THE PROBLEM AND ITS

BACKGROUND
(CHAPTER 1)
 A. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

• The beginning of your paper is your chance to capture the audience’s attention.
• Understanding the purpose and content for both the introduction paragraph and
the thesis statement, then you can easily write this portion of your paper and begin
your essay.
• The introductory paragraph of an essay allows you to give your readers general
information about your topic. This general information will lead into specific point
you want to make in your paper, which is known as the thesis statement.
• Techniques to attract the audience’s attention:
• Anecdote (a personalized story),
• Find a relevant quotation or
• Make a controversial and surprising statement about the topic.
• Be creative in order to engage your audience.
• A thesis statement appears at the end of the introductory paragraph.
It is a specific, one sentence summary of the topic for your paper, so
that you do not add any unnecessary information. Also, the thesis offers
the reader concise information on the point of view of the complete
essay.
• Create a thesis statement that is narrow and concise.
• One way to create a thesis statement is to think of a question your
topic raises and then create a sentence that answers that question.
• Edit as you write. Because ideas develop, change, and grow as you work
with them, keep returning to your introductory paragraph and thesis.
Edit them as your write your essay.
• By the end of your paper, be certain that the content of your
introduction and thesis statement matches the overall messages of your
essay.
 B. THEORETICAL/ CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• This explains the theory or concept which is the basis of the paper.
• Explicitly explains why the problems under study exist by showing how the
variables involved in the problem are related to each other.
• The theoretical framework – makes use of a theory or theories in explaining
why a phenomena, the subject of the study occurred.
• The conceptual framework – has the same function, but utilizes specific or well
defined concepts which are called constructs.
• The Conceptual Framework – is the researcher’s is on how the
research problem will have to be explored.
- founded on the theoretical framework, which lies on a much
broader scale of resolution.
• The Theoretical Framework dwells on time tested theories that
embody the findings of numerous investigations on how phenomena
occur.
• The Theoretical Framework provides a general representation of
relationships between things in a given phenomenon.
• The Conceptual Framework embodies the specific direction by
which the research will have to be undertaken.
- statistically speaking, the conceptual framework describes the
relationship between specific variables identified in the study. It also
outlines the input, process and output of the whole investigation. The
conceptual framework is also called the research paradigm.
- uses the IPO (Input – Process – Output) format.
• Input Box – includes the variables and other information related to
the research work on hand.
• Process Box – states the procedure/s that the variables will undergo
to produce the output of the work.
• Output Box – basically gives the reader what “project”/ “product” or
what is expected to be produced to remedy the existing problem or
subject of the research.
 SAMPLE RESEARCH PARADIGM

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

• A Research Paradigm is a framework containing all of the commonly

accepted views about a subject, a structure of what direction research
should take and how it should be performed.
 C. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

• This part of the manuscript is a description of a difficulty or lack that

needs to be solved or at least researched to see whether a solution can
be found.
• Can also be described as either a gap between the real and the desired
OR a contradiction between principle and practice.
• Usually presented as the General Problem and specific problems.
• General Problem – refers to the main thrust of the study: what is to
be answered by the research work.
• Specific Problems – denotes all other questions peripheral to the
main problem such as:
• the socio-demographic descriptions of the respondents/ subjects,
• relationships between variables,
• cause and effect factors included in the study, and
• the OUTPUT or resulting projects that could solve the existing problem
or discrepancy between the actual and ideal situation.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The question is …
1. Feasible,
2. Clear,
3. Significant, and
4. Ethical.
 D. ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY (OPTIONAL)

• Assumptions are statements of facts related to the research problem,

which are presumed to be true on the basis od observations and
experiences although not actually verified.
• Provides foundations from which the study will proceed, and an
additional basis for validation of variables of interest to the study.
• Assumptions do not require testing or confirmation.
• Self-evident truths.
 E. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

• Scope defines the coverage or boundaries of the research study in

terms of the area or the locality and subjects or population covered,
the duration or period of the study.
• Also includes research issues or concerns which the investigation used.
• The extent of the study and measurements
• In qualitative study, this includes the number of participants,
geographical location, and other pertinent numerical data.
• Delimitations – are limitations on the research design imposed
deliberately by the researcher. Delimitations in a social science study
would be such as the specific school district where the study took
place, or in a scientific study, the number of repetitions.
 F. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• Why the study is important? Why is it important to solve the problem?

• Why is it important to determine the answer to the gap in the
knowledge, and is related to improving the human condition.
• Describe the contribution to the body of knowledge to make better
decisions, improve policy, advance science, or other uses of the new
information. The “new” data is the information used to fill the gap in the
knowledge.
 F. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• Mainly, this section of the thesis is where the researcher/s expresses the
persuasions about the value of the study to the different
stakeholders/sectors of the research. This must be stated in specific
terms as to what sector will benefit from the completion of the study
and their specific benefits.
 G. DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Clear definitions of key terms/concepts according to how they are used

in the study.
• Two Functions: (Fisher & Other, 1983)
• Establishes the rules and procedures the investigator/s will use to measure
variables.
• Provides unambiguous meaning to terms so that it cannot be interpreted in
different ways.
• This section is written for knowledgeable peers. Thus, jargons of the
field of the study are not included.