• Results are not always directly applicable but the theories generated can be foundations of the applied
researches

EXAMPLES

 double helical structure of DNA (Watson and Crick, 1953)

 Classification of living organisms into domains based on similarities in rRNA (Woese, 1978)

RESEARCH QUESTION IN A BASIC RESEARCH

• Driven by scientist’s curiosity or interest

• Fills in the knowledge that we don’t have

EXAMPLES:

Topic : Isolation of plant pathogens

S.P. What is the microorganism that causes bulb rot infection in onions?

“Isolation and Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Wild Legumes” (Osillos
and Nagpala, 2016)

S.P. What are the AMF species isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) of wild legumes found in
the soils of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union?

APPLIED RESEARCH

• Solve practical problems

• Improve human conditions

• Triggered by problems – overpopulation, pollution, overuse of earth’s natural resources, emergence of

diseases, etc.

• Addresses a need

• Test the effect or efficiency of something

EXAMPLES

• Improve crop production and increase plant resistance against plant pathogens

• Drugs/natural products for the treatment of diseases

• Improvement of the energy efficiency of appliances/gadgets used in homes, offices

RESEARCH QUESTION IN APPLIED RESEARCH

EXAMPLES

1. What is the effect of AMF in the growth performance of tomatoes measured in terms of number of
leaves, percent increase in height, final height?
 2. What is the effect of the different concentrations of Mollugo oppositifolia L. (Papait) leaf extract to
the reproductive performance of mice in terms of frequency of abnormal sperms?

SCIENTIFIC LITERATURES

Used in the

• Introduction

• Theoretical framework

• Results and discussion

 GUIDE the researcher in formulating his hypothesis – read even before the formulation of a research problem
and conduct of the study

SCIENTIFIC LITERATURES

• Coherent and thematical

• Crucial and relevant

• Theoretical basis of the research

• Determines the nature of the research

• Recently conducted studies related to the research problem

*exceptions: when the gap between the recent study and the last previous study is wide

• links the research problem to a bigger problem area

• Previous studies that give theoretical back up to the problem

HYPOTHESIS

 Leads to the thesis statements

 States the researcher’s stand about the problem which he intends to answer

 Should be specific, in congruence with the statement of each problem

 Should be testable

 State the relationship of the variables (cause and effect, correlations, measures of difference)

METHODOLOGY

• Research design and methods

• Population/organisms, observation units of the study

• Data gathering tools and procedures

• Statistical tools to analyze the data

1. Research Method(s) and Design(s)

-tells about the different methods to be used standard methods (bulk extraction, wet
sieving and sucrose centrifugation methods for the isolation of mycorrhiza, antimicrobial
assays and other assays)

-study designs - descriptive or experimental

 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

• Tests if the effect of the treatment makes a statistical difference

• There is a CONTROL group (standard check) and a TEST group (one that is tested)

• establish cause and effect (causal) relationship between dependent and independent variables

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE – e.g. plant extract, antibiotics to be tested

DEPENDENT VARIABLE – e.g. test organisms (response)

Example: What is the effect of the different concentrations of the methanolic leaf extracts of Lantana
camara L. (Bangbangsit), against Aspergillus niger measured in terms of colony diameter and
percentage of inhibition of fungal growth?

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

 researcher controls study conditions

-randomly assigns participants or test organisms to the groups or conditions that

constitute the independent variable

-hold all other factors (variables) constant

2. Duration and locale of the study

-describe the projected length of time the study will be conducted and completed

-describe the place where the data will be gathered, where the data will be undertaken

3. Population, Subjects and Test organisms

-source of data respondents, test organisms, field organisms

-sampling technique, population characteristics

-bioethical procedures employed in the collection of specimens for study

 4. Materials and Procedures

• Procedure is APPLICABLE and based on the research problem

• Use APPROPRIATE protocols or standard procedures - describe and state the purpose and choice;
can be modified

-append details of standard procedures

-new procedures to be used needs validation

EXAMPLES

 CAM assay – chorioallantoic membrane assay

 Allium cepa or Allium test

 Sperm morphology assay

 Poison food technique

 Disk diffusion method

 Alizarin Red S staining method (Bowtell, 1998)

 Rapid ink staining method (Vierhilig, 1998)

• questionnaires, interview schedules – content, reliability and validity

• laboratory equipment

DATA COLLECTION

• Gathered data depends on the research problems

• Result of the experiment, quantified

NOTE:

• Record data in a notebook, kept in a safe place

-including your mistakes

• Also store data in electronic file

• Analyze data using appropriate statistical tool

- consult a statistician

TREATMENT OF THE DATA/DATA ANALYSIS

• descriptive and inferential statistical tools

• (ANOVA, T-test, Post Hoc)

• mention what data and for what problem will be treated by a particular statistical tool

• sample tables for data presentation

CONCLUSIONS

• General statement based on your findings

• Few sentences
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Anchored to the conclusions

• Where to address the “lapses” of the study

WRITING THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER

 INTRODUCTION

 METHODOLOGY

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

 CONCLUSION

 RECOMMENDATION

 ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

• introduces the broad overall topic and provides basic background information

• describes the development of the problem

• Narrows down to the specific research question relating to the topic

• Provides the purpose and focus for the rest of the paper and sets up the justification for the research

• logical, essential extension of an existing knowledge

PARTS:

1. Background of the Study

-rationale – how the research can fill the gaps

-arguments

-logical

-leads to the research question

-problem statement/objectives of the study seen at the final paragraph

-confine to 4-5 pages only

The discussion in the Background of the Study should be arranged in the following order:

1. Identification of the general research problem.

2. Within the general problem, isolate the particular research question (s) to be addressed in the
research.

3. Provide the foundation of the research by a discussion of relevant related literature.

4. Describe the rationale of the study; why the study needs to be undertaken, what benefits will be
obtained.

5. State the objective of the study.

2. Theoretical Framework

-discussion of theories and concepts involved in the research problem

 -explains what has been said on the topic or problem

-provides the basis for variables to be studied and how they will be studied

-discusses general principles and concepts that give focus to and lens for the research

3. Research Paradigm (diagram)

-interrelation of theories and concepts

-depicts the cause and effect relationships and/or correlation

4. Statement of the Problem

-general problem that is broken down into specific problems

-specific problems should be stated in quantifiable or measurable terms

-number of specific questions should sufficiently cover the scope and address
the delimitation of your study

GENERAL PROBLEM: What are the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) present in the rhizosphere soil
of plants found in DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union?

SPECIFIC PROBLEM: What are the AMF species isolated from the rhizosphere soil of wild legumes and
cogon grass found in the soils of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union as determined by:

1. spore shape?

2. spore size?

3. spore color?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1. Research Method(s) and Design(s)

2. Duration and locale of the study

3. Population, Subjects and Test organisms

4. Materials and Procedures

5. Treatment of the Data

RESULTS

 should focus only on results that are related to the research or the problem
DISCUSSION

• Discussion of the results and the implications on the fields as well as other fields

• Hypothesis should be answered and validated by the interpretation of the results

• Discuss how the results relate to previous research mentioned in the literature review, potential for
future research

SUMMARY

• The entire study in a nutshell

• Includes objectives, problems, significant findings

• Paragraph form

CONCLUSION

• Answers to the research questions

• Strengthens what principles have been established and what generalizations are drawn from the results
of the study.

• “so what” of the research

• State the importance and future implications of the results of the study

RECOMMENDATION

• Future research directions

• Address delimitation and limitations

• Present possible applications of the study

ABSTRACT

• Synopsis of the study

• Introduce the topic and the specific research question, provide a statement about the results and the
findings and the benefits or importance in solving the problem

• Not more than 200-250 words

• Used by readers to quickly review the overall content of the paper

• Written last

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY

APA (2001) – htttp://www.apa.org.

EXAMPLES:

A. Journal article (on-line publication)

Aggangan, N.S., Tamayao, P.J.S., Aguilar, E.A., Anarna, J.A., Dizon, T.O. (2013). Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and
Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria as Growth Promoters and as Biological Control Agents Against
Nematodes in Tissue-Cultured Banana var. Lakatan. Philippine Journal of Science 142 (2), 153-165.
Retrieved January 13, 2016 from: http://journals.uplb.edu.ph/index.php/JESAM/article/viewFile/1116/pdf8.
(Note: remove web address if it is not an on-line journal)

B. Book (one author)

Ahmadjian, V. (1993). The lichen symbiosis. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Book (two or more authors)

Tortora, G.J., Funke, B.R., and Case, C.L. (2012). Microbiology: An introduction (11th ed). Benjamin Cummings.

C. Article or chapter in an edited book

Barak, J.D., & Liang A.S. (2010). Role of soil, crop debris, and a plant pathogen Salmonella enterica
contamination of tomato plants. In S. Friedman (ed.) Plant Pathology (pp. 22-34). Apple Academic
Press Inc.

D. stand-alone web document (no date)

Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. Data Management. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from:
https://cirt.gcu.edu.

E. stand-alone web document (no author, no date)

Tomato (n.d.) Retrieved January 1, 2015 from http://www.geochembio.com.

F. Magazine

Elegant, S. (2005, December). Living in a fault line. Time, 166, 32-38.

G. Newspapers

Adraneda, K. (2007, December 17). DENR chief in Bali: RP taking steps vs. global warming.
The Philippine Star p. 2.

APPENDIX/APPENDICES

• Communications

• Permits

• Details of standard lab procedures

• Time table and budgetary requirements

• photos