PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2 MATERY EXAM REVIEWER
WEEK 1 – NATURE OF INQUIRY AND
RESEARCH
Inquiry is a learning process that motivates you to
obtain knowledge or information about people,
things, places or events. (Baraceros, 2016)
This inquiry model helps you to process how
inquiry is related to research. Knowing the ins and
outs of inquiry based-learnings leads us to different
learning method and hone our higher order thinking
skills (HOTS) that leads to higher level of learning
which is research.
Figure 1: Inquiry Model
Source: Focus on Inquiry: A Teacher’s Guide to
Implementing Inquiry-based Learning.
Research is defined as a purposive and scientific
process of gathering, analyzing, organizing,
presenting and interpreting data. The word research
is derived from the old French word, “cerchier” which
means to “seek or search”. Search meaning is to
investigate. The prefix “re” means again and
signifies of the search. Literally, research means, “to
investigate again”.
Characteristics of Research
1. Empirical. Research is based on direct
experience or observation by the researcher.
2. Logical. Research is based on valid
procedures and principles.
3. Cyclical. Research is a cyclical process
because it starts with a problem and ends
with a problem.
4. Analytical. Research utilizes proven
analytical procedures in gathering the data,
whether historical, descriptive, and
experimental and case study.
5. Critical. Research exhibits careful and
precise judgment.
6. Methodical. Research is conducted in a
methodical manner without bias using
systematic method and procedures.
7. Replicability. The research design and
procedures are replicated or repeated to
enable the researcher to arrive at valid and
conclusive results
The Researcher: Characteristics of the
researcher
 Intellectual Curiosity – an investigator
assumes deep thinking and investigation of
the things, situation and problems around
him.
 Prudence – the researcher is prudent if he
conducts his research study carefully, wisely,
practically at the right time and place
efficiently, effectively and economically.
 Intellectual Honesty – an intelligent
researcher is honest in gathering data or
facts in order to arrive at honest and valid
results.
 Intellectual Creativity – a creative and
intelligent researcher must invent new,
unique and original researches which are
patentable to have return of investment.
The Scientific Method of Research
1. Determining the Problem
2. Forming Hypothesis
3. Doing the Library Research
4. Designing the Study
5. Developing the instruments for collecting
data
6. Collecting the Data
7. Analyzing the Data
8. Determining the implication and conclusions
from findings
9. Making recommendations for future
research
WEEK 2 – QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Quantitative research is a form of research that uses
statistical data as the main source of knowledge.
Basically, this form of research would like to
operationalize reality into numbers that can be easily
analyzed. (Francisco et. al., 2016).
When doing a quantitative research study, the goal
is to determine the relationship between variables
within a population. Quantitative Research designs
can be either descriptive (subjects usually measured
once) or experimental (subjects measured before
and after a treatment).
Characteristics of Quantitative Research (as
cited in Spalding University, 2020)
1. The data is usually gathered using structured
research instruments.
2. The results are based on larger sample sizes
that are representative of the population.
3. The research study can usually be replicated
or repeated, given its high reliability.
4. Researcher has a clearly defined research
question to which objective answers are
sought.
5. All aspects of the study are carefully
designed before data is collected.
6. Data are in the form of numbers and statistics,
often arranged in tables, charts, figures, or
other non-textual forms.
7. Project can be used to generalize concepts
more widely, predict future results, or
investigate causal relationships.
8. Researcher uses tools, such as
questionnaires or computer software, to
collect numerical data.
Quantitative Research across the Fields
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH & ACCOUNTING,
BUSINESS and MANAGEMENT (ABM)
Researches can help design a new product or
service, figuring out what is needed and ensure the
development of product is highly targeted towards
demand. Businessmen can also utilize research
results to guarantee sufficient distribution of their
products and decide where they need to increase
their product distribution. Conducting researches
can also help a business determine whether now is
the proper time to open another branch or whether it
needs to apply for a new loan. It may also help a
small business decide if a procedure or strategy
should be change to meet the requirements of the
customer base. Research is important for any
organization to remain in the market. The primary
function of research in ABM is to correctly determine
its customers and their preferences, establish the
enterprise in the most feasible location, deliver
quality goods and services, analyze what the
competitors are doing and find ways on how to
continuously satisfy the growing and varied needs of
the clients.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is a research method of combining
qualitative and quantitative research data. It is
concerned with exploring connections
simultaneously, amidst cultural differences,
alternatives and identity. In the contemporary
academic, socio-cultural and political climate these
concepts have immense symbolic overtones.
Quantitative research is use in Anthropology in
many aspects. Like, true experiments may use in
studying people provided that you follow certain
steps (Bernard, 2004). This is to look into the Effects
of an intervention in ethnic behavior of a group. In
here, you need at least two groups, called the
treatment group and the control group. On group
gets the intervention and the other group don’t. Next,
individuals may be randomly assigned, either to the
intervention group or to the control group to ensure
that the groups are equivalent. Then, the groups are
measured on one or more dependent variables; this
is called the pre-test. After which, the intervention is
introduced. Lastly, the dependent variables are
measured again. This is the post test.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and
COMMUNICATION
Researchers are often interested in how an
understanding of a particular communication
phenomenon might generalize to a larger population.
For example, researchers can advance questions
like “What Effect do punitive behavioral control
statements have on a classroom? What
communicative behaviors are associated with
different stages in romantic relationships? What
communicative behaviors are used to respond to co-
workers displaying emotional stress? (Allen,
Titsworth, Hunt, 2009)
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and SPORTS
MEDICINE
Quantitative research is used to analyze how sports
may be used as an alternative way of medicating an
illness. An example is the research done by
University of Eastern Finland which investigated the
relationship between mushrooming of fast food
chains and obesity, as well as the intervention
needed to prevent children’s obesity from reaching
serious proportions. The research focused on the
children’s physical activity and physical inactivity
and the concomitant impact on the children’s
amount of adipose tissue (fat mass) and the
endurance fitness. The study is used to analyze
certain the effect of physical activity in weight control.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and MEDICAL
EDUCATION
Quantitative research in medical education tends to
be predominantly observational research based on
surveys or correlational studies. The designs test
interventions like curriculum, teaching-learning
process, or assessment with an experimental group.
Either a comparison or controlled group learners
may allow researchers to overcome validity
concerns and infer potential cause-effect
generalizations. Researchers are using to cope with
the emerging trends in recent times.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and BEHAVIORAL
SCIENCES
Relationship Questions in today’s quantitative trend
tend to explore how one behavior exhibited by
people is related to other types of behavior.
Examples are verbally aggressive behaviors related
to physical aggression – that is, when a person has
a level of verbally aggressive behavior, does he or
she tend to be physically aggressive? Are certain
supervisor communication skills related to the
emotional experiences of employees? Questions of
difference explore how patterns of behavior or
perceptions might differ from one group or type of a
person to another: Do people with disabilities
experience emotional labor differently from those
without disabilities? Do women perceive
talkativeness (or lack of it) differently form men? Do
communication styles differ from one culture to the
next? (Alle, Titsworth, Hunt, 2009).
When quantitative researchers explore questions of
differences or questions of relationships, they do so
in an attempt to uncover certain patterns of behavior.
If the researcher discovers that a certain relationship
exists in sample that she or he has drawn form the
population, she/he is then in a position to draw
generalizations about patterns expected of human
behavior.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
Quasi Experiments are most often used in
evaluating social problems. Suppose a researcher
has invented a technique for improving reading
comprehension among third graders. She/he selects
two third grade classes in a school district. One of
them gets the intervention and the other doesn’t.
Students are measured before and after the
intervention to see whether their reading scores
improve. This design contains many of the elements
of true experiment, but the participants are not
assigned randomly to the treatment and control
groups.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH and PSYCHOLOGY
Mertens (2005) says that the dominant paradigms
that guided early psychological research were
positivism and its successor, post positivism.
Positivism is based on rationalistic, empiricist
philosophy that originated with Aristotle, Francis
Bacon, John Locke, August Comte, and Immanuel
Kant. the underlying assumptions of positivism
include the belief that the social world can be studied
in the same way as the natural world, that there is a
method for studying the social world that is value-
free, and that explanations of a causal nature can be
provided.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH & SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, and
MATHEMATICS
Medical practitioners, for example, conduct
researches to obtain significant information about
diseases trends and risk factors, results of various
health interventions, patterns of care and health care
cost and use. The different approaches to research
provide complementary insights. Researchers help
in determining the effectiveness and even side effect
of drugs and therapies in different populations and
various institutions. It is also necessary in evaluating
experiences in clinical practice in order to develop
mechanisms for best practices and to ensure high
quality patient care. Researchers in these fields
ultimately aim for man’s longevity.
As for engineers, architects, and other builders, 2. Dependent Variable – It is dependent of
research helps in providing designs which are independent variable and the variable that
creatively beautiful and at the same time give more changes because of independent variable.
convenience and efficiency as they utilize modern Example: Academic achievement is
technology to adapt to the ever changing society. dependent on IQ. IQ is independent variable
New materials and procedures may be developed so and academic achievement is the dependent
as to further strengthen the structural materials than variable.
can withstand various calamities and disasters.
According to Russell & Babbie 2013 as cited in
Baraceros (2016, p.31),
There are other types of variables which are
as follows:
WEEK 3 – THE NATURE OF VARIABLES 1. Constant – do not undergo any
changes during an experiment
Variable - comes from the word vary which means
2. Attribute – characteristics of people:
change. A characteristic that in research is intelligence, creativity, anxiety,
observed or studied. learning styles, etc.
There are two main types of variables and data. 3. Dichotomous – has only two possible
results: one or zero
Variables can be qualitative or quantitative.
4. Latent – cannot be directly observed
1. Qualitative Variable – variable with a value of like personality traits
text and not in amount. It is non-numerical 5. Manifest – can be directly observed to
and categorical. give proofs to latent variables
Examples: sex, birthplace or geographic 6. Control Variable – a variable
locations, religious preferences, marital controlled by the researcher in which
status, eye color. the effect can be neutralized by
2. Quantitative Variable – variable with a eliminating or removing the variables
numerical value and can be ordered or rank. 7. Intervening Variable – this variable
Examples: weight, height, age, test scores, intrudes or interferes with the
speed, body temperature independent variables and dependent
There are times that a variable can be expressed variables.
both qualitative and quantitative. For example, the
grades in the school. It can be expressed in percent
such as 90%, 85% or 75% making it quantitative
variable, if in letters such as A, A-, B+ the grades are
qualitative.
Types of Quantitative Variable
1. Continuous Variable – these are variables
that can take the form of decimals.
Examples: weight, length, height, school
grades
2. Discrete or Discontinuous Variable – these
are variables that can’t take the form of
decimals.
Examples: number of students, number of
houses, size of a family

Types of Variable According to Functional

Relationship
1. Independent Variable –It causes things to
happens. The variable which you can
change and controlled.