The Research Problem.pptx

DEFINITION A problem is any significant, perplexing and challenging situation, real or artificial, the solution of which requires reflective hinking; a perplexing situation after it has been translated into a question or series of questions that help determine the direction of subsequent inquiry. The foregoing definitions are according to Dewey.

ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. Aim or Purpose of the problem for investigation. 2. The subject matter or topic to be investigated. 3. The place or locale where the research is to be conducted. 4. The period or time of the study during which the data are to be gathered. 5. Population or universe from whom the data are to be collected.

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. The research problem or topic must be chosen by the researcher himself.

2. It must be within the interest of the researcher. 3. It must be within the specialization of the researcher. 4. It must be within the competence of the researcher to tackle. 5. It must be within the ability of the researcher to finance, otherwise he must be able to find funding for his research.

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 6. It is researchable and manageable, that is: a. Data are available and accessible. b. The data must meet the standards of accuracy, objectivity, and verifiability. c. Answers to the specific questions (subproblems) can be found. d. The hypotheses formulated are testable, that is, they can be accepted or rejected. e. Equipment and instruments for research are available and can give valid and reliable results.

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 7. It can be completed within a reasonable period of time unless it is a longitudinal research which takes a long time for its completion. 8. It is significant, important, and relevant to the present time and situation, timely, and of current interest. 9. The results are practical and implementable. 10. It requires original, critical, and reflective thinking to solve it. 11. It can be delimited to suit the resources of the researcher but big or large enough to be able to give significant, valid, and reliable results and generalizations.

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 12. It must contribute to the national development goals for the improvement of the quality of human life.

13. It must contribute to the fund of human knowledge. 14. It must show or pave the way for the solution of the problem/s intended to be solved.

15. It must not undermine the moral and spiritual values of the people. 16. It must not advocate any change in the present order of things by means of violence but by peaceful means.

GUIDELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM 17. There must be a return of some kind to the researcher, either one or all of the ff if the research report is completed: a. Monetary b. Advancement of position, promotion

c. Improved specialization, competence and skill in professional work d. Enhanced prestige and reputation. e. Satisfaction of intellectual curiosity and interest, and being able to discover the truth. 18. There must be a consideration of the hazards involved, either physical, social or legal.

GUIDELINES IN WRITING THE TITLE 1. The title is formulated before the start of the research work.

2. The title must contain the subject matter of the study, the locale of the study, the population involved, and the period when the data were gathered. 3. It must be broad enough to include all aspects of the subject matter studied. 4. It must be brief and concise as possible. 5. Avoid using the terms “An Analysis of”, “A Study of”, “An Investigation of” and the like. 6. If the title contains more than one line, it must be written like an inverted pyramid, all words in capital letters.

EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETE TITLE

THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS OF PROVINCE A AS PERCEIVED BY THE SCIENCE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR 1989-1990

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 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 specific subproblems in the interrogative form. 3. Each specific question must be clear and unequivocal, that is, it has only one 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.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

5. Each specific question must be based upon known facts and phenomena. 6. Answers to each specific question can be interpreted apart from the answers to other specific questions. 7. Answers to each specific question must contribute to the development of the whole research problem or topic.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 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.

ASSUMPTIONS

An assumption is a self-evident truth which is based upon a known fact or phenomenon. Generally, every specific question is implicitly based upon an assumption, expressed or implicit, there can be no specific question.

GUIDELINES IN THE USE OF BASIC ASSUMPTIONS 1. You cannot assume the value of your study. Such an argument should have been made under the section, significance of the study. 2. You cannot assume the reliability of the instruments you propose to use in your research. Such a rationale and defense should be made under methodology.

3. You cannot assume the validity of basic data. Validity is established under methodology. 4. You cannot assume that your population is typical. This point is to be made under methodology. 5. An assumption is not tested, neither it is defended nor argued.

HYPOTHESES

A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion or answer to a specific question raised at the beginning of the investigation. It is an educated guess about the answer to a specific question.

FORMS OF HYPOTHESES

Operational form is stated in the affirmative while the null form is stated in the negative. The operational form states that there is a difference between two phenomena while the null form states that there is no difference between the two phenomena.

GUIDELINES IN THE FORMULATION OF EXPLICIT HYPOTHESES 1. In experimental investigations, hypotheses have to be explicit, they have to be expressed. 2. In descriptive and historical investigations, hypotheses are seldom expressed if not entirely absent. 3. Hypotheses are usually stated in the null form because testing a null hypothesis is easier than a hypothesis in the operational form, 4. Hypotheses are formulated from the specific questions upon which they are based.

PURPOSES, FUNCTIONS, AND IMPORTANCE OF HYPOTHESES OR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS 1. They help the researcher in designing his study: what methods, research instruments, sampling design, and statistical treatments to use, what data to gather, etc. 2. They serve as bases for determining assumptions. 3. They serve as bases for determining the relevance of data. 4. They serve as bases for the explanation or discussion about the data gathered. 5. They help or guide the researcher in consolidating his findings and in formulating his conclusions.