Research in Daily Life Week One Quarter 1.pptx

Practical Research I

1. Designing a Research Project Related to Daily Life

2. Qualitative research is closed tied with reality. It does not use hypotheses. It merely states a problem or pose questions to which are explored lengthily and deeply by way of varied research designs. After the data have been gathered through procedures, data are subjected to analysis that requires categorizing of data, coding, while at the same time, being attentive to themes that surface, which could be the answers sought by the researcher. These sources are tied to real life experiences and research is conducted in the participant’s natural setting.

3. Steps in Designing a Research Project

4. 1. The first step in designing a qualitative research project is to form a general research question. For example: Is the government’s response to violence against women and girls meeting its human rights obligations?   2. The second step is to outline the key concepts relating to the research question. Key concepts for the question stated above would be: What are the human rights obligations of a state? What are women’s human rights? What is the government’s response to victims of violence against women and girls?

5. 3. The third step is to find meaningful, valid, and reliable indicators for measuring the concepts, or determining how to measure the human rights violations faced by victims of violence against women and girls. Human rights violations can be measured both  positively  (e.g. legislation, policies, resources, the work of victim service organizations) and  negatively  (e.g. the actual incidences).

6. 4. After deciding the concepts to be analyzed and their related indicators, it is necessary to decide on the context of the research. It is important to adapt the monitoring project to the monitor’s resources (time, money, staff, expertise…). As a general rule, it is better to provide comprehensive and well researched information on a limited phenomenon in a limited area, than to try to say something about everything and to fail to get beneath the surface.

7. 5. After deciding  what  information to collect and  where  to collect it, monitors must decide  how  to collect it.  There are many ways to collect data in a qualitative research project, and monitors should use more than one approach. For example, by interviewing police and service providers, monitors can obtain information on policies and programs that exist, and also on attitudes towards victims of violence and the barriers victims may encounter.

8. Examples of research topics:   Pressing issues on individual, organizational, or social level and success stories. Wide reading or critical film viewing Social Networking Replication (thesis and dissertations) Lectures, talks or seminar

9. Research Problem

10. The research problem states the area of concern of the research paper whether it is a circumstance needing development, a difficulty requiring attention, or an inquiry necessitating an answer. This section sets the direction of the research study as it provides the foundation for the research hypothesis and defines what kind of research study is suitable to address the problem.

11. Sources of Research Problem

12. Research problems can be commonly based on circumstances with the ff. characteristics: 1. It conveys a feeling of discomfort or difficulty. 2. It has a perceived difficulty in broad subjects such as family affairs, home management, and leadership system.

13. 3. It displays a gap between theory and practice: what is said by the elders and what the students see and observe. 4. It utilizes a procedure requiring technologically advanced equipment. 5. It involves the experience of any kind of individual.

14. 6. It shows some kind of patterns or trend. 7. It relates to an individual’s curiosity and interest. 8. It makes use of literature reviews, continuous readings, and past studies. These readings can lead a student to a topic, and its scope and clues for further studies. The repetition of a prior research study in different setting and time is called replication.

15. Furthermore, a discerned problem is said to be researchable when the ff. criteria are met: 1. Solutions are available but not yet tested and not yet known by the practitioner. 2. No solutions are available to answer the gap or the problem being assessed.

16. 3. When the given answers or solutions, as well as the possible results, are seemingly untested or are factually contradictory with each other. 4. A phenomenon requiring an explanation has occurred. 5. There are several possible and plausible explanations for the existence of an undesirable condition.

17. Considerations in Formulating the Research Problem

18. 1. External Criteria a. Novelty – This refers to the practical value of the problem due to its “newness” in the field of inquiry. b. Availability of subjects – This refers to the people with the desired capability and willingness to participate in the study.

19. c. Support to the academic community – This refers to the assistance given by the members of the institution in the gathering of data and defraying the cost of the study. d. Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment – Devices such as computers used in undertaking the study must be considered. e. Ethical considerations – These include the avoidance of research problems that pose unethical demands on the part of the research participants.

20. 2. Internal Criteria a. Experience, training, and qualifications of the researcher – These constitute the researcher’s knowledge and expertise as a result of experience and study. b. Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity, and perceptiveness of the researcher – These are essential attitudes that bring anticipated satisfaction or enjoyment in the completion of research tasks.

21. c. Time factor – This considers the fact that studies must be pursued within a given time frame. d. Costs and returns – These factors matter in choosing a research problem. Research is an expensive undertaking. e. Hazards, penalties, and handicaps – These depend upon the researcher’s physical and intellectual capacity and moral judgment.

22. Choosing the Research Problem

23. 1. Feasibility 2. External support 3. Innovative quality

24. Research Title

25. A research title prefaces the study by providing a summary of the main idea and is usually short and concise. A research title should have the following characteristics: 1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.

26. 2. It should be a concise statement of the main topic. 3. It should include the major variables of the research study. 4. It should be self-explanatory. 5. It should describe or imply the participants of the study.

27. Characteristics of a Research Title

28. 1. It should be limited only to substantive words with high consideration to the key variables such as the phenomenon under investigation, the participants, and the setting of the study. 2. It should use words that can create a positive impression among the readers. Avoid using abbreviations as well as some word constructions such as: “method,” “result,” and “investigation.”

29. 3. It should be in the form of a phrase with correct use of capitalization, that is, the first letter appeared in the title as well as the first letter of each noun word should be capitalized. 4. It should be concise by adequately implying the participants and the coverage of the study.

30. In addition, a researcher may also put a subtitle which is commonly employed in social science research papers. This subtitle may be done: (1) to state the scope, context, and theory under investigation; and (2) to provide a substantive and appealing literary title.

31. Sample Research Titles

32. Reading Difficulties and Comprehension Levels of Freshmen Factors Affecting the Learning Styles of High School Students The Effect of Computer Games on Mathematical Competencies in Algebra Among Sophomores Correlation of English Performance of Students in Selected Schools Participation Experiences of Graduating Students in Intramurals Psychological Needs of Students with OFW Parents Learning Styles and Level of Motivation of Honor Students Parenting Needs, Goals and Strategies for Adolescent Mothers (Stiles, 2005)

33. Introduction

34.   The introduction is important in establishing the cognitive setting of the research. It has the following elements:   1. Rationalization of the need to research on the problem 2. Clarification of the important terminologies for the reader to easily understand what the research is about 3. Establishment of the degree of seriousness of the problem which prompted the researcher to look for solutions.  

35. Beginning of Research

36. The following questions can aid the researcher in formulating the introduction:   1. What is the rationale of the problem? This question is answered by sharing the reasons why the researcher decided to look for solutions to the problem. A rationale may include the narration of personal experiences, a description of an article read, a scene witnessed, news heard, or a theory that needs to be clarified. The researcher should describe the existing and prevailing problem based on his or her experience. The scope may be local, national, or international. Ideally, the rationale can start from a global perspective to a more personal one.  

37. 2. What is the setting of the problem? The setting forms part of the delimitation of the study. It defines the geographic boundaries and certain demographic characteristics of the research. This describes the place where the research was conducted, since the setting has a significant bearing on the variables being studied. In the description of the setting, its distinctive characteristics must be highlighted.

38. 3. What is the basic literature foundation of the study? This is different from the review of related theories, conceptual literature, and research literature. This part seeks to provide the researcher clarity on the terms or variables used in the study. The terms and variables must be clear to the researcher for an easy understanding of the readers.

39. 4. How serious is the chosen research problem? The researcher is tasked to identify the intensity and magnitude of the problem. When the gravity of the problem has already been described, he or she may then gauge the kind of action to be used to identify the problem. In most cases, the researcher at this point looks for statistical or quantitative evidence to assess the significance of the problem at hand.

40. 5. What is the general objective of the problem? This is the general statement of the problem or the major tasks of the researcher to discharge and should also be the basis of the enumerated statements of specific problems.   6. What is the overall purpose of the problem? It is important to note that the researcher must be totally aware of the purpose of the research problem. He or she must fully understand the implications of the resulting findings of the study.

41. Statement of the Problem

42. Writing the General Problem in a Qualitative Study 1. It should use single and not compound sentences. 2. It should clearly express the purpose of the study. 3. It should include the central phenomenon. 4. It should use qualitative works, e.g., explore, discover, and explain. 5. It should identify the participants in the study. 6. It should state the research site.

43. Examples: The purpose of this study is to (understand, describe, develop, discover) the (central phenomenon of the study) of (the participants) at (the site). At this stage in the research, the (central phenomenon) will be generally defined as (a general definition of the central concept).

44. The objective of this study is to differentiate the customs and traditions of the Aetas and the locals of Zambales enrolled in Olongapo National City High School for the school year 2014-2015. In this research, the customs and traditions are defined as their practices in the celebration of feasts.

45. The objective of this study is to characterize the general study habits of the high school students that belong to the top ten of the class at Passi National High School. The study habits are concentrated on the student’s preparation before attending classes daily.

46. Research Questions

47. The general problem is followed by an enumeration of the specific problems. These problems are usually stated as questions that the researcher seeks to answer.   Therefore , the specific problems must meet the following criteria: 1. They must be in question form. 2. They must define the population and the samples of the study (respondents). 3. They must identify the variables being studied.

48. There are 2 types of research questions. 1. Central questions – There are the most general questions that can be asked. 2. Sub-questions – These questions subdivide the central question into more specific topical questions and are only limited in number.

49. Examples: What are students’ attitudes regarding online classes in Wimba Southern University?   1. What are students’ reasons for attending online classes in Wimba Southern University? 2. What are students’ reasons for not attending online classes in Wimba Southern University? 3. What actions could the university or its instructors take that would motivate students to increase their attendance at online classes in Wimba Southern University?

50. Creswell and Clark (2014) also provide some guidelines in formulating the research question: 1. The question should begin with words such as “how” or “what”. 2. The readers should be informed of the information that will be discovered, generated, explored, identified, or described in the study.

51. 3. The question “What happened?” should be asked to help craft the description. 4. The question “What was the meaning to people of what happened?” should be asked to understand the results. 5. The question “What happened over time?” should be asked to explore the process.

52. Types of Research Questions

53. In general, there are 2 types of research questions. 1. Non-researchable questions – These are questions of value and are answerable by yes or no. Examples: a. Should all mothers breastfeed their babies? b. Are family members helping their children in reviewing their lessons?

54. 2. Researchable questions – These are questions of opinions, perceptions, or policy that are raised to accumulate data. Examples: a. How do senior high school students respond to their Math teacher? b. What are the study habits of students who are poorly performing?

55. Further Classifications of Research Questions

56. Factor-isolating questions – These ask the question “What is this?” These questions are sometimes called factor-naming questions because they isolate, categorize, describe, or name factors and situations. Example: a. What is the profile of school principals in terms of the following? i . Age ii. Management experience iii. Civil status

57. 2. Factor-relating questions – These ask the question “What is happening here?” The goal of these questions is to determine the relationship among factors that have been identified. Example: How does the performance level of volleyball teams of boys differ to that of the girls?

58. 3. Situation-relating questions – These questions ask the question “What will happen if...?” These questions usually yield hypotheses testing or experimental study designs in which the researcher manipulates the variables to see what will happen. Example: a. What are the effects of computer-learning assisted methods of teaching to the interest level of the sophomores to their history subjects? b. How significantly different is the performance of the call center agents who are well-rested than those who are not?

59. 4. Situation-producing questions – These ask the question “How can I make it happen?” These questions establish explicit goals for actions, develop plans or prescriptions to achieve goals, and specify the conditions under which these goals will be accomplished. Example: a. Based on the findings, what human relation intervention program can be adopted to enhance or improve effectiveness of existing teaching methods? b. What faculty development activities can be sponsored by the PTCA to improve the performance of graduating students in the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT)?

60. Setting the Scope of the Study

61. The scope of the study is determined primarily by the selection of variables that the research will focus on. A variable refers to any characteristic that can have different values or traits that may vary across research participants. Variables are measured, controlled, and manipulated by the researcher.

62. Attributes are elements of a variable. It refers to the value assigned to a specific variable. Example: Variable – Gender Attributes - Male, Female

63. Variables have the following important characteristics:   a. Dependence – this refers to how the variable is considered in a cause-and-effect relationship. Independent variables are those characteristics that are changed, manipulated, or selected by the researcher. Dependent variables are those that change because of changes to the independent variable.

64. b. Mutually exclusive – this means that a participant or respondent cannot possess two attributes of a variable. For instance, a person cannot be both male and female. c. Exhaustive – This means that the researcher should consider all possible attributes of a certain variable. In identifying the possible responses of the participants to survey questions, the researcher must identify all possible answers or reactions. In reality, considering all possible attributes and including them in the research study is a difficult and almost impossible task. Therefore, selecting the most relevant attributes for each variable is part of setting the scope of the study.

65. Kinds of Variables

66. 1. Continuous variables – may have an infinite number of values and may vary widely among the research participants. Examples: age, weight 2. Discrete variables – have specific limits to their value. Examples: income, number of children, years of employment 3. Categorical variables – these cannot be expressed in numbers but are given in non-quantitative, descriptive terms. Examples: civil status (single, married, widowed) and educational achievement (high school graduate, college graduate, post-graduate)

67. Delimitation of the Study

68. The following may be the possible limitations that may arise from the research design and methodology. 1. Sample size – It will determine the quality of data and the relationships that will be identified among the variables. The limitations of the study are defined primarily by the scope of the study. While the scope of the study defines the variables that are the focus of the research, the delimitation of the study identifies the other variables that were not considered for the study.

69. 2. Lack of available and/or reliable data – Missing and unreliable data will limit the scope of analysis and the ability of the researcher to determine meaningful trends and relationships among the data. 3. Lack of prior studies – This will limit the effectiveness of the literature review and may limit the initial understanding of the research problem. This, however, can be a basis for identifying avenues for further research.

70. 4. Chosen data collection method – Limitations in the data collection instrument may affect the quality of data collected. Unclear or vague questions in a questionnaire will result to unclear or erroneous answers from the respondents. The method employed in data collection may also affect the quality of the data. 5. Nature of the information collected – Relying on pre-existing data may impose limits on the researcher as he or she can no longer clarify certain data. Self-reported data have the risk of being false and cannot be easily verified.

71. Apart from the design and methodology, the characteristics of the researcher and the limits that he or she experiences in the conduct of the study will also give rise to limitations. These are as follows: 1. Access – The amount and quality of data will depend on the ability of the researcher to access people, organizations, libraries, and documents that can provide him or her the best available data. 2. Time period – The length of time devoted to the study will affect almost all aspects of the research. It is advisable to select a research problem and design that gives way to a more manageable time period.

72. 3. Bias – This refers to a way of viewing a certain thing, issue, or idea, and may be influenced by the researcher’s background. The researcher, therefore, should be aware of his or her personal biases and how these affect the conduct of the research. 4. Language – This may have an effect on data collection, especially of the researcher is involved with respondents that speak a variety of languages. This is especially a challenge in studies that involve documents that are written in different languages.

73. Significance of the Study

74. The significance of the study should clearly discuss the purpose that the research will serve to society, the country, the government, the institution or agency concerned, the curriculum planners and developers, and the research community.

75. This section describes the contribution of the study to the existing body of knowledge. It could be in the form of new knowledge in the field, a confirmation of the major findings of other studies, verification of the validity of findings in a different population, analysis of trends over time, and validation of other findings using different methodologies.

76. The researcher also has to identify the beneficiaries who will directly gain from the results of the study. In identifying the beneficiaries, the researcher should be specific in mentioning them in the paper. The specific benefits must also be enumerated and explained if necessary. It is also important that the beneficiaries should be listed according to the significance of the study’s results to them.