Activity 2: Vocabulary Practice

ADS OR POSTER MAKING

Directions: Imagine that you own a business company. In the space provided, create

a poster or an advertisement to promote the product of your company. Provide

your work with a caption that uses the words you have newly learned.

Image Intensifier

Think about this title of the reading material that you will soon read: Variables.

What comes to your mind upon hearing this word? Ask questions to express your

curiosity about this word.

Concept Discovery

Find out what this reading material has to say about “Variables.”

VARIABLES

Definition

Variables are “changing qualities or characteristics” of persons or things like age,

gender, intelligence, ideas, achievements, confidence, and so on that are involved in

your research study. Made up of the root or base word “vary” which means to undergo

changes or to differ from, variables have different or varying values in relation to

time and situation. For instance, as years go by, your age or intelligence increases.

But placed in a situation where you are afflicted with a disease or have no means of

reading or no access to any sources of knowledge, your intelligence tend to decrease.

(Suter 2013, p. 137)

30 • PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

In research, especially in a quantitative research, one important thing you have to

focus on at the start of your study is to determine the variables involved in your study.

Unless you spend some time pondering on variables in your research, your work has

no chance of attaining its goal. Your research problem or research topic to which you

devote much of your initial research time finalizing stands great, if it has wordings on

the basic variables involved in your study.

Basic Types
Basically, variables are of two types: independent variables and dependent variables.

Independent variables are those that cause changes in the subject, while dependent

variables are those that bear or manifest the effects caused by the independent

variables. Hence, in a causal relationship, the cause comes from the independent

variables; the effects, on the dependent variables.

In an experimental research, the independent variable as the condition or treatment

applied to the experimental group is under the control, direction, or manipulation

of the researcher or experimenter. For instance, to determine the positive effects

of one modern grammar theory called SFG (Systemic Functional Grammar) on IC

(Intercultural Competence), you apply this theory in varied ways like realizing this in

a collaborative, oral, or written activity. In this case, the SFG serves as the independent

variable and the IC as the dependent variable