November 02, 2020

6B

Caribbean Studies

Nature and Purpose of Research

Specific Objectives on: The Nature and Purpose of Research

(a) Forms of knowledge: tradition, experience, scientific.

(b) Systematic enquiry.

(c) Generation of new knowledge.

(d) Reliability and validity in research.

(e) Problem solving.

What is research?

Research may be defined as:

 Systematic enquiry associated with the scientific method of quantitative approaches

 Generation of new knowledge as in pure research

 Problem -solving as in applied research or action research

Why conduct Research?

 This is done to gather information about some phenomenon

 To generate new knowledge

 To solve a problem

 To be able to predict an event or outcome

  To test a theory

Types of Research

There are many ways of classifying research

By purpose

 Pure research seeks new knowledge and tests theory ( it is its own purpose)

 Applied Research is aimed to solve a particular problem

By method and data produced:

 Quantitative- methods which yield numerical data

 Qualitative- in depth analysis of complex situations using words.

Reliability and Degree of Validity in Research

Reliability: ask whether your instrument is doing the same thing every time. In otherwords,

when you conduct your study does it give the same results. Your instrument is the means by

which you are going to measure your variables.

Validity: refers to how strong and accurate the conclusions and inferences are that you can

make. Research is valid when the questions asked and the methods used are likely to produce

relevant answers to the questions posed by the researcher.

Variables in Research

A variable is something that can take on different values. In an investigation for example,

into the impact of dancehall music on society, attitudes of teachers to sexual behavior of

young people and the types of dancehall music are all variables.

The Research Problem: this is the situation that causes the researcher to become

apprehensive or confused. It is the demarcation of a problem area within a certain context

involving the WHO or the WHAT, the WHERE, WHEN and WHY.

Identifying a Research Problem

The following questions should be asked when identifying a research problem:

 Is it important to the development effort and can I justify it as a significant piece of

research?

 Can I obtain information on it easily or with minimum inconvenience? For example,

are the persons involved or document and statistics accessible?

 Will I be able to research this issue in an ethical way? For example, will the way I go

about collecting information and how I use it be harmful to anyone?

 Can this problem be studied empirically- can I collect information in the field about

it?

 Is the issue or problem written clearly so that researchers understand what my focus

is?

The Problem Statement

This is a concise description of the nature of the problem you are undertaking to investigate

and what you deem important about it; the emphasis you will be bringing to bear. It is a short

paragraph fleshing out the problem in some depth, giving some idea of the context of the

research and why this problem is worthy of our attention ( Its purpose, its educational value,

its perceive impact on human development). The problem statement includes: variables,

relationships and specific aspects you wish to study as well as the need for the study.

Problem Statement: “An investigation into the psycho-social effects of abortion on

young teenager mothers in the community of Prattville.” What are the causes, effects

and solutions to water pollution in the community of New Green District?

The statements above flesh out the problem statement.

Research Questions
These are the central questions that the research is attempting to answer. They are derived

from the research objectives. They identify the problem and the relationships that the

researcher would like to know more about. They are narrowly focused on the relationships

between the concepts/ or variables under study. A variable is the term given to an entity, a

factor or characteristic that is likely to change.

Example:

Problem statement: “ An investigation into the impact of Dancehall Music on the values and

attitudes of teenagers 14-17 years in the community of Riversdale, Clarendon”

Statement of the problem: The impact of the rise in criminal activities on citizen in the

community of New Day

Research Questions:

1. What is dancehall music?

2. What are the positive and negative effects of Dancehall music on the attitudes and values

of teenagers in the community of Riversdale, Clarendon?

3. What strategies can be implemented to curb the negative effects of dancehall music on the

attitudes and values of teenagers?

2. Is there a difference in how victims of crime perceive its impact on their lives compared to

Hypothesis

This is a prediction of the relationship that will be found operating between the variables in

the study. The findings will either support or refute the hypothesis.

Examples:

1. “ temperatures will decrease with increasing altitude” and “ Bacteria X causes the

disease Y” Variables such as temperature and altitude are quantified and the incidence of a

disease can be quantified.

2. Persons of low socio-economic status feel the effects of crime more than other social

groups.

Selecting a Topic:

The School-Based Assessment component of the Caribbean Studies Syllabus is a research

project testing the concepts and skills contained in MODULE 3. Candidates will conduct

research and submit a report on any area of the themes outlined on pages 24 - 28 OF THE

SYLLABUS. Teachers will mark this report according to the guidelines and School-Based

Assessment criteria set out in the syllabus. Students are encouraged to work in groups.

Structure of the Caribbean Studies internal assessment

 Length: 1500 words

 Structure: cover page ( title, name, date) Acknowledgement
 Table of Content
I. Introduction and Purpose of Research ( 5 marks)
II. Literature Review ( 8 marks)
III. Data Collection Sources ( 4 marks)
IV. Presentation and Analysis of Data ( 8 marks and 10 marks)
V. Conclusions, Limitations and Recommendations ( 8 marks)
VI. Bibliography
VII. Appendices
VIII. Overall Presentation and Writing Skills ( 5 marks)
IX. The study is worth 40 % of overall grade