COLEGIO DE SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA

Supervised by the Lasallian Schools Supervision Office

Ramon M. Durano Foundation Compound
Guinsay, Danao City
Tel No. (032) 344-4709

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION MAJOR IN ENGLISH

(BSEd- ENGLISH 3)

Midterm Module in EL 110-Language Research

1
 Compiled by:

Ana Marie L. Monte

Modified by:

Angelie P. Luardo

Student’s Name:

____________________________________________________
(Last name, Given Name, Middle Initial)

Table of Contents

Module Page Date

No.

Module 2 – Nature of Research

Lesson 1 – Conceptualization of Research 4

Lesson 2 – Components of Research 9

Module 2 Learning Activities

Activity 1…………………………………………… 15

Activity 2…………………………………………….. 17

2
Reference 16

Midterm Exam

3
 MODULE 2

Concepts and Components of Language Research

This module conceptualizes the preparatory stages. Its learning objectives allow students

to identify and explain the preparatory stages of conducting language research, prepare and

submit a research plan with all its essential parts, as well as appreciate the importance of learning

the skill of preparing a research plan in doing research.

Moreover, this module discusses the sources of research topics and describes a research

topic derived from each; the importance of handbooks, encyclopedias, yearbooks, and reviews

when identifying a research topic; good strategies for narrowing a research topic; the differences

between the narrowing process for quantitative and qualitative and qualitative studies and

components of a well-written quantitative topic statement.

TOPICS:
1. Conceptualization of Research

2. Components of Research

4
LESSON ONE
I. TOPIC: Conceptualization of Research

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
a. identify the for characteristics of good research topics;
b. apply strategies for narrowing a research topics; and
c. explain the process and purpose of Review of related Literature and Studies.

III. LEARNING CONTENT

Conceptualization of Research

1. Identifying a Research topic

Identifying a topic. A research topic focuses the study to a defined, manageable size. It
provides structure for the steps in the scientific method and is discussed in many ways by
identifying the research question, the research problem and the purpose of the research.

Main sources of topics. The four main sources of topics are: (1) theory which is an
organized body of concepts, generalizations and principles that can be subjected to investigation.
It provides conceptually rich topics and confirmation of some aspects of the theory; (2) personal
experience; (3) replication; and (4) library immersion.

2. Narrowing Topics

Problems encountered with broad topics: enlarging the scope of the review of the
literature beyond reason, complicating the organization of the review of the literature itself, and
creating studies that are too general, too difficult to carry out, and too difficult to interpret.

To help narrow the topics, it might help to talk to experts in the field like professors in
college or departments or researchers known, or to read secondary sources that provide
overviews of the topics such as handbooks and reviews of literature.

There is a difference between narrowing quantitative from qualitative studies.

Quantitative studies tend to narrow the topic initially while qualitative studies tend to narrow the
topic throughout the research process itself.

5
3. Making a Formal Statement of Quantitative and Qualitative research Studies

Quantitative research topic identifies the variables of interest and nature of the
participants, and describes the specific relationship between variables. Qualitative research topic
emerges over the course of the study. It begins as an initial statement that tends to be stated as a
general issue or concern and becomes focused as more is learned about the context, participants
and phenomena of interest. It is typically stated late in a written study.

4. Formulating Researchable and Non-researchable Topics

Researchable topics can be investigated through the collection and analysis of data. They
have theoretical or practical significance and have been conducted ethically. They contribute to
the educational processes and can be adequately researched given the expertise, resources and
time constraints of the researcher.

Non-researchable topics address philosophical or ethical issues. They cannot be resolved

through the collection and analysis of data. They address to “questions” which are matters of
opinions.

 Review of Related Literature and Studies

The review of the literature involves the systematic identification, location and analysis of
documents containing information related to the research problem.

It is the process of collecting, selecting and reading book, journals articles, reports,
abstracts and other reference materials, including electronic sources about the problem under
investigation.

Referring to various sources, the following information may be collected:

 Background information about the problem and related concepts.

 Theories that explain the existence of the problem and the possible connection
between certain factors and the problem.
 Data that confirm the existence and seriousness of the problem.
 General and specific findings of studies related to the problem.
 Recommendations for further study given in related studies.

1. The Need for a Review of Literature and Studies

A review of literature and studies is a must in research. It aids the researcher in many
ways:

a. It helps the researcher identify and define a research problem. A new problem may
arise from vague results, conflicting findings, or the inability of the study variables to adequately
explain the existence of the problem.

6
 b. It helps justify the need for studying a problem. When findings of related studies are
not clear or do not provide adequate/conclusive answers to certain issues or questions, then
conduct of a study is justified.

c. It helps prevent unnecessary duplication of a study. There are many research problems
that are already “over studied” and yet, similar studies are still being conducted. If a researcher
has adequately reviewed related literature about his/her study, unnecessary duplication can be
avoided.

d. It can be a source of a theoretical basis for the study. Correlation studies usually use or
generate theories to explain the research phenomenon under study. Researchers may use or adopt
the same theory or theoretical framework used in the related studies.

e. It enables the researcher to learn how to conceptualize a research problem and properly
identify and operationally define study variables.

f. It provides a basis for identifying and using appropriate research design. It also helps in
the formulation or refinement of research instrument.

g. Results related studies provide lessons for data analysis and interpretation. Findings of
a study can be compared to findings of related studies.

2. Functions of a Review

A review of related literature and studies links the study to any underlying assumptions
and theories related to the initial research question. It assess the researcher’s preparedness to
conduct the study, identifies potential gaps in the literature, suggests promising educational
practices, refines the initial research question and embeds the research questions in “guiding
hypotheses”. Specifically, the review seeks to:

a. determine what has been done already;

b. provide insights necessary to develop a logical framework into which the topic fits;

c. provide the rationale for the hypotheses being investigated and the justification of the
significance of the study;

e. facilitate the interpretation of the results.

3. General guidelines for the scope of the review

When considering the scope of one’s review, the researcher should be reminded of the
following guidelines:

a. bigger does not mean better.

7
 b. heavy researched topics provide enough references to focus only on the major studies.

c. lesser researched topics require reviewing any study related in some meaningful way
even if this means searching related fields.

4. Stages of conducting a review

The review of literature and studies often follow certain stages:

a. Identifying key words to guide the search. It is important to experiment with several
key words and combinations of them. “Legal” key words may also be used for particular data
bases like ERIC Thesaurus which can be accessed through the ERIC homepage.

b. Identifying sources. Sources may be classified as primary and secondary or empirical

and opinion. It is important to use secondary sources such as handbooks, encyclopedias and
reviews early in the review process because they broaden and narrow keyword searches. Three
important Boolen operators may be used in the search: AND and NOT narrow a search while OR
broadens a search. A search may be narrowed by focusing date of publication, specific authors,
titles, etc.

The following resources can facilitate the researcher’s search: For books, use electronic
databases of university libraries and keyword searches; for journals or papers, use ERIC; for
indices, access them more easily through the library using EBSCO or other search tools such as
Education Index, Psychological Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts and Readers’ Guide to
Periodical Literature; for the web, the search engines are Google, Excite, HotBot, the subject
directories are Yahoo!, Web Crawler, Lycos and meta search engines are Dogpile, Mamma,
Vroosh; for educational sites, access the following; ERIC, Ingenta, New Jour, Education Week,
National Center for Education Statistics , US dept. of Education, Developing Educational
Standards, Education Resource Organization Directory. For evaluating the quality, honesty,
bias and authenticity of web sites, check Thinking Critically about WWW resources, Critically
Analyzing Information Sources.

c. Abstracting the information found in the references. To summarize references, there

are seven steps suggested: 1) read the article abstract; 2) skim the entire article; 3) record
complete bibliographic information; 4) classify and code the article; 5) summarize the article: 6)
identify thoughts about the article you believe important; and 70 indicate direct quotes properly.

The following are certain strategies used in abstracting: 1) begin with the most recent
references anmove toward the most dated; 2) record all bibliographic information such as author,
date of publication, title, journal name or book, pages, library or website name , volume and
issue, pages, library call number or URL; 3)identify direct quotes and record page numbers; and
4) identify main ideas.

8
 d.Analyzing, organizing and reporting. Having abstracted the information needed, the
next stage is to analyze, organize and report the information gathered. This is the time to make
important decisions regarding the following: the outline of the review, and the technical nature of
reporting which includes the use of formal language and adherence to prescribed style (e.g.,
APA)

The review may be grouped by topics, analyzed for similarities and differences within
subheadings, and discussed from the most relevant studies, to the least relevant studies. It must
include a discussion on the implications related to the research problem.

 Parts of the Review

After gathering notes from the different sources reviewed, the researcher prepares the final
review. Most literature reviews consist of the following parts:

1. Introduction. The introduction briefly describes the nature of the researcher problem
and explains what led the researcher to investigate the question. The summary presents the main
topics covered in the literature review section.

2. Body. The body of the review briefly reports what experts think or what other
researchers have found about the research problem. Studies done on one key element or factor of
the research problem are reviewed under that topic followed by studies done on other aspects of
the problem. The common findings of several studies are summarized in one or two sentences
and only when necessary, some specific findings of each study may be presented.

3. Summary/synthesis. The summary/synthesis of the literature review “ties together”

the major findings of the studies reviewed. It presents a general picture of what has been known
or thought of abut the problem to date. It points out similar results, as well as conflicting
findings.

4. Conclusion. This part presents the course of action suggested by the literature. Based
on the state of knowledge revealed by the literature, the researcher could further justify the need
for his/her study.

9
LESSON TWO
I. TOPIC: Components of Research

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
a. define the term research plan;
b. identify the purpose and benefits of a research plan; and
c. describe the four benefits of a research plan.

III. LEARNING CONTENT

Components of Research

1. Research Plan and its necessity

A research plan is a detailed description of the procedures that will be used to investigate
your topic or problem. It is a justification for the hypotheses or exploration of the research
problem. It is a detailed presentation of the steps to be followed in conducting the study.
Moreover, it forces the researcher to think through every aspect of the study. It facilitates the
evaluation of the proposed study and provides detailed procedures to guide the conduct of the
study.

A well thought out research plan saves time, provides structure to the study, reduces the
probability of costly mistakes and generally results in a higher quality research study.

2. Qualitative Research Plans

Qualitative studies are characterized by open-ended, emergent designs. Research plans

must be responsive to the context and setting as well as the flexibility of the design. Prior
fieldwork influences the research plan of qualitative studies. The authors recommend pre-
proposal fieldwork to help understand the socio-cultural context of the setting. Alternatives
include drawing on one’s own experiences or the literature.

3. General Issues to Consider When Developing a Research Plan

10
 There are 3 important issues to consider in a research plan which are ethics of research,
general considerations and legal restrictions.

The five ethical principles are: (a) beneficence and non- malfeasance, (b) fidelity and
responsibility, (c) integrity, (d) justice, and (e) respect for people’s rights and dignity

Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research

Unique emerging nature of qualitative designs increases the likelihood of unanticipated

and unreviewed ethical issues. Unique personal involvement with participants raises issues such
as: (a) objective collection and interpretation of data, (b) possibility of observing potentially
illegal or unprofessional behavior, and (c) aligning professional and personal ethical
perspectives.

The general considerations concern the cooperation of the participants starting from
gaining entry to the research site where approval is needed at several levels, for instance from the
site, administrators, teachers, and students. There are certain strategies to enhance cooperation
from participants; (a) clearly explain the benefits of the study; (b) afford stakeholders the
opportunity to review drafts of the report for their approval; (c) brief stakeholders on the
findings; and (d) provide professional development sessions for stakeholders.

Some research topics have legal restrictions. For example, a study that will require
interviewing prisoners will be subject to legal constraints. The researcher has to decide if he/she
has the time and resources to pursue a study that may be hindered by legal provisions before
he/she embarks on it.

 Variables

A variable is a concept that stands for a variation within a class of objects or persons. It is
a characteristic or property that can take different values or attributes. Variables are the basic
elements which are measured in a study. They are observable and measurable. Some researchers
cannot answer their research questions because they don’t have clear measures of their variables.
A variable must be operationally defined according to how it is used in the study, so that it can
be properly measured.

The operational definition gives a specific meaning to the variable. It specifies how
variable or a term is interpreted in the study and also sets the procedure for measuring variable.
The definition clarifies how a variable or a team is used and measured in the study. A variable
must be defined in terms of events/ units of measurement that are observable by the senses.
These events/units of measurement serve as indicators of the variable. An operational definition
of a variable used in one study may differ from that employed in another study.

Types of Variables

11
 a. Dependent Variables. It is the “assumed effect” of another variable. It is the change
that occurs in the study population when one or more factors are changed or when an
intervention is introduced. Usually dependent variable is the problem itself.

b. Independent Variable. It is the “assumed cause” of a problem. It is an assumed

reason for any “change” or variation in a dependent variable. An independent variable is
sometimes treated as “antecedent” variable (the variable before). Likewise, an “antecedent”
variable may be treated as an “independent” variable.

c. Intervening Variable. It is a factor that works “between” the independent and

dependent variables. It can weaken (decrease) or strengthen (increase) the effect of the
independent on the dependent variables. It is also called a “facilitating variable”, “moderator” or
a “control variable”.

d. Antecedent Variable. It is a factor or characteristic which is found before (ante) the

independent variable. It is expected to influence the independent variable/s. It is usually
irreversible.

 Hypothesis

Researchers make educated guesses to tentatively answer the research questions. Usually
they make many tentative answers to the research questions. From these, they select the more
logical and theoretically sound guesses. These tentative answers to the research question/s are
called hypotheses.

A hypothesis is defined as an educated guess or tentative answer to a question. It is a

statement about an expected relationship between two or more variables that can be empirically
tested.

It is a researcher’s tentative prediction of the results of the research formulated on the

basis of knowledge of the underlying theory or implications from the literature review. Testing a
hypothesis leads to support of the hypothesis or lack thereof.

Two views of hypotheses

a. Inductive a generalization made from a number of observations. It is typical of

qualitative studies

b. Deductive derived from theory and aimed at providing evidence to support, expand, or
contradict aspects of that theory and is typical of quantitative studies.

Functions of a Hypothesis

12
 a. A single hypothesis might state that an independent variable is associated with a
dependent variable.

b. Sometimes a hypothesis specifies that, under certain condition (x,y and z), variable A
is associated with or can influence variable B.

c. Some hypotheses may state that a particular characteristic of a person or object varies
according to another variable.

Types of Hypotheses

Hypotheses can be classified either as nullor alternative hypothesis, directional or non-

directional hypothesis and quantitative or qualitative hypothesis.

a. Null vs Alternative Hypothesis

A null hypothesis is a negative statement which indicates the absence of a

relationship/correlation between two variables, an absence of a significant difference between the
proportions of two groups of people or objects possessing a particular characteristic or an
absence of difference between or among the means of two or more groups with respect to a
particular variable.

A null hypothesis is a statistical statement that states that no statistically significant

relationship or difference exists between variables.

H0: The null hypothesis: It is a statement of no difference between sample means or proportions
or no difference between a sample mean or proportion and a population mean or proportion. In
other words, the difference equals 0.
Example: Hyperactivity is unrelated to eating sugar
“If the hypothesis is tested and found to be false, using statistics, then a connection between
hyperactivity and sugar ingestion may be indicated. A significance test is the most common
statistical test used to establish confidence in a null hypothesis.”

An alternative hypothesis, also called research hypothesis, is the positive form of null
hypothesis. It may state the presence of a significant relationship between the independent and
dependent variables, or the presence of a significant difference between two means or two
proportions.

Ha: The alternative hypothesis: It is a claim about the population that is contradictory to H0 and
what we conclude when we reject H0.
Since the null and alternative hypotheses are contradictory, you must examine evidence to decide
if you have enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis or not. The evidence is in the form of
sample data.

13
After you have determined which hypothesis the sample supports, you make a decision. There
are two options for a decision. They are “reject H0” if the sample information favors the
alternative hypothesis or “do not reject H0” or “decline to reject H0” if the sample information is
insufficient to reject the null hypothesis.

b. Directional vs Non-directional Hypotheses

A directional hypothesis states whether the relationship between two variables is direct or
inverse or positive or negative. A positive or direct relationship is present when the value of one
variable increases with the increase in the value of another. The relationship is negative when the
value of one variable increases as the value of another decreases.

Directional hypothesis is a statement of the expected direction of the relationship or

difference between variables.

Example: There will be a positive relationship between extra coaching and academic
achievement

A non-directional hypothesis does not specify the direction of relationship between

variables. It merely states the presence or absence of a relationship between two variables or that
one variable influence another or there is a significant difference in the mean values of the two
variables.

A non-directional hypothesis predicts the relationship between the independent variable

and the dependent variable but does not specific the directional of the relationship.

Example: Teacher student relationship influence student’s learning

c. Quantitative vs Qualitative Hypothesis

A good quantitative hypothesis is based on sound reasoning. It provides a reasonable

explanation for the predicted outcome. It clearly and concisely states the expected relationships
between variables. It is testable.

A qualitative hypothesis is explanatory or contextual. It has research bias since it is from

participant’s perspective. It is a generating hypothesis.

Developing a hypothesis
1. Ask a question
Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to answer. The question
should be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.
Do students who attend more lectures get better exam results?
2. Do some preliminary research

14
Your initial answer to the question should be based on what is already known about the topic.
Look for theories and previous studies to help you form educated assumptions about what your
research will find.
At this stage, you might construct a conceptual framework to identify which variables you will
study and what you think the relationships are between them.
3. Formulate your hypothesis
Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the
question in a clear, concise sentence.
Attending more lectures leads to better exam results.
4. Refine your hypothesis
You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and testable. There are various ways of
phrasing a hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear definitions, and the hypothesis
should contain:
 The relevant variables
 The specific group being studied
 The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis
5. Phrase your hypothesis in three ways
To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if…then form. The first part of the
sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable.
If a first-year student starts attending more lectures, then their exam scores will improve.
In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly phrased in terms of correlations or effects,
where you directly state the predicted relationship between variables.
The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their exam scores.
If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state what difference you expect to find
between them.
First-year students who attended most lectures will have better exam scores than those who
attended few lectures.
6. Write a null hypothesis
If your research involves statistical hypothesis testing, you will also have to write a null
hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the default position that there is no association between the
variables. The null hypothesis is written as H0, while the alternative hypothesis is H1 or Ha.
H0: The number of lectures attended by first-year students has no effect on their final exam
scores.
H1: The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their final
exam scores.

Reference:
O. Posecion, et. al. Language Research (2011). Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

IV. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 1. Process Questions

15
Name: __Program & Year: Date: __________

Directions: Read and analyze the following questions. Answer each question comprehensively
using the spaces provided. (5 points for each answer)
1. What are the stages in conducting review? Explain each then give examples.

2. Why is there a need to review related literature and studies?

3. How to narrow a research topic?

4. What is the importance of a “research plan”?

4. What is the purpose of “variables” in language research?

16
5. Explain the significance of “hypothesis” in quantitative research?

6. How to write a hypothesis? Elaborate.

Name: __Program & Year: Date: __________

Activity 2. Compare and Contrast

Directions: Using the Venn Diagram below, compare and contrast the research terms “Related
Literature” and Related Studies” and give examples for each. (30 points all)

17
18