SACRED HEART COLLEGE

Senior High School Department

Lucena City

Subject: Practical Research 1

Semester/SY : First Semester, 2020 – 2021
Facilitator: Josefina M. Parentela, Ed. D
Classes : Grade 11 – HUMSS 1 (9:30 - 11:00 AM MWF/TThS)
Grade 11 - ABM 1 (1:00 -2:30 MWF/TThS)
Grade 11 – ABM 2 (2:30 - 4:00 MWF/TThS)
Date : August 14- 19, 2020

MODULE 2 – IDENTIFYING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

I. STUDENT’S GUIDE: Welcome to the class on Practical Research or Qualitative Research. Am

so happy to have you in this class. I look forward to have a fruitful journey together as you
discover and undertake the process of doing the first part of Qualitative Research.

For this module, please be reminded of the following:

1. This module is recommended for four (4) learning days;
2. You can accomplish the module at your own time , but I recommend that you work on
it for at least 45 minutes a day;
3. This module covers the following parts:
a. Introduction which gives you an overview of the module;
b. Learning objectives enumerate the goals that you need to acquire: knowledge, skills
and values ;
c. Lessons and Activities enable you to do discuss topics and do tasks to achieve the
learning objectives;
d. Assessment provides tools to measure your learning;
e. Reflection invites you to share your insights on the importance of the module in
your life;
f. Additional Resources allows you to look for other resources to expand your learning;

II. INTRODUCTION
Writing a research proposal is one of the challenges that you have to face in your
studies; you need to read more literature and past studies that have been conducted by
other researchers and find out how you can contribute to solve a problem or add new
knowledge.
 This module allows you to work with your group and explore a research problem and
show why the problem has to be pursued. You and your group are given questions to answer
to finalize your research problem and come up with the first part of the research proposal, the
introduction. You will need to defend your title before your teacher. Make sure that you are
ready to explain why the proposed study is needed.

III. LEARNING OBJECTIVES : At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
3.1 design a research project related to daily life;
3.2 write a research title;
3.3 provide the justifications/reasons for conducting research;
3.4 state the research questions;
3.5. present written statement of the problem;
3.6. cite benefits and beneficiaries of research;
3. 7. indicate scope and limitations of research;

IV. LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES

Lesson 1. The Research Problem

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 directions of the research study as it defines what kind of
research study is suitable to address the problem. It is important to note that this section
should only state the problem and not preface or suggest a solution for it. (Cristobal &
Cristobal, 2017)

The ultimate goal of the research is not only to propose ways of studying things, people, places
and events but also to discover and introduce new practices, strategies of techniques in solving
problem. (Barraceros, 2016) . It is important to spend time getting background knowledge
about the problem and to discover theories or principles to support the study (Braun 2014;
Woodwell 2014 cited in Barraceros, 2016).

Sources of Research Problems

1. Mass media communication (newspapers, ads, TV , radio , films etc)

2. Books, internet, peer-reviewed journals, government publications
3. Professional periodicals like the English Forum, The Economist, Business Circle, The
Modern Teacher
4. General periodicals such as Reader’s Digest, Women’s Magazine, Health and Home,
Time Magazine
 5. Work experience – OJT, Work Immersion experience, fieldwork

Considerations in Formulating the Research Problem

In the book A Research Guide in Nursing Education, Barrientos Tan (1997 cited in
Cristobal & Cristobal 2017) discusses the different criteria for choosing a problem for research.
These are as follows:

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 the subjects – This refers to the people with the desired capability and
willingness to participate in the study. The sample of the study participants must be
representative enough to ensure reliability and validity of the results.
c. Support of the academic community – This refers to the assistance given by the
members of the institution, like the principal, teachers, staff, students and the
parents in the gathering of data and defraying the cost of the study.
d. Availability and Adequacy of Facilities and equipment –Devices such as computers
and telephones 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.
2. Internal Criteria
a. Experience, training and qualifications of the researcher- These constitute the
researcher’s knowledge and expertise.
b. Motivation , interest, intellectual curiosity and perceptiveness of the researcher –
These are essential attitudes that bring anticipated satisfaction in the completion of
the research tasks.
c. Time Factor – the study considers the time frame.
d. Costs and Returns – includes expenses in conducting the study.
e. Hazards, penalties and handicaps- this depends upon the researcher’s physical and
intellectual capacity.

In short, the factors considered in choosing the research problem are:

a. Feasibility
b. External support
c. Innovative quality

Activity 1. Individual Activity

Examine the following topics. Decide on the topic which you are interested to work on.
 1. Look for resources and write a paragraph about the chosen topic. Indicate your
reference/s: author’s name, copyright year, title of the book, publishing company and
place of publication

Social Media Network Entrepreneurship in the Province

Quezon Province/Lucena City Risk Management

Climate Change Covid 2019
Poverty Financial Services
The Digital Era Financial Crisis
Carcinogenic Foods Banking
Nutrition Blended Learning
Disaster Preparedness Information Literacy

Violence and Abuses Children’s Rights

Pollution Inequality
Unemployment Obesity
Smoking Health issues
Depression Globalization
Health Services Gender Based Stereotyping
Financial Management HIV/AIDS
The Philippine Economy Others ___________________

2. Come up with a list of at least five (5) questions which you would like to ask about the
chosen topic.
3. Submit answers to 1 and 2 on ______________

Lesson 2. The Research Title (Cristobal & Cristobal, 2017)

A research title provides a summary of the main idea and usually short and concise. It requires
more considerations on the part of the researcher. A title should have the following
characteristics:

1. It should summarize the main idea of the paper.

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.
Guidelines in Choosing a Research Topic (Barraceros, 2016)

1. Interest in the subject area – might be caused by your rich background knowledge about
it and by its novelty, meaning its unfamiliarity to you.
2. Availability of Information - Evidences to support your claims about your subject matter
from varied forms of literature like books, periodicals, journals, newspapers, articles,
research works. Included in the investigation of the availability of reading materials are
questions on how updated and authoritative the materials are… copyright dates and
how expert or qualified are the writers of he books/ materials?
3. Timeliness and relevance of the topic
The topic is relevant if it yields results that are instrumental in societal improvement. It
is timely if it is related to the present.
4. Limitations on the subject – This makes you link your choosing with course
requirements.
5. Personal Resources - assess your research abilities in terms of your financial standing,
health condition, mental capacity, needed facilities and time allotment.

Research Topics to be avoided (Barraceros, 2016)

1. Controversial topics – these are topics that depend greatly on the writer’s opinion,
which may tend to be biased or prejudicial.
2. High technical subjects- For a beginner, researcher on topics that require an advanced
study , technical knowledge and vast experience is a very difficult task.
3. Hard to investigate subjects - if there are no available reading materials about it and if
such materials are not up-to-date.
4. Too broad subjects – topics that are too broad will prevent you from giving a
concentrated or an in depth analysis of the subject matter of the paper. The remedy is
to narrow or limit the topic to a smaller one.
5. Too narrow subjects. These subjects are so limited or specific that an extensive or
thorough searching or reading for information about there is necessary.
6. Vague subjects. Choosing topics like these will prevent you from having a clear focus on
your paper.

Elaborating the Learned Concepts

Direction: Individual Work. Check the title that appears to be the best in terms of narrowing
down a broad topic.
1. ___________Symptoms of AIDS
____________Physical Symptoms of AIDS
____________Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS
2. ____________Qualitative Research
____________Research
____________Experiences of Sampaguita Sellers
3. ____________Communication Skills
____________The Writing Process
____________Pre-Writing

4. __________ _Effects of Smoking

____________Smoking Cases in the Philippines
____________Physical Health

5. ____________Corona Virus Diseases Philippines

____________Awareness on COVID 19
____________Serious symptoms of COVID 19

Research Questions aims at investigating aspects of the research problem. Though

deduced from the general or mother question, one specific question may lead to
another sub-problem or sub-question, requiring different data-gathering technique and
directing the research to a triangulation or mixed method approach.

Guidelines in Formulating Research Questions ( Barbie 2013; Litchman 2013; Silverman

2013 cited in Baraceros, 2016)

1. Establish a clear relation between the research questions and the problem or topic.
2. Base your research questions on your Review of Related Literature to get a good
background knowledge of the research problem.
3. Formulate research questions that can arouse your curiosity and surprise you with
your discoveries or findings. This is true for research questions asked about a
problem that was never investigated upon.
4. State your research questions in such a way that they include all dependent and
independent variables referred to by the theories, principles or concepts
underlying your research work.
5. Let the set of research questions or sub-problems be preceded by one question
expressing the main problem of the research.
6. Avoid asking research questions that are answerable with “yes” or “no” and the use
of “how” questions only in a quantitative research.
7. Be guided by the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-
bound) in formulating the research questions. Applying SMART, you must deal with
exact answers and observable things, determine the extent or limit of the data
collected, be aware of the timeframe and completion period of the study and
 endeavor to have your research study arrive at a particular conclusion that is
indicative of what are objective, factual or real in this world.

Lesson 3. Designing a Research Proposal (Abadiano, 2016)

Research is a process of trying to gain a better understanding of the complexities of human

experience and in some genres of research, to take action based on the understanding
(Marshal and Rossman, 1999 cited in Abadiano, 2016). On the other hand, a research
proposal is a plan for engaging in systematic inquiry to bring about a better understanding of
the phenomenon and increasingly, to change social circumstances.

Parts of the Proposal

1. The Problem or The Problem and its Background its purpose is to introduce the
problem and clarify important variables, its delimitations, and its significance to the
field of study.
2. Related Literature – which situates the study in the ongoing discourse about the topic
and develops the specific underlying literature that could link o the research topic.
3. Research Design and Methods – which details the overall design, the site or population
of interest, the specific methods for gathering data, a preliminary discussion of
strategies for analyzing the data

Parts of The Problem or the Problem and Its Background

a. Introduction- it includes an overview of the proposal, the rationale/ the

purpose behind the study, a discussion of the topic or focus of the inquiry and
the general research questions or problem and the establishment of the
seriousness of the problem which prompted the researcher to look for solution.

Specifically, the following can aid the researcher in formulating the introduction:
 The Rationale is sharing the reasons why the researcher decided to look for
solutions to the problem. It may include the narration of personal
experiences, or a theory that needs to be clarified.
 Setting of the Problem - describes the place where the study will be
conducted
 Basic Literature Foundation of the Study – this part seeks to provide the
researcher clarity on the terms of the variables used in the study and
sufficient background can assist the researcher based on the different
literature
  How serious is the Research Problem – the researcher identifies the
intensity and magnitude of the problem.
 General Objective of the Problem - the general statement of the problem
and the basis of the enumerated statement of specific problems.
 Overall support of the Problem – The researcher must be totally aware of
the purpose of the problem.

Activity 2. With your group come up with the proposed title of the study. Based on
the topics/ other topic presented in Activity 1, decide with your group the area which you
wish to undertake .
 Give your reason/s for the choice of the topic.

___________________________________________________________________________
 Describe the setting where you wish the study to be conducted

 What are the variables or concepts that you wish to study?

 Look for literature that defines the main concepts/variables in the proposed
study. Indicate the reference/s

 Determine the significance of your chosen problem

 What is the overall purpose of the study?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
.
b. Statement of the Problem – this part indicates the specific questions which shall
be answered by the research study. The research questions lay the foundation
for the research study.

c. Conceptual Framework is a graphical presentation/schematic diagram of the

concepts or ideas on the basic structure or components of your research as well
as then relationship of these elements with one another. It is giving a carefully
constructed arrangement of your study, it is a broad outline or plan to give
shape to your research. It shows the organization, order and direction of your
 research study. The schematic diagram, enables the readers to obtain a general
understanding of the research. (Baraceros, 2016)
Theoretical Framework gives and explains the theories, principles,
generalization and research findings, which have some connections to your
research study. (Baraceros, 2016)

d. Significance of the Study - This part describes the group of individuals, units or
organizations that will benefit from the study. It presents the short and long
term benefits for the respondents of the study [&other individuals] and the
contribution that it can make to the research literature (Bui, 2014 cited in SHC-
Graduate School 2015 )

e. Scope and Limitation - This part describes the coverage and the limitation of
the study. This includes the variables considered in the statement of the
problem, the population or the informants/participants, the locale or setting of
the study , and the data collection instrument.

Variables are the changing “qualities or characteristics” of persons or things

like age, gender, intelligence, ideas, achievements, confidence and so on that
are involved in the study. It is made up of the root or base word “vary” which
means to undergo changes or to differ from. ( Baraceros, 2016)

f. Definition of Terms - This section defines the terms or words that need a
conceptual or operational definition.

g. References - This part indicates the list of books, periodicals, journals, articles,
speeches, memoranda, annual reports , online publications) using the APA
(American Psychological Association) guidelines.

V. ASSESSMENT

Please submit the required individual Activity 1 . Activity 2 should be

presented/submitted during the presentation of the proposed group research problem.

VI. REFLECTION
Key points:

Writing a qualitative research requires patience, determination and courage. Exploring

literature and past studies would allow you to discover new/relevant knowledge that are
needed to support your proposed research problem.
 Be clear with your purpose in identifying your research problem. Never be afraid to ask
questions.
Working with your group is a must to come up with your research proposal. Share your
ideas/ readings to enrich your study.

VII. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Submit at least two (2) other resources (books, journals, theses, periodicals, articles
which you used for additional information about the topics on Module 2.

VIII. REFERENCES

Abadiano, M. (2016). Research in Daily Life 1: Qualitative Research Method. Cronica

Bookhaus.

Amorado, R & Talili, I. (2017). Qualitative Research A Practical Approach. Mutya Publishing
House. Malabon City.

Baraceros, E. (2016). Practical Research 1. Rex Printing Company, Inc., Quezon City.

Cristobal, A & Cristobal, M. (2017). Practical Research 1 for Senior High School. C & E
Publishing, Inc. Quezon City.

Prieto, N, Naval, V., Carey, T. (2017). Practical Research 1. Lorimar Pub. Inc. Manila

Serapio , M. ((2016). Practical Research 1. Mindshapers Co. Inc., Manila.

Sacred Heart College-Graduate School. (2015). Revised Guide in Thesis Writing.