CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING RESEARCH

Learning Outcomes:
 Detail the research process and explain the utility of the four frameworks
approach to the research projects.
 Outline and briefly explain each of the stages in the research process.
 Explain the different paradigms in research.
 Apply different research paradigms in designing research projects.
 Know how to formulate a researchable problems.

The aim of this chapter is to introduce you, the student, to the process of carrying
out research. As you will see, this step in the process is generally the same in every
research project; however the approaches taken to each step in the process vary a
great deal, and are in many cases, unique to each research projects.

In the context of a research project, literature is research that has been already
been carried out and published may published in books, articles in scientific journals,
thesis, conference, reports, government reports, and in the media.
As you reflect on your research idea and engage with the literature, you will
refine your idea. While engaging in this work, of refining your idea, it is a good discipline
to try to express your idea in one sentence. This sentence can be a statement or a
question. This one sentence becomes conceptual framework for your research project.
It contains all of the key concepts, all the key words and phrases in your research.
When you have gotten to the point of stating your research idea in one sentence
you will begin the process of developing an aim and a series of objectives for your
research. Then you will start to write a review of the literature for your research project.
This is a review of all of the published literature (theory) that you have read for your
research. The literature review that you develop becomes the theoretical framework
that your research project will be built upon.
Then you will begin to gather data. Data in a research project are information or
evidence that the researcher gathers in order to be able to explore the phenomenon
under investigation or to prove or disapprove the research hypothesis. The data
gathered allow you to build a picture on the phenomenon under investigation. When the
data are gathered, you begin the work of analyzing it. This involves first describing the
data and then interpreting it. When the data are analyzed you conclude the research.
Conclusions are drawn from the analyzed data. This conclusion are then theorized; this
means that you knit them into the body of knowledge, and this way the body of
knowledge in this field grows and develops.

Research Process

The model of the research process above starts with an idea, refines that idea,
and follows the arrows all the way around to the last element write thesis/report. In
practice, researchers do not wait until all of the steps have been taken to begin to write
the report of the research, the thesis. Instead, they begin writing as they start the
research process. As the research process develops and becomes more complex, so
too does the written account of the research. Research projects are very creative
endeavors; they might be said to be perhaps one part creative and one part rigorous
and scientific.

DEFINITION OF A RESEARCH
According to Isidro & Malolos (1997) “ A process of Scientific thinking that leads
to the discovery or establishment of new knowledge or truth. It is not a subjective
expression of ideas or opinion.
A research is a process of steps used to collect and analyzed information to
increase our understanding of a topic or issue.

Three Steps:
 Pose a Questions
 Collect Data to answer the Questions
 Present the answer to the Questions
 According to Parel (1973) “ A systematic study or investigation of something for the
purpose of answering question posed by the researcher.”

Four Characteristics:
 Based on Facts
 Starts from a complex of Problems
 Free from personal bias and opinion
 Uses objective measurements

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1. Research adds to our knowledge: means educators undertake research to
contribute to existing information about issues.
2. Research improves Practices: It suggests improvements to become more
effective.
3. Research informs Policy Debates: Provides information to policy maker

COMPONENTS OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD

 Research Questions: the single most important part of the scientific
method. It is sometimes formed as a statement and is called the “
PROBLEM” or “ PROBLEM STATEMENT”. The heart of the research is
the problem.
 Hypothesis: is an “educated guess” formed as a statement that you
propose to be the answer to the research question.an educated guess is
based on some prior knowledge.

TYPES OF APPROACH
There are two types of approach in writing a research.
1. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH: Any research methods that produce
hard numbers, which can be, turned statistics.
Characteristics of a Quantitative Research
 Describing a research problem through a description of trends or a need
for an explanation of the relationship among variables.
 Providing a major role for the literature through suggesting the research
questions to be asked and justifying the research problem and creating a
need for direction (purpose statement and research question or
hypothesis) of the study.
 Creating purpose statements, research questions, and hypothesis that are
specific, narrow, measurable, and observable.
 Collecting numerical data from a large number of people using
instruments with preset questions and responses.
 Analyzing trends, comparing groups, or relating variables using statistical
analysis and interpreting results by comparing them with prior prediction
and past research.
 Writing the research report using standard, fixed, structures and
evaluation criteria, and taking an objective, unbiased approach.

2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: This research method produces

observations, notes, and descriptions behavior and motivation. In this
category includes:
o Interviews: either a series of structured questions, or allowing a
subject to narrate their experience.
o Focus Group: soliciting observation from groups of people who
shares the similar attribute (for example, a group of women over
40) to give opinions on a topic.
o Reviews: combining through scholarly literature or other
published writing to determined attitudes towards a subject.
o Observation: Researchers watch people on their daily routine
and make notes or recordings documenting their behavior.
Characteristics of a Qualitative Research
 Exploring a problem and developing a detailed understanding of a central
phenomenon.
 Having the literature review play a minor role but justifies the problem.
 Stating the purpose and research questions in a general and broad way
as to the participant’s experiences.
 Collecting data based on words from a small number of individuals so that
the participants view are obtained.
 Analyzing the data for description and themes using text analysis and
interpreting the larger meaning of the findings.
 Writing the report using flexible, emerging structures and evaluative
criteria, and including the researcher’s subjective reflexivity and bias.

AN INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The Methodological framework, the third framework in the four frameworks
approach to the research project, is contained in the methodology section of the thesis
or reports it also contains all of the detail on how the research was conducted. As
explained, there are many different methodologies used in conducting a research.
There are three types of research methods

 Descriptive Research Method

 Experimental Research Method
 Historical Research Method

1. Descriptive Research Method. Is a type of research were it describe the nature

of a situation as it exist at the time of the study and to explore the cause of
particular phenomena.
2. Experimental Research Method. Is a method that can test hypothesis concerning
cause and effects relationship.
3. Historical Research Method. Means a branch of knowledge that records and
explains past events as steps in the sequence of human activities.
HOW TO FORMULATE A RESEARCHABLE PROJECT
A researchable project is a project that the researcher could possibly undertake
and complete. Many students develop ideas for projects that could not possibly be
undertaken or completed. The simple test of researchability can establish very quickly
whether or not a research project is researchable. Researchers sometimes think that as
soon as they actually have the data they require access can no longer be denied them.
This is not the case, even when the researcher has gathered the data, analyzed it and
drawn conclusion from it, permission to use data can be withdrawn. In academic
Institution, if there is a dispute over rights to data used in a research project. The project
will not generally accepted by the institution until the differences have been resolved.
Your ethical principles, as a researcher would probably prohibit your from proceeding
with a research project where such dispute over permission had arise. The withdrawal
of access to data can be a disaster for any researcher, as without the access the
research project cannot be completed.
In formulating a research Project/Proposal there are process that we need to
consider so that the researcher will not find it so hard to formulate a research title.

AREA

FIELD

TOPIC

TITLE

The figure shows about the right process of formulating a research title
 First: the Researcher must consider there area of expertise, in doing or
formulating a research project it is necessarily for the researcher to consider their areas
so that they will not find it hard to formulate ideas.
Second: The researcher must have ideas on their field of expertise what in their
field of expertise they want to give certain solutions for certain problems.
Third: after the researcher already has an idea on what certain field they want to
give new knowledge or solution for a problem that is the time for the researcher to
construct ideas about the topic they want to research.
Then finally on the Fourth process: the researcher must come up with a full
Research Proposal/Title using and considering the elements of research so that the
idea and the Research Title are stronger and accurate.

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH
 AIM or PURPOSE
 SUBJECT MATTER
 PLACE/LOCALE OF THE STUDY
 PERIOD
 POPULATION

THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN PROVINCIAL HIGHSCHOOLS AS PERCEIVED

BY THE SCIENCE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR 2010 – 2011

A. Purpose: To know the teaching practice in province

B. Subject Matter: The Teaching of Science
C. Locale of the Study: High Schools of Province
D. Populations: The Science Teachers and Students
E. Period of the Study: School year 2010 – 2011

Always remember that in the absence of one of this element, you cannot call that
as a research project, however there are instances that in some research title, some
elements are missing but it is important to state that under the scope and
delimitation of your study.