THE RESEARCH Prepared:

PROBLEM Still John F. Reyes

 CONCEPTUALIZING A
RESEARCH STUDY
• First phase of research – conceptual phase – identifying a research
topic
• Conceptualizing research topic according to Moyer, (2011) would
include:
A. Finding your focus
➢Which aspects of your discipline (specialization) interest you most?
➢Which have you observed that you have questions about?
➢What articles have you read that have raised questions in your
mind?
 CONCEPTUALIZING A
RESEARCH STUDY
B. What are the gaps in literature?
➢By topic (what is not being looked at?)
➢Methods (what is not being done?)
➢Populations (who is not being studied?)
➢Comparisons (who is not being compared?)
C. Where to start?
➢Read
➢Detailed literature search
➢Attend seminars, conferences, and presentations
➢Discuss subject area with peers
➢Listen and ask questions
 CONCEPTUALIZING A
RESEARCH STUDY
D. Refining research topics
➢Discuss with fellow researchers
➢Discuss with stakeholders
➢Assess what is most critical to learn
➢Assess research sources available
E. Questions to ask yourself
➢Is this a good idea?
➢Who cares?
➢Can it be addressed using appropriate research methods?
➢Will it stimulate interest by others and the sponsors?
➢Is it feasible/practical/doable?
➢Is it fundable?
 RESEARCH PROBLEM, PURPOSE,
QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESIS

A. A research problem is an educational issue, concern, or controversy

that the researcher presents and justifies in a research study. A good
research problem must be: relevant to the needs of time; within the
researcher’s interest and capabilities; SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound); information should be
available; harmless to people and society; new; and researchable.
 RESEARCH PROBLEM, PURPOSE,
QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESIS
B. The research purpose is the goal or interest of the study. The purpose
statement also investigates how variables (qualities, properties,
characteristics) are studied in a setting and population. It refers to the
general statement or objective of the problem.
C. Research questions are specific questions that researcher wants to
know the intent of the study. It direct the data to be collected for the
study.
D. A hypothesis is a statement that make a specific prediction or
assumption between one or two variables then tested.
 SOURCES OF PROBLEMS
FOR INVESTIGATION
A. Deductions from Theory
B. Interdisciplinary Perspectives
C. Interviewing Practitioners
D. Personal Experience
E. Relevant Literature
F. Research Agenda
 SOURCES OF PROBLEMS
FOR INVESTIGATION
Research Agenda
Areas of Interest in Teacher Education
1. Teaching and Learning Development Initiative
❖ICT and IMs Development
❖Curriculum Enhancement
❖Teaching Strategies and Initiatives
❖Faculty and Student’s Performance
❖Academic Environment Policies
 SOURCES OF PROBLEMS
FOR INVESTIGATION
Research Agenda
Areas of Interest in Teacher Education
2. Natural Resources Management, Utilization and Sustainability
❖Waste Management and Pollution Control
❖Biodiversity and Genetic Resources
❖Climate Change and Disaster Management
❖Utilization and Development of Innovative Products
❖Environmental Conservation
 SOURCES OF PROBLEMS
FOR INVESTIGATION
Research Agenda
Areas of Interest in Teacher Education
3. Culture and Society
❖Community Needs Assessment
❖Morality in Media
❖Preservation of Culture (Language Literacy)
❖Acceptability and Impact of VMGO
❖Family and Community Relations
❖Contemporary Social Issues
❖Youth Development
 SOURCES OF PROBLEMS
FOR INVESTIGATION
Research Agenda
Areas of Interest in Teacher Education
4. Poverty Alleviation
❖Health and Wellness
❖Food Safety and Security
❖Livelihood and Technology Transfer
5. Gender and Development
❖Women in Management
❖Family Relations
❖Gender Roles
 WRITING THE RESEARCH TITLE
Here are the basic questions asked about the research title:
• Does the title describe what the study is all about?
• Does the title contain high specificity level?
• Is the title academically phrased and not verbose?
• Is the title within the twelve (12) substantive word requirement of
the American Psychological Association (APA)?
 WRITING THE RESEARCH TITLE
Examples:
❖“Managing the Implementation of Grade 7 Core Subjects in the
K-12 Curriculum” – Ching, A. (2016)
❖“Mathematical Creativity and Problem Solving Performance of
Grade 10 Students on Non-routine Problems” – Andrade, R.
(2016)
❖“From Arithmetic to Algebra: Sequences and Patterns as a
Means of Introducing Variables in Seventh Grade Mathematics”
– Aniban, D., et.al. (2014)
 WRITING AN INTRODUCTION
An introduction answers the following questions:
• What is the problem?
• Why is it a problem?
• How should it be solved?
• Why should it be solved?
• What is the purpose of the study?
 WRITING THE BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
• These are the opening statements of the introduction that should
provide important background information about the problem
to be investigated.
• This can be about the study area, a new plant or animal species,
a new phenomenon or process that will be tested or introduced.
 WRITING THE BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Background of the study includes:
1. A review of the area being studied
2. Current information surrounding the issue
3. Previous studies on the issue
4. Relevant history on the issue
5. Effectively set forth the history and background information on
the problem.
 WRITING THE BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
In writing the background of the study, the following questions
may be considered:
1. What are some research results?
2. What is the research question?
3. What is the research statement?
4. How would you complete your research?
 SAMPLE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Thesis: Student’s Devised Classroom Games-Simulation

as an Innovation Tool in Learning Mathematics
By: Florence C. Natividad
2013

Students have different ways in processing information; some may prefer

audio-visual presentation, others drama and imitating or reasoning logically and
intuitively, or analyzing and envisioning. Teacher style also vary. Some professors used
the traditional way of teaching; others, used the new trend in technology; some focus
on principles and others on presentations.
When the learning style of professors are incompatible, the students may
become inattentive, distracted, uninterested, their achievement level goes down,
and eventually leads to school dropout. For intervention used in this study is the
student’s devised games-simulation. Games-simulation is introduced as a method in
teaching in medical fields recently through interactive video games (Rosser, Lynch,
Caddihy, Gentile, Klansky, & Merill, 2007).
 STATING THE PROBLEM
• The problem statement is the researcher’s guide during the research
process.
• It is the verbalization and articulations as well as the analysis of the questions
in which the researcher wants the research to answer.
• Statement of the problem is divided into two parts: the major or main
problem (general objective) and the minor or sub-problem (specific
objectives/questions).
• The general objective is stated in declarative form while the specific
objectives are stated in interrogative manner.
 STATING THE PROBLEM
• In this section, you should be able to state clearly and directly the objectives
of your study or the research questions.
• Begin this section with a sentence or two stating the general
objective/purpose of the study, followed by specific questions/objectives
that expand/specify the coverage of the general objective/purpose of the
study.
➢ Level 1 question – descriptive part (What is – questions)
➢ Level 2 question – inferential part or for hypothesis testing (Is there – questions)
 READ THE SAMPLE BELOW:

This study aims to describe the pedagogical skills of 21st century teachers in the
selected schools in the Province of Laguna and its relationship to student’s academic
performance.
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the teacher-respondents in terms of:
1.1 age;
1.2 sex;
1.3 civil status;
1.4 position;
1.5 years in service;
1.6 course and specialization; and
1.7 grade level handled?
2. What is the academic performance of male, female, and students of both sexes in
terms of their general weighted average?
 READ THE SAMPLE BELOW:

3. What is the extent of teacher-respondent’s pedagogical skills in terms of:

3.1 promoting conducive learning environment;
3.2 planning instruction;
3.3 teaching strategies;
3.4 assessing student’s learning; and
3.5 connecting learning and classroom in the community?
4. Is there a significant relationship between teacher-respondent’s socio-
demographic variables and student’s academic performance?
5. Is there a significant relationship between teacher-respondent’s
pedagogical skills and student’s academic performance?
6. Do the teachers’ socio-demographic variables and pedagogical skills
significantly explain student’s academic performance?
 READ THE SAMPLE BELOW:

Note:
• Questions 1 – 3 are classified as Level 1 (descriptive) questions while
questions 4 – 6 are Level 2 (inferential questions).
 FORMULATING THE HYPOTHESIS
• A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the relation between two or more
variables (Kerlinger, 1973). It is always in declarative sentence form, and it
relates variables. A hypothesis cannot be proven, it can only be tested or
verified. It has two types.
• A null hypothesis (H0) is a non-directional statement of condition between
two variables. It states that “there is no significant relationship/difference
between” two parameters.
• An alternative hypothesis (H1)is a directional statement of a relationship
between variables. It states that “there is a significant relationship/difference
between” two parameters.
• Note: Your research hypothesis should always be stated in null form.
 FORMULATING THE HYPOTHESIS
• Make an introductory statement (e.g. The following hypotheses will be tested
in this study…)
• Use NULL HYPOTHESES in your research proposal.
• The number of NULL HYPOTHESIS depends on the Level 2 questions in your
Statement of the Problem.
 SAMPLE HYPOTHESIS

The last three inferential (Level 2) questions in the previous sample of

Statement of the Problem can be transformed into null form:
1. There is no significant relationship between teacher-respondent’s socio-
demographic variables and student’s academic performance.
2. There is no significant relationship between teacher-respondent’s
pedagogical skills and student’s academic performance.
3. Teachers’ socio-demographic variables and pedagogical skills do not
significantly explain student’s academic performance.
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• Theories are statements about the mechanism underlying a particular
behavior.
• A theory is constructed to explain, predict, and master phenomenon (e.g.
relationship, events, behavior). In many instances, we are constructing
models of reality.
• A theoretical framework is similar to the frame of the house just as the
foundation supports a house; a theoretical framework provides a rationale
for predictions about the relationship among variables of a research study.
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• The theoretical framework presents the theory from which the research
problem was derived or to which it is linked.
• In formulating the theoretical framework for the study, you may look at the
various theories upon which you can base your study. In other words, this is a
discussion of the theory which serves as the basis for the study.
• For example, in a study about the role of social factors influencing student’s
academic achievement, one fundamental theory upon which this study
may be anchored is the Social Learning Theory (Triadic Reciprocal
Causation Model) of Albert Bandura (1925). This theory suggests that social
and cognitive factors, as well as behavior play important roles in learning.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• Guide in writing theoretical framework:
1. 2 to 3 – pages
2. It is composed of theory/theories that are related to the topic under study.
3. Present theories as sufficient as possible since they are the bases of your
variables to be studied.
4. Cite the theory and discuss it fully.
5. Relate or anchor your research study to the theory/theories cited.
 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• The conceptual framework presents the relationship between the specific
concepts that may be studied.
• Conceptual framework utilizes the independent-dependent models used in
behavioral sciences.
Independent variable Dependent Variable
Factors Affecting the Behavior Behavioral Problems within the
of Pupils in the Public School Public School Setting
Setting • Internalizing Behavior
• Family o Inattentiveness
• Community o Uncooperative
• Teachers o Inactive
• Learning Environment • Externalizing Behavior
o Aggression
o Disobedience
o Impulsiveness

A Conceptual Framework showing the effects of the independent variables (Factors affecting
behavior) to the dependent variables (pupil’s behavior)
 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

A Template for an IPO Model

Note: Applicable when the researcher conducts survey research or intervention studies.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Guidelines:
• Make an introductory statement or paragraph.
• State clearly the people who may benefit from your study and how they
may benefit from it (e.g. for curriculum planners, school administrators,
teachers, parents, students, etc.) by spelling out why you believe or think the
research questions should be answered or the objectives be
achieved/attained, and it may also show how the findings are expected to
have an effect on the research area.
 TIME AND PLACE OF THE STUDY
Guidelines:
• State the month and year the study will start and end and the place or
places where the study will be conducted.
• Time of the study starts on the day when the proposal is approved and the
researcher starts preparing the experiment or instruments for data gathering
up to the day when the researcher is ready to present the results for final
defense.
 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Guidelines:
• Scope sets the delimitation and establishes the boundaries of the study.
• Indicate where and when the study was conducted and who your
participants were.
• Be able to state if there are some facets or aspects of your study which may
affect the result/s harmfully and adversely in which you as the researcher did
not have any control. Honest acceptance of the limitation brings credibility
to the study.
• Although limitations (more often) become known only during the conduct of
the study or after the research has come to end, be realistic about them.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Guidelines:
• Define the important key terms and all variables, including independent and
dependent variables, intervening or mediating variables, moderator or
extraneous variables, as well as units of analysis that will be measured in your
study.
• Be sure also to list and define demographic variables which you consider to
have potential influence used to describe your research participants (e.g.
age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.).
• You may give both the conceptual definition (definition from dictionary or
other references) and operational definition (how the term is used in the
study)of all the key terminologies.
• All terms are arranged in alphabetical order like a dictionary and the term
being defined in boldface.
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