PRACTICAL

RESEARCH 2
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
For Senior High School

Prepared by:
MARY GRACE G. MANINANTAN, LPT
Learning Competencies
By the end of the lesson, the students are able to:
1. States research questions

2. Indicates scope and delimitation of the study

2
 It is derived from the main problem of the study
and contains words such as effects or relationship.

The words who, when, or where shall not be

placed in the general research questions as these
elicit factual questions that may not require
extensive investigation and discussion.

Important components of your

research which help define the
research problem of the study.

Indicate specific concerns related

to the research problem that your
study also intends to answer.
3
Features of a good Research Questions
1. Relevant
2. Manageable in terms of research and in terms of
your own academic abilities.
3. Substantial and with original dimensions.
4. Consistent with the requirements of the
assessment.
5. Clear and simple.
6. Interesting.
(Higher Education Academy & Sheffield Hallam University, 2017)
 How to state the
Research Questions
To develop a strong research question from your ideas, you should
ask yourself these things:
1. Do I know the field and its literature well?
2. What are the important research questions in my
field?
3. What areas need further explanation?
4. Could my study fill a gap? Lead to greater
understanding?
5. Has a great deal of research already been
conducted in this topic area?

5
 How to state the
Research Questions
6. Has this study been done before? If so, is there
room for improvement?
7. Is the timing right for this question to be
answered? Is it a hot topic, or is it becoming
obsolete?
8. Would finding sources be interested?
9. If you are proposing a service program, is the
target community interested?
10. Most importantly, will my study have a
significant impact on the field?

6
 How to state the
Research Questions
A strong research idea should pass the “so what”
test.

You can think of the potential impact of the

research you are proposing . What is the benefit
of answering your research question? Who will it
help? (and how)?

If you cannot make a definitive statement about

the purpose of your research, it is unlikely to be
funded.
7
 How to state the
Research Questions
A research focus should be narrow, not broad-
based.

For example:
“What can be done to prevent substance
abuse?”

“What is the relationship between specific early

childhood experiences and subsequent
substance-abusing behaviors?”

8
Example:
Research Question
Topic: Social Media
Thesis Question: What are the benefits and drawbacks of online social media
for children?
Research Questions:
1. What is online social media and why is this an important sociological
question?
2. What is the necessary background information?
a. What role does peer socialization play in a child’s development?
b. In the past, what were the ways in which children socialized with their
peers?
c. How has that changed in the past 10-15 years?
i. statistics
9
3. What research illuminates the positive effects of online
social media?
4. What research details negative effects of online social
media?
5. Based on my research, what can I conclude about the
benefits and drawbacks of online social media? (MJC, 2017)

10
Specific Research Questions for
Descriptive Research
The focus of descriptive quantitative research is to observe
and report on the measurable aspects of a phenomenon.

Specific research questions in this kind of study can begin

with phrases such as how often, how frequently, how many,
how much, what is/are, to what extent, what proportion, and
what percentage.

Example: Study involving a group of employees’ usage of Facebook, the following can be used as specific
research questions:
1. How often do employees use Facebook in one week?
2. How many hours do employees spend on Facebook per week?
3. What proportion of Filipino male and female employees uses Facebook?
11
Specific Research Questions for
Correlational Research
Correlational research is interested in finding out the
relationships among two or more variables. However, it
only establishes mere association and not causal
relationships. Research questions with this kind of study
usually begins with “Is there a relationship?” or “What is
the relationship?”

Example: Study about the length of preparation for examinations and the scores obtained by test-takers, the
following can be utilized as specific research questions:

1. What is the relationship between the length of the review and examination scores?
2. Is there a relationship between the IQ of a test-taker and his/her performance in review sessions?
3. Is there a relationship between the performance of test-taker in a previous examination and the length of review
he/she takes for a new one?
12
Specific Research Questions for Experimental and Quasi-
experimental Research
These kind of studies suggest a stronger causal
relationship among the variables in the study. In particular,
this causal relationship is linked to the manipulation of a
certain variable during the study itself.

Example: Study on tutorial sessions and academic performance

1. Is there a significant posttest gain on students’ academic performance?

2. Is there a difference between the posttest gains of the control group and the treatment group?
3. How do students rate their experiences in one-on-one tutorial sessions?

13
Scope and
Delimitation of
the Study
The scope and delimitation describes
the parameters to which the study is
set.

It sets boundaries of your research in

terms of certain aspects.
 The components of the scope and delimitation
include (but are not limited to) the following
items:
● Topic of the study
● Objectives of the study and the issues it will address
● Time frame in which the study will be conducted
● The locale or area where the study will be conducted
● Characteristics of the participants in the study
(age, sex, education, economic status, civil status,
and other traits)
● Response formats used in the study (if applicable)
16
The scope and delimitation of the study must not be set merely for the sake of
writing them. You must make sure that there are reasons for the inclusion and
exclusion of some variables. These reasons vary depending on the nature of the
study.
For example, you may choose to delimit the participants to a particular city/community due to a large population.
You may also choose to limit the objectives your study will accomplish due to time constraints.

You may use the following phrases when writing this section:
● This study covers…
● This study focuses on…
● The coverage of this study…
● The study is limited to…
● This study does not cover…

17
Example:
Scope and Delimitation
● This study covers the graduates assessed in the
following occupational qualifications from 2004-2006
in Region XI, namely: (Region XI study on CAC)
a. Automotive Mechanics (Light Duty)
b. Building Wiring Electrician
c. Data Encoder (TESDA Research Manual)

18
“
Research is formalized
curiosity. It is poking and
prying with a purpose.

-Zora Neale Hurston

19