Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
Quarter 1 || Lesson 1: Nature and Inquiry of Research
The learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and kinds of quantitative research
2. the importance of quantitative research across fields
3. the nature of variables

What is Quantitative Research?

Quantitative research uses scientifically collected and statistically analyzed data to
investigate observable phenomena. A phenomenon is any existing or observable fact or situation
that we want to investigate further or understand. It is scientific for the fact that it uses a
scientific method in designing and collecting numerical data. It is used to test or confirm theories
and assumptions. This type of research can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic.
Common quantitative methods include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and
surveys with closed-ended questions. Since data is analyzed statistically, it is imperative that the
data obtained must be numerical and quantifiable, hence its name quantitative research.

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is commonly used in natural sciences research problems because of
the following characteristics:
1. Large Sample Size. To obtain more meaningful statistical result, the data must come
from a large sample size.
2. Objectivity. Data gathering and analysis of results are done accurately, objectively, and
are unaffected by the researcher’s intuition and personal guesses.
3. Concise Visual Presentation. Data is numerical which makes presentation through
graphs, charts, and tables possible and with better conveyance and interpretation.
4. Faster Data Analysis. The use of a statistical tools gives way for a less time-consuming
data analysis.
5. Generalized Data. Data taken from a sample can be applied to the population if
sampling is done accordingly, i.e., sufficient size and random samples were taken.
6. Fast and Easy Data Collection. Depending on the type of data needed, collection can be
quick and easy. Quantitative research uses standardized research instruments that allow
the researcher to collect data from a large sample size efficiently. For instance, a single
survey form can be administered simultaneously to collect various measurable
characteristics like age, gender, socio-economic status, etc.
7. Reliable Data. Data is taken and analyzed objectively from a sample as a representative
of the population, making it more credible and reliable for policymaking and decision
making.
8. High Replicability. The Quantitative method can be repeated to verify findings
enhancing its validity, free from false or immature conclusions.

Advantages of Quantitative Research

The following are the advantages of quantitative research or its strengths:
1. Very objective
2. Numerical and quantifiable data can be used to predict outcomes.
3. Findings are generalizable to the population.
4. There is conclusive establishment of cause and effect
5. Fast and easy data analysis using statistical software.
6. Fast and easy data gathering
7. Quantitative research can be replicated or repeated.
8. Validity and reliability can be established
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
Disadvantages of Quantitative Research
The following are the disadvantages of quantitative research or its weaknesses:
1. It lacks the necessary data to explore a problem or concept in depth.
2. It does not provide comprehensive explanation of human experiences.
3. Some information cannot be described by numerical data such as feelings, and beliefs.
4. The research design is rigid and not very flexible.
5. The participants are limited to choose only from the given responses.
6. The respondents may tend to provide inaccurate responses.
7. A large sample size makes data collection more costly.

Kinds of Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is a broad spectrum that it can be classified into smaller and more
specific kinds: descriptive, correlational, ex post facto, quasi-experimental, and experimental.
1. Descriptive design is used to describe a particular phenomenon by observing it as it
occurs in nature. There is no experimental manipulation, and the researcher does not start
with a hypothesis. The goal of descriptive research is only to describe the person or
object of the study. An example of descriptive research design is “the determination of
the different kinds of physical activities and how often high school students do it during
the quarantine period.”
2. The correlational design identifies the relationship between variables. Data is collected
by observation since it does not consider the cause and effect, for example, the
relationship between the amount of physical activity done and student academic
achievement.
3. Ex post facto design is used to investigate a possible relationship between previous
events and present conditions. The term “Ex post facto” which means after the fact, looks
at the possible causes of an already occurring phenomenon. Just like the first two, there is
no experimental manipulation in this design. An example of this is “How does the
parent’s academic achievement affect the children obesity?”
4. A quasi-experimental design is used to establish the cause-and-effect relationship of
variables. Although it resembles the experimental design, the quasi-experimental has
lesser validity due to the absence of random selection and assignment of subjects. Here,
the independent variable is identified but not manipulated. The researcher does not
modify pre-existing groups of subjects. The group exposed to treatment (experimental) is
compared to the group unexposed to treatment (control): example, the effects of
unemployment on attitude towards following safety protocol in ECQ declared areas.
5. Experimental design like quasi- experimental is used to establish the cause-and-effect
relationship of two or more variables. This design provides a more conclusive result
because it uses random assignment of subjects and experimental manipulations. For
example, a comparison of the effects of various blended learning to the reading
comprehension of elementary pupils.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER

Importance of Quantitative Research Across Fields

Nature of Research Variables

A Variable is anything that has a quantity or quality that varies. A variable in research simply
refers to a person, place, thing, or phenomenon that you are trying to measure in some way.
Researchers often manipulate or measure independent and dependent variables in studies to test
cause-and-effect relationships.

Dependent Variables. A dependent variable is a variable whose value depends upon

independent variables. The dependent variable is what is being measured in an experiment or
evaluated in a mathematical equation. The dependent variable is sometimes called "the outcome
variable.

Independent Variables. An independent variable is the variable you manipulate, control, or

vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. It's called “independent” because it's not
influenced by any other variables in the study. The independent variable is also identified as the
presumed cause while the dependent variable is the presumed effect.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER

I. Quantitative Variables, also called numerical variables are the type of variables used in
quantitative research because they are numeric and can be measured. Under this category are
discrete and continuous variables.
 Discrete variables are countable whole numbers. It does not take negative values or
values between fixed points. For example: number of students in a class, group size
and frequency.
 Continuous variables take fractional (non-whole number) values that can either be a
positive or a negative. Example: height, temperature.

Numerical data have two levels of measurement, namely:

 Interval are quantitative variables where the interval or differences between consecutive
values are equal and meaningful but the numbers are arbitrary. For example, the
difference between 36 degrees and 37 degrees is the same as between 100 degrees and
101 degrees. The zero point does not suggest the absence of a property being measured.
Temperature at 0 degree Celsius is assigned as the melting point of ice. Other examples
of interval data would be year and IQ score.
 Ratio type of data is similar to interval, the only difference is the presence of a true zero
value. The zero point in this scale indicates the absence of the quantity being measured.
Examples are age, height, weight and distance.

II. Qualitative Variables are also referred to as Categorical Variables are not expressed in
numbers but are descriptions or categories. It can be further divided into nominal, ordinal or
dichotomous.
 Dichotomous are consisting of only two distinct categories or values. For example, a
response to a question either be a yes or no.
 Nominal variable simply defines groups of subjects. Here you may have more than 2
categories of equivalent magnitude. For example, a basketball player’s number is used to
distinguish him from other players. It certainly does not follow that player 10 is better
than player 8. Other examples are blood type, hair color and mode of transportation.
 Ordinal variable, from the name itself denotes that a variable is ranked in a certain. This
variable can have a qualitative or quantitative attribute. For example, a survey
questionnaire may have a numerical rating as choices like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ranked accordingly
(5=highest, 1=lowest) or categorical rating like strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree
and strongly disagree. Other examples or ordinal variable: cancer stage (Stage I, Stage II,
Stage III), Spotify Top 20 hits, academic honors (with highest, with high, with honors).

Quarter 1 || Lesson 2: Identifying the Inquiry and Stating the Problem

The learner demonstrates understanding of:
1. the range of research topics in the area of inquiry
2. the value of research in the area of interest
3. the specificity and feasibility of the problem posed

A. WRITING THE RESEARCH TITLE

Research Title - prefaces the study by providing a summary of the main idea and is usually
short and concise. Writing it may seem to be a simple task but it actually requires more
consideration on the part of the researcher. While he or she may have written the contents of the
study in great detail, researchers may find it hard to create a research title for their study that is
concise and represents all the relevant elements of the study at the same time.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
Characteristics of a Research Title
1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.
2. It should be a concise statement of the main topic.
3. It should include the major variable/s of the research study.
4. It should be self-explanatory.
5. It should describe or imply the participants of the study.

Guidelines in Formulating the Research Title

1. The research should avoid using words that serve no useful purpose and can mislead
indexers. Words such as “methods,” “results,” and “investigations” should not appear in
the title.
2. In many cases, the general problem of the research or even the specific questions that the
researcher intends to answer, when rewritten in a statement form, can serve as the title.
3. The title must have at least 8-15 words.

B. DESCRIBING THE BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH

The background of the study is the key to introducing your readers to the topic of your
research, and it is different from the lead part. It is a compilation of adequate information that is
based on the analysis of the problem or proposed argument, the steps and methods needed to
arrive at the design, the implementation of the results achieved, and feasible solutions. It presents
the:
1. Overview of your topic (i.e. What do you want readers to know about concerning your
topic?)
2. General information about your topic (What is happening now about your issue you want
to study?)
3. Context of your topic (What are the conditions, settings, and situations with respect to
your topic? Who are directly or indirectly involved?)
4. Rationale/Justification of your topic (Why should we pay attention to your topic or the
issue you want to study/address? Why should we care about your topic? Why is there a
need to focus on the topic)?
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER

C. WRITING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS OR STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Creswell and Clark (2014) also provide some guidelines in formulating the research question:
1. The question should begin with words such as “how” or “what”.
2. The readers should be informed of the information that will be discovered, generated,
explored, identified, or described the study.
3. The question “What happened?” should be asked to help craft the description.
4. The question “What was the meaning to people of what happened?” should be asked to
understand the results.
5. The question “What happened over time?” Should be asked to explore the process.

WRITING THE GENERAL PROBLEM

1. It should use single and not compound sentences.
2. It should clearly express the purpose of the study.
3. It should include the central phenomenon.
4. It should identify the participants in the study.
5. It should state the research site.

The general problem is followed by an enumeration of the specific problems. These

problems are usually stated as questions that the researcher seeks to answer. Therefore, the
specific problems must meet the following criteria:
1. They must be in question form.
2. They must define the population and the samples of the study (respondents).
3. They must identify the variables being studied.

CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Factor-isolating questions – These ask the question “What is this?” These questions are
sometimes called factor –naming questions because they isolate, categories, describe, or
name factors and situations.
Examples:
a. What is the profile of school principals in terms of the following?
- Age
- Management experience
- Civil status
b. What are the levels of competencies of school principals as described by their respective
teachers and themselves in term of the following?
- Intrapersonal
- Interpersonal
2. Factor-relating questions – These ask the questions “What is happening here?” The goal of
these questions is to determine the relationship among factors that have been identified.
Examples:
a. What is the relationship of the level of performance of the senior high school teachers to
the OJT performance of the students enrolled in the business track of Saint Paul School
of Professional Studies?
b. How does the performance level of volleyball teams of boys differ to that of the girls?
3. Situation relating questions – These questions ask the question “What will happen if…?”
These questions usually yield hypothesis testing or experimental study design in which the
researcher manipulates the variables to see what will happen.
Examples:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
a. What are the effects of computer-learning assisted methods of teaching to the interest
level of the sophomores to their history subjects?
b. How significantly different is the performance of the call center agents who are well
rested than those who are not?
4. Situation-producing questions – These ask the question “How can I make it happen?”
These questions establish explicit goals for actions, develop plans or prescriptions to achieve
goals, and specify the conditions under which these goals will be accomplished
Examples:
a. Based on the finding, what human relation intervention program can be adopted to
enhance or improve effectiveness of existing teaching methods?
b. What faculty development activities can be sponsored by the PTCA to improve the
performance of graduating students in the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT).

D. WRITING THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

The scope of the study refers to the boundaries within which your research project will be
performed. It is determined primarily by the selection of variables that the research study will
focus on. Defending the scope of the research requires the careful selection of variable that will
be investigated, as well as the attributes that will define and measured these variables.
The delimitation of the study describes the various limitations that arose during the
design and conduct of the study. These include the characteristics of the research design and
methodology that affected or influence the findings of the study. These limitations are
constraining aspects of the research, such as the interpretation of data and applicability and
usefulness of the result and findings.
The limitation of the study is defined primarily by the scope of the study. While the scope
of the study defines the variables that are the focus of the research, the delimitation of the study
identifies the other variables that were not considered of the study. The limitations that are
identified are only those that are significant or may have an impact of the findings of the study.
For instance, in the study on the effect computer-aided teaching on student performance, the
researcher only focused on students in a specific school. Therefore, one limitation of the study
would be the findings and conclusions are only applicable to the particular school that was
selected and may not apply to other schools in the country. The characteristics of chosen
respondents, as well as the time period and place where the researcher was done, are major
variables that define the scope and delimitation of the research.
The following may be the possible limitations that may arise from the research design
and methodology:
1. Sample size. The research design and methodology will determine whether the research
will have a small or large sample size. 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. Missing and unreliable data will limit the scope
and 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 may
limit the initial understanding of the research problem. This, however, can be a basis for
identifying avenues for further research.
4. Chosen data collection method. Limitations in the data collection instrument may affect
in the quality of data collected. Unclear or vague questions in questionnaire will result to
unclear or erroneous answer from the respondents. The method employed in data
collection may also affect the quality of the data. For example, the researcher may have
conducted an interview or survey as a time the respondents may be busy or preoccupied;
there may be a possibility that the respondents may not have accomplished the survey
form or answer the question thoroughly and the responses given may have been vague.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
5. Nature of the information collected. Relying on preexisting data may impose limits on
the researcher as her or she can do no longer clarify certain data. Self-reported data have
the risk of being false and cannot be easily verified

E. CITING BENEFITS AND BENEFICIARIES OF THE STUDY (SIGNIFICANCE OF

THE STUDY)
The significance of the study is a section in the introduction of your research paper. Its
purpose is to make clear why your study was needed and the specific contribution your research
can make to furthering academic knowledge in your field. Write the significance of the study by
looking into the general contribution of your research, such as its importance to society as a
whole, then proceed downwards—towards the individual level, and that may include yourself as
a researcher. You start broadly then taper off gradually to a specific group or person.

Quarter 1 || Lesson 3: Reviewing the Literature

The learner:
1. selects relevant literature
2. cites related literature using standard style (APA, MLA or Chicago Manual of Style)
3. synthesizes information from relevant literature
5. writes coherent review of literature
6. follows ethical standards in writing related literature
7. illustrates and explain conceptual framework
8. defines terms used in study
9. lists research hypotheses (if appropriate)
10. presents written review of related literature and conceptual framework

A. SELECTING RELEVANT LITERATURE

The Review of Literature is the process of compiling, classifying, and evaluating what
other researchers have written on a certain topic. It can be a partial component of a research
undertaking, but it can also be a self-contained review of writing on a subject.

Purposes of Review of Related Literature

1. It helps in placing the work being reviewed in its context.
2. It describes the relationship of each work to the research being undertaken.
3. It identifies new ways of interpret and shed light to various gaps based from the previous
researchers.
4. It helps solving conflicts among seemingly contradictory previous study.
5. It identifies the areas that are subject to a prior study to prevent duplication of efforts.
6. It points to another new research undertaking.

Literature Review
A Literature Review is a specific type of research paper that focuses on published literature
on a given topic. It serves as the initial step in doing a research. In choosing literature review,
choose referred sources, select sources based on their contributions, describe the relationship
among sources and identify areas of prior scholarship.
The Review of Related Literature examines facts and principles from other resources that
are related to the present study. That is, a research study on the learning curves of high school
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
students would utilize literature that deal with the same subject. These resource s materials
include books, encyclopedia, published journals, newspapers and magazines. It serves to clarify
the different variables being studied. Through a review of literature, the major variables of the
study, sub-variables, and indicators are defined and classified.
Conducting a Review of Literature
1. Finding Relevant Materials. It is the researcher’s priorities to enrich his/her work by reading
literatures containing important data relative to his problem in order to fully comprehend the
variables being studies.
2. Actual Reading. After the pre-selection process, the researcher must thoroughly critique the
contents of the materials. Critiquing involves asking questions which at this stage should
focus on the variables.
4. Note-taking. One of the good characteristics of the researcher is being systematic. He/she mist
establish a system of note-taking to save time and effort. The researcher must take notes,
putting only the important data in his or her own words.

B. CITES RELATED LITERATURE USING STANDARD STYLE (APA, MLA OR

CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE)

Citation
A citation identifies for the reader the original source for an idea, information, or image
that is referred to in a work. In the body of a paper, the IN-TEXT CITATION acknowledges
the source of information used. At the end of a paper, the citations are compiled on a
REFERENCES OR WORKS CITED LIST. Further, a citation is the way you tell your readers
that certain materials in your work came from another source. It also gives your reader the
information necessary to find the source you used as it provides the following information.
- The name of the author
- The date your copy was published
- The title of the work
- The name and location of the company that published the copy of source
- The page numbers of the material you are borrowing.

In-text citations are inserted in the text of your research paper to briefly document the
source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete
information in the Reference list. When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-
text citation.

In making Citation through References, follow this format:

1. Author(s)
2. Title(s)
3. Source or venue name (e.g. name of the journal it was published or conference where it was
presented)
4. Editor(s)
5. Volume and edition.
6. Date or year of publication.
7. Page numbers.
8. City and country.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER
Sample format of Citation
1. Modern Language Association (APA) The Modern Language Association (MLA) is an
American professional organization for scholars of literature and language based on New
York City.
2. APA is the style of documentation of sources used by the American Psychological
Association. This form of writing research papers is used mainly in the social sciences, like
psychology, anthropology, sociology, as well as education and other fields. APA in-text
citation style uses the author's last name and the year of publication, for example: (Field,
2005). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Field, 2005, p.
14). For sources such as websites and e-books that have no page numbers, use a paragraph
number.

C. ILLUSTRATES AND EXPLAIN CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

A framework is defined as “a set of ideas that provide support to something.” Essentially,
any concept or theory requires a strong framework to establish its general feasibility. In the case
of research, it serves as the building blocks for the foundation of the study. There are two types of
research framework; theoretical and conceptual framework.
The simplest way to explain a “conceptual framework” is that: it is a diagram representing
the relationship of variables. A conceptual framework is a representation of the relationship a
researcher expects to see between variables, or the characteristics or properties that they want to
study. Conceptual frameworks can be written or visual and are generally developed based on a
literature review of existing studies about your topic.

FORMAT OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS

1. IV-DV (Independent-Dependent Variable)

2. I-P-O (Input-Process-Output)
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2
1st QUARTER

D. DEFINING TERMS USED IN STUDY

This section of the Study provides a vivid definition for terms that may appear confusing
to the readers.

Guidelines in defining terms:

1. Definition of terms works like a glossary but have a different twist. It is placed on the
beginning of the research paper to tell the meaning of the terms used in the said paper.
2. Only terms, words, or phrases which have special or unique meanings in the study are
defined. There are two types of definition of terms. Conceptual and Operational Terms.
- Conceptual Term are based be taken from encyclopedias, books, magazines and
newspaper article, dictionaries, and other publications but the researcher must acknowledge
his/her sources.
- Operational Term are based on how the researcher may develop his own definition from
the characteristics of the term define.
3. The term should be arranged alphabetically.
4. When the definition is taken from encyclopedias, books, magazine and newspaper
articles, dictionaries and other publications, the researcher must acknowledge his sources.

E. LISTS RESEARCH HYPOTHESES (IF APPROPRIATE)

A research hypothesis is a specific, clear, and testable proposition or predictive statement
about the possible outcome of a scientific research study based on a particular property of a
population, such as presumed differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships
between variables. There are basically two types, namely, null hypothesis and alternative
hypothesis. The null hypothesis of a test always predicts no effect or no relationship between
variables, while the alternative hypothesis states your research prediction of an effect or
relationship.

A good Hypothesis must possess the following characteristics:

1. It is never formulated in the form of a question.
2. It should be empirically testable, whether it is right or wrong.
3. It should be specific and precise.
4. It should specify variables between which the relationship is to be established.