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MODULE - WEEK 2 Days 1-2

Subject: Practical Research 2
Topic: Presenting the Written Statement of the Problem
Learning Objectives:
● Present the written statement of the problem

Study the given sample of statements of the problem of research. Then answer the questions
that follow:

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this research undertaking was to investigate the relationship between
the relationship of playing mobile games and the academic performance of Grade 11 EIM
students of MNHS.

Specifically, this attempted to answer the following questions:

1. What describes the academic performance of the Grade 11 EIM students of MNHS?
2. Is there a significant relationship between playing mobile games and the academic
performance of the Grade 11 EIM students of MNHS?
3. What program can be implemented to help parents and the school to regulate
students in playing mobile games?

Questions:
1. What is the main problem?
2. What are the minor or specific problems?

A statement of the problem is a concise description of the issues that need to be addressed
by the researcher.

There should be a general statement of the whole problem followed by the specific
questions or sub problems into which the general problem is broken up.

The problem statement is the researcher’s guide during the research process. It is the
verbalization and articulation as well as the analysis of the question in which the researcher
wants the research to answer.

Guidelines in formulating the general problem and the specific sub problems or specific
questions. The following are suggested to guide the researcher in the formulation of his or her
general as well as his specific sub problems or questions. These are also the characteristics of
specific questions:
1. The general statement of the problem and the specific sub problems or questions
should be formulated first before conducting the research.
2. It is customary to state the specific problems in the interrogative form. Hence, sub
problems are called specific questions.
3. Each specific question must be clear and unequivocal, that is, it has only one
meaning. It must not have dual meaning.
4. Each specific question is researchable apart from the other questions, that is, answers
to each specific question can be found even without considering the other questions.
5. Each specific question must be based upon known facts and phenomena. Besides,
data from such known facts and phenomena must be accessible to make the specific
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question researchable.
6. Answers to each specific question can be interpreted apart from the answers to their
specific questions.
7. Answers to each specific question must contribute to the development of the whole
research problem or topic.
8. Summing up the answers to all the specific questions will give a complete
development of the entire study.
9. The number of specific questions should be enough to cover the development of the
whole research problem or study.
10. Generally, there should be a general statement of the problem and then this should
be broken up into as many subproblems or specific questions as necessary.

Sample Statement of the Problem

This study was conducted to determine the status of the teaching in Science in the high
schools of Province A as perceived by the teachers and students in science classes during
the school year 1989-1990. The aspects investigated were the qualifications of teachers, their
methods and strategies, facilities, forms of supervisory assistance, problems, and proposed
solutions to problems.

General Purpose : To determine the status of the teaching of science

Subject Matter : The teaching of science
Topics(aspects) studied : qualifications of teachers, their methods and strategies, facilities,
forms of supervisory assistance, problems, and proposed solutions to the problems.

Population : Teachers and students

Locale of the Study : High schools of Province A
Period of Study : School Year 1989-1990

Read the sample statement of the problem and be able to answer the questions that follow.

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this research undertaking was to find out what is the comparison of
the academic performance of Senior High School students who have internet access at
home and those who do not have.

Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of academic performance of the Senior High School students who
have internet access at home and those who do not?
2. Is there a significant difference between the academic performance of Senior High
School students who have internet access at home and those who do not?
3. What improvement plan can be introduced in school to offer free internet access in
school for students?

Questions:
1. What is the main problem?
2. What are the minor or specific problems?
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MODULE - WEEK 2 Days 3-5
Subject: Practical Research 2
Topic: The Research’s Conceptual Framework, Definition of Terms and Hypothesis
Learning Objectives:
● Trace the step by step process on writing conceptual framework;
● demonstrate and describe the conceptual framework;
● write a conceptual framework;
● identify and define operational and conceptual definition of terms;explain the
meaning, purpose and importance of hypothesis in research; and
● formulate research hypothesis in quantitative research.

In the previous modules, you have learned how to clearly formulate the statement of a
research problem which provides the study its structure, direction and guidepost. The activity
below will help you recall how to formulate a statement of the problem.

Sample: Read the scenario that presents the topic for a simple research project and
formulate the appropriate Statements of the Problem (SOP). Write your formulated
Statement of the Problem on a separate sheet of paper.

Research Topic
You are about to conduct a study to deal with the challenges on financial literacy of
selected professionals to be able to promote sound decision-making and ensure sustained
economic growth and stability. Furthermore, you wanted to investigate if there is a
relationship between the level of financial literacy and factors affecting one’s finances. This
research topic was chosen because understanding the factors affecting a person’s
finances, his/her financial knowledge and sources of income would lead to formulation and
implementation of possible ways to strengthen financial status and financial literacy of the
selected professionals.

Once you formulate the Statement of the Problem of your research project, it is necessary
that you correctly identify the variables, concepts and theories which play an essential part
in writing your research. The activity below will help you get ready for lessons.

Using the background information in Activity 1, fill in the Table below by supplying what is
being required

What are the variables

implied from the
background
information/scenario?

What are the

ideas/concepts linked with
variables?

What are the theories that

can be related with the
identified concepts?
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The Conceptual Framework

● It is defined as an analytical tool that explains the main concepts to be studied or
investigated in one’s research.
● It offers the foundation and fundamental basis of the entire research.
● It is like a blueprint, a master plan, or a recipe that provides an outline of the plan on
how the research is to be conducted.
● It is a graphic or visual form of the different variables of the study and the alleged
relationship among these variables although not all conceptual frameworks have to
include a diagram or graphic.
● It is used in research to plan possible sequences of action or to present an ideal
method to an idea or thought.
● The literature review is the logical basis of the conceptual framework.

Purposes of a Conceptual framework

The conceptual framework aims to:
● Explain ideas and suggest associations among the ideas in a study;
● Provide an outline for interpreting the findings of the study, since conceptual
framework defines the scope and the limitations of the study;
● Explain observations; and
● Encourage the formulation of useful and practical theories.

Supposed that the formulated Statement of the Problem based on the background
information are as follows:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents
2. What is the level of the respondents’ financial literacy;
3. What are the factors affecting the respondents’ finances; and
4. Is there a significant relationship between the level of financial literacy of the selected
professionals and the factors affecting one’s finances?

By carefully studying the formulated Statement of the Problem stated above, we can say
that the level of the respondents’ financial literacy and the factors affecting their finances
are the two variables under study

If we are going to visualize the above said variables and its presumed relationship, the
conceptual framework will look like this:

The sample conceptual framework presented above can also be presented in a narrative
way as:

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The conceptual framework presents research variables: respondents’ demographic profile,
level of financial literacy, and factors affecting respondents’ finances. It also shows that
factors affecting respondents’ finances have something to do with their financial literacy
level.

Examining the above example of how a conceptual framework is being prepared, one can
say that conceptual framework is an excellent visual summary of the study as it helps the
reader to easily identify the research variables and the presumed relationships amongst it. It
is therefore important to carefully write the research questions, identify the variables of the
study, and craft the conceptual framework well to correctly identify the method or the
procedures to be used in the study.