CHAPTER TWO

The Problem: The Heart of the Research Process

Research Problem

a statement about an
 area of concern
 a condition to be improved
 difficulty to be eliminated
 a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature
a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction or a gap in knowledge that you will aim to
address in a research
a phenomenon at the center of research study establishes a connection between
literature and ideal practice
a point of view on the subject (idea or concept of the object)
specific issue, difficulty, contradiction or gap in knowledge that you will aim to
address in our research.

Example:

“Early pregnancy among youths”

Rate of early pregnancy
Factors why early pregnancy occur

Example:

“Attributions/factors of poor performance”

What: What is the performance?

Why? Why students are not interested/motivated to learn?

How? How to improve performance?

Attitude, motivation, learning environment (classroom facilities), curriculum, economic

status, educational attainment of parents.

*Finding Research Projects

Research projects can be one of two types:

1. Basic research – intended to enhance basic knowledge about the physical, biological,
psychological, or social world or to shed light on historical, cultural, or aesthetic
phenomena.

2. Applied research – intended to address issues that have immediate relevance to

current practices, procedures, and policies; intended to human decision making about
practical problems; occasionally address questions in one’s immediate work
environment (action research).

Criteria for Identification of a Suitable Research Problem

1. The research problem should address an important question so that the answer
will make a difference.
 2. The research problem should advance the frontiers of knowledge by leading to new
ways of thinking, suggesting possible applications, or paving the way for further
research in the field.

Situations to Avoid When Considering A Research Problem

• Research projects should not be a ruse (action to deceive someone or a trick ) for
achieving self-enlightenment.

• A problem whose sole purpose is to compare two sets of data is not a suitable
research problem.

• Calculating a correlation coefficient between two sets of data to show a relationship

between them is not acceptable as a problem for research.

• Problems that result in a yes or no answer are not suitable problems for research.

*Finding a Legitimate Research Problem

1. Look around you.

2. Read the literature.

3. Attend professional conferences.

4. Seek the advice of experts.

5. Choose a topic that intrigues and motivates you.

6. Choose a topic that others will find interesting and worthy of attention.

Guidelines: Stating the Research Problem

1. State the problem clearly and completely.

2. Think through the feasibility of the project that the problem implies.

3. Say precisely what you mean.

- Absolute honesty and integrity are the rule!

4. State the problem in a way that reflects an open mind about its solution.

5. Edit your work.

*Dividing the Research Problem into Subproblems

Subproblem: the subparts of the main problem that are an integral part of the main problem

Pseudo-subproblems: procedural issues that involve decisions that must be made before
resolving the research problem and its subproblems

Example:

Factors Associated to Students’ Performance in BTLEd Subjects

Subproblems:
 1. What is the performance of students’ in BTLEd subjects?

2. What are factors associated to student’s performance in BTLEd subjects?

3. What are problems/challenges encountered by students in learning BTLEd subjects?

4. What is the attitude of students in learning BTLEd subjects?

5. Is there a relationship between students’ attitude and performance in BTLEd subjects?

6. Is there a relation between the degree/level of challenges encountered by students and

their level of performance?

What is the perception of students in BTLEd program?

Characteristics of Subproblems

1. Each subproblem should be a completely researchable unit.

2. Each subproblem must be clearly tied to the interpretation of the data.

3. The subproblems must add up to the totality of the problem.

4. Subproblems should be small in number.

*Identifying Subproblems

• Take a paper-and-pencil approach

• Use brainstorming software, such as:

- Inspiration

- BrainStorm

- MindJet

Paper-and-Pencil Approach to Identifying Subproblems

1. Copy the problem onto a sheet of paper, leaving considerable space between the lines.

2. Read the problem to discover the areas that require in-depth treatment before the
problem can be resolved.

3. Make sure every subproblem contains a word that indicates the necessity to interpret the
data within that particular subproblem (e.g., analyze, discover, correlate, compare).
Underline this word.

4. Arrange the entire problem in a graphic organizer that will serve as a structure of the
whole research design.

Factors associated with Students’ Performance in Science/Predictors of Students’

Performance in Science

1) To det. students’ performance/What is the performance of students in Science?

2) To determine the factors…./What are the factors associated with students’

performance? Which of the following are factors/predictors associated to students’
performance in science?
 2.1 Study Habits (No. of hrs. in studying lessons)

2.2 economic status (Aggregate family income)

2.3 Availability of resources (print materials, computer unit/laptop, internet, etc.

2.4 attitude towards learning science

2.5 availability of persons in assisting the student’s academic undertaking

2.6 educational attainment of parents

Using Brainstorming Software to Identify Subproblems

 Computer programs such as Inspiration, BrainStorm, and MindJet allow you to

brainstorm research ideas and construct graphic networks of interrelated concepts,
terms, and principles.

 Convert, save, and print your final diagram (graphic organizer) as an outline that lists
major topics and various levels of subtopics.

*Further Delineation of the Problem

• State the hypotheses and/or research questions.

• Delimit the research. (main focus of the study, subjects of the study, time duration,
topics to be covered, etc.)

• Define the terms. (both conceptual and operational defn of terms)

• State the assumptions.

Research Questions:

To determine the factors…./What are the factors associated with students’

performance?

Which of the following are factors/predictors associated to students’ performance in

science?

2.1 Study Habits (No. of hrs. in studying lessons)

2.2 economic status (Aggregate family income)

2.3 Availability of resources (print materials, computer unit/laptop, internet, etc.

2.4 attitude towards learning science

2.5 availability of persons in assisting the student’s academic undertaking

2.6 educational attainment of parents

Hypothesis

• A logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated conjecture/guess

• Provides a tentative explanation for a phenomenon under investigation

• May direct thinking to possible sources of information necessary to resolve the

research problem and its subproblems
Example:

The following are significant predictors of students’ performance

1. Study habits

2. Economic status

3. Availability of resource

4. Student’s attitude toward learning science

5. Availability of tutors

6. Parents educ’l attainment

*State the Hypothesis and/or Research Questions

• Hypotheses are essential to experimental research; research questions are more

common in qualitative research.

• Both hypotheses and research questions provide guidance for the kind of data that
should be collected.

• Both hypotheses and research questions suggest how data should be analyzed and
interpreted.

• Hypotheses and research questions may originate in the subproblems.

• Hypotheses and research questions provide a position from which the researcher
may initiate an exploration of the problem.

• Hypotheses and research questions act as checkpoints against which to test the
findings that the data reveal.

*Distinguishing Null Hypotheses from Research Hypotheses

Example:

Experimental:

Research Question: Is a there difference between the performance of students

exposed to cooperative learning and traditional approach in teaching science

Research Hyp: There is a significant difference in the performance of students

exposed to cooperative learning and traditional approach in teaching science

Null Hyp: There is no significant difference in the performance of students exposed

to cooperative learning and traditional approach in teaching science

Relational/Correlation

Research Question:

Is there a relationship between student’s attitude and performance in science?/What

is the relationship between student’s attitude and performance in science?
 Research Hyp: There is a significant relationship between student’s attitude and
performance in science

Research Questions:

What are difficulties of students encountered by students in their academic tasks

during pandemic?

How did students cope with their difficulties in their academic tasks during
pandemic?

Note that the last two research questions do not require research hypothesis.

Why do you think so?

*Identifying the Variables Under Investigation

 A variable is any quality or characteristic in a research investigation that has two or

more possible values.

 Independent variable -- variable that the researcher studies as a possible

cause of something else; this is one that the researcher directly manipulates.

 Dependent variable -- variable that is potentially influenced by the

independent variable, or depends on the independent variable.

Examples: performance, age, gender/sex, grades, scores, attitude, perceptions, self-efficacy,

motivation, creativity, engagement, height, weight, educational attainment, economic
status, ability, problems encountered, coping mechanisms, teaching
strategies/methodologies, etc.

Why Identify Variables?

 Identification is helpful in choosing

(a) an appropriate research design

(b) an appropriate statistical analysis

Note: identifying independent and dependent variables does not guarantee that the
research data will support the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship.

Mediating Variables

 A mediating variable (an intervening variable) comes to the stage when the
independent variable influences the dependent variable indirectly.

 The mediator is influenced by the independent variable, which in turn

influences the dependent variable.

 Its presence helps to explain why a certain independent variable has an effect on a
dependent variable.

Moderating Variables
  A moderating variable is a variable that, while not intervening between the
independent and dependent variables, influences the nature and strength of their
relationship.

 It may reduce or increase the cause-and-effect relationship between variables.

Moderating vs. Mediating

 Difference: An independent variable may potentially influence a mediating variable,

but it does not, in and of itself, influence a moderating variable.

 Moderating variables provide potential contexts or conditions that alter—that is, they
moderate—an independent variable’s effects.
 Discussions of risk factors or protective factors in research reports often refer to
moderating variables—variables that affect the likelihood that certain cause-and-
effect relationships will come into play.

Example:

“Cooperative and Traditional Approaches in Teaching Science: Its Effect on Student’s

Performance, Attitude and Self-efficacy” “Attitude, Self-efficacy, Performance and
Teaching Approaches in Science”

Independent Var:

teaching methodology (cooperative Learning VS Traditional Learning)

Dependent Variable: Performance

Students’ Attitude

Mediating Var: Students’ Attitude

Moderating Variable: Self-efficacy

Mediator and Moderator Variables

Why Identify Variables?

 Identification is helpful in choosing

(a) an appropriate research design

(b) an appropriate statistical analysis

Note: identifying independent and dependent variables does not guarantee that the
research data will support the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship.

*Delimiting the Research

• Delimitations of the research are statements about what the researcher is not going
to do.

• What the researcher will not do is to become involved in data extraneous to the
research problem.
 • The researcher must distinguish between what is and is not relevant to the problem.

Bases of Delimitation

-main focus of the study

-subjects/location of study

-time duration

-topics to be covered

Define the Terms

• The researcher must precisely define the terms in the problem and the subproblems.

• Each term should be defined as it will be used in the researcher’s project.

• In defining a term, the researcher makes the term mean whatever he or she wishes
it to mean within the context of the problem and its subproblems.

operational definition = the definition of a characteristic or variable in terms of how it

will be measured in the research study.

Sample Definition of Term

Students’ Performance-this refers to the knowledge and skills of students in doing

mathematical tasks as indicated by their average score in an
achievement test or average grade in mathematics.

Operational Definition of Terms must contain the following

-conceptual definition of the term/variable

-what is measure of the variable (average score/grade)

-how to measure (achievement test/final grades)

Note that in the above example, the measure of the variable, student’s performance
is average score/grade and it is measure by their achievement test score/final grade

*State the Assumptions

• Assumptions are basic to the research problem.

• All assumptions that have a material bearing on the problem should be openly and
unreservedly set forth.

• A statement of the assumptions is necessary for others to evaluate the conclusions

of the study.

• A statement of the assumptions reveals what the researcher may be taking for
granted with respect to the problem.
*State the Importance of the Study

 Discuss reasons for undertaking the study.

 Studies should not go far beyond any relationship to the practical world; they must
have a practical value.

*Ordering the Topics in a Research Proposal

In the first part of the proposal, you should outline:

 The problem and its setting.

 Subproblems, hypotheses, and questions presented in a logical order.

 A statement of delimitations, definitions of terms, and assumptions.

 The importance of the study should be discussed either in early paragraphs that
introduce the research problem or in its own section.

*Checklist: Evaluating Your Proposed Research Project

1. Have you conducted a thorough literature search to justify the time and effort
expended on your research project?

2. Have you looked at your research problem from all angles to minimize unwanted
surprises?

3. What research procedures will you follow?

4. What research tools are available for you to use?

5. Can others read and understand your proposal?

*Guidelines: Fine-Tuning Your Research Problem

1. Conduct a thorough literature review.

2. Try to see the problem from all sides.

3. Think through the process.

4. Use all available tools and resources at your disposal.

5. Discuss your research problem with others.

6. Hold up your proposed project for others to examine and critique.

7. Remember that your project will take a great deal of time.

8. Remember that the first draft of your proposal will almost certainly not be your last
one.