FTI

FL&M
DEPARTMENT OF LEADERSHIP AND
MANAGEMNET
Course: Design and Management of TVET Research

Course Code-VPD- 503

Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
 Contents of the chapter
• Definition of research
• Characteristics of research
• Research problem identification:
– Sources for research problems
• Research perspectives/views
• Quantitative and qualitative research
• Research objective formulation
• Rational for research/purposes of research
• Ethics of research
 CHAPTER ONE
THE CONCEPT OF RESEARCH

1.1 Definition of Research

The word ‘research’ has come into being since the
late 16th century. Its etymological origin is
supposed to be derived from old French re
(expressing intensive force) and cerchier ‘to search’.
However, in its contemporary literal meaning, it is
defined as a systematic investigation to establish
facts or principles or to collect information on a
subject (Collins, 2011:1395).
• A common consensus among researchers seems
to be prevalent in terms of the what, the why
and the how of research.
• The following clarification of the concept may
suffice to support our argument.
– “…the search for knowledge through objective and
systematic method of finding solution to a problem is
research.”(Kothari, 2004:1)
• Research requires a careful undertaking to
discover new facts and relationships concerning
a solution that is unknown (Tomal, 2003).
1.2 Leedy and Ormrod (2013) suggest that research has the following eight distinct characteristics:

1. Research originates with a question or problem

2. Research requires clear articulation of a goal
3. Research usually divides the principal problem into more manageable sub-problems
4. Research is guided by the specific research problem, question, or hypothesis
5.Research requires a specific plan for proceeding
6. Research rests on certain critical assumptions
7. Research requires the collection and
interpretation of data in an attempt to resolve the
problem that initiated the research
8. Research is, by nature, cyclical or, more exactly,
helical(spiral-shaped).
Besides (Elizabeth et al, 2004) identified the ff
characteristics:

1. Logical
2. Understandable
3. Confirmable
4. Useful
• In similar ways, Harold (2013) explains research
as an activity on what we do when we have a
question or a problem we want to resolve.
Related definition of the term is also provided by
Lichtman (2006) who described it as a systematic
investigation of phenomena.
• Besides solving problems in all aspects of life,
research is expected to generate knowledge
which is defined as description of the state or
operation of some aspect of the universe upon
which people or groups are prepared to act
(Bouma & Ling, 2004).
• In relation to this, science is also believed to play
similar role since it has a concern on both
producing knowledge and on the knowledge
produced (Neuman, 2011).
• Quite a lot of definitions of the term could be cited
but solution to the problem should base itself on
valid and reliable data or empirical data, and
should be sought by employing the appropriate
data collection tools.
• Besides, it should pass through the various steps
of data organization, analyses and interpretation
strategies to bring scientific solutions to the
selected research problem.
• However, data collecting and organizing activities
cannot be taken as the only functions of research
unless otherwise they are interpreted by the
researcher himself (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010).
• Research is a systematic study in order to find
answers to the questions raised (Langdridge, 2004).
• Research may also be concerned with some
academic activities and as such it is used in a
technical sense (Kothari, 2004).
Generally, when we thinking about research, we should
ask ourselves the following five ‘Ws’(Dawson, 2009):
• What is my research? Needs to be answered as
specifically as possible.
• Why do I want to do the research? What is its
purpose?
• Who are my research participants? How many
participants will take part in your research?
• Where am I going to do the research? Thinking
about this question in geographical terms.
• When am I going to do the research? Think about
your research topic within your time scale.
1.3 Research Problem Identification: Issues and
perspective
•Systematic research begins with a research
problem. In a classic work, John Dewey (1933)
spoke of the first step in the scientific method as the
recognition of a felt difficulty, an obstacle, or
problem that puzzles the researcher.
•Your first step in the research process is therefore to
select a problem for investigation. Selecting and
formulating a problem is one of the most important
aspects of doing research in any field.
•There is no way to do research until a problem is
recognized, thought through, and articulated in a
useful way(Ary et al, 2010).
• A research problem is the problem or issue
that leads to the need for a study. It can
originate from many potential sources
(Creswell, 2014).
– It might spring from an experience
researchers have had in their personal lives
or workplaces.
– It may come from an extensive debate that
has appeared in the literature.
– The literature may have a gap that needs to
be addressed, alternative views that should
be resolved, or a branch that needs to be
studied.
 – Further, the research problem might develop from policy
debates in government or among top executives.
– The sources of research problems are often multiple.
– Identifying and stating the research problem that
underlies a study is not easy.
• Unfortunately, too many authors do not clearly
identify the research problem, leaving readers
to decide for themselves the importance of the
issue.
• When the problem is not clear, it is difficult to
understand all the other aspects of a
research study, especially the significance of
the research.
• After choosing the general area of
investigation, the researcher then narrows it
down to a specific statement of the research
question.
• It could thus be stated as; what specifically
do you want to know or what do you want to
predict?
• Once the researcher has selected a
problem area and clearly articulated a
question or statement, he or she has
accomplished one of the most difficult
phases of the research process.
• In relation to this, the first question that most
students ask is “How do I find a research
problem?” Although there are no set rules for
locating a problem, certain suggestions can
help.
• There are three important sources for research
problems. These are; experience, deductions
from theory, and from related literature.
1.3.1 Issues to be considered in the research
• The following questions will help you to start to
think about the research issues(Dawson, 2009):
– Did you enjoy mathematics? If so, perhaps you
might be interested in delving deeper into statistical
software or other types of data analysis?
– Have you ever taken part in a focus group or been
interviewed by a researcher? Would you find it
interesting to conduct your own focus groups or
interviews?
– Have you been fascinated by a particular group of
people? Would you like to immerse yourself in their
culture and learn more?
– Do you enjoy filling in questionnaires? Would you
like to design your own questionnaire and perhaps
conduct a postal or internet survey?
1.3.1 Research perspectives
• How can we decide which is the best methodology
for our research?
• The easiest way to do this is to decide first of all
whether we should consider qualitative or
quantitative research.
• It should thus match with the methodology & topic.
• If we have not already done so, we should go
through each question in relation to our own
research.
• Once we have done this, clues will start to emerge
about what is the best form of inquiry for us.
• A research is typically classified into two broad
categories: quantitative and qualitative research. Each
approach has its own methodology and terminology.
• Quantitative research uses objective measurement
to gather numeric data that are used to answer
questions or test predetermined hypotheses.
• It generally requires a well-controlled setting.
• Qualitative research, in contrast, focuses on
understanding social phenomena from the
perspective of the human participants in natural
settings.
• It does not begin with formal hypotheses, but it may
result in hypotheses as the study progresses.
• Quantitative and qualitative research stem from
different philosophical assumptions that shape
the ways researchers approach problems and
collect and analyze data.
• Quantitative research originated in positivism,
a philosophic view formulated in Europe in the
19th century.
• Positivists believe that general principles or
laws govern the social world as they do the
physical world and that through objective
procedures researchers can discover these
principles and apply them to understand human
behavior.
• The positivists, such as Francis Bacon,
stressed observation as the primary source of
dependable knowledge.
• Positivism is often considered the traditional
scientific method, which involves hypothesis
testing and objective data gathering to arrive
at findings that are systematic, generalizable,
and open to replication by other investigators.
• Philosophical ideas remain largely hidden in
research (Slife & Williams, 1995) but they
influence the practice of research and need
to be identified.
• Qualitative research is based on a different
philosophical approach, which sees the
individual and his or her world as so
interconnected that one has no existence
without the other.
• It sees social reality as unique; thus,
researchers can only understand human
behavior by focusing on the meanings that
events have for the people involved.
• We must look not only at what people do but
also at how they think and feel, and we must
attempt to understand their reality.
• The intended result of a qualitative research study
is a narrative report so rich and comprehensive that
one can understand the social reality experienced
by the participants.
• However, “What is most fundamental is the
research question and the research methods follow
research questions in a way that offers the best
chance to obtain useful answers”.
• Qualitative researchers believe that individuals
seek understanding of the world in which they live
and work.
• They develop subjective meanings of their
experiences—meanings directed toward certain
objects or things.
 Foundation of positivism
• Ask a question

• Do background research
 
• Connect a hypothesis
 
• Test the hypothesis
 
• Analyze data and compare it with hypothesis
 
• Draw conclusion
 
• Report results
The scientific method, (Savin-Baden and Claire, 2013)
•Qualitative researchers generally don't test cause
and effect but rather seek to learn because they
believe that the social world is different from the
natural world.
•Qualitative researchers seek the perspective
provided by the whole picture and assert that
values are important in this research.
•It research requires patience, honesty, courage,
sympathy, and self-discipline, as well as a view of
researchers as people who conduct research
amongst other people and learn with them, rather
than conduct research on them.
Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research(Ary et al, 2010)
Quantitative Qualitative
Purpose To study relationships, cause To examine a phenomenon
& effect as it is, in rich detail.

Design Developed prior to study Flexible, evolves during study

Approach Deductive; tests theory Inductive; may generate

theory

Tools Uses preselected instruments The researcher is primary data

collection tool

Samples Uses large samples Uses small samples

Analysis Statistical analysis of numeric Narrative description and

Data interpretation
1.4 Research objective formulation
• Specifying the objective of research: If your
research problem covers a broad topic of concern,
you need to focus it so that you can study it.
• A focused restatement of the problem is the purpose
statement.
• This statement conveys the overall objective or
intent of your research. It is the most important
statement in your research study.
• It introduces the entire study, signals the procedures
you will use to collect data, and indicates the types
of results you hope to find (Creswell,2014).
• .
• The objective of research consists of
identifying the major intent or objective for a
study and narrowing it into specific research
questions or hypotheses.
• The purpose statement contains the major
focus of the study, the participants in the
study, and the location or site of the inquiry.
• The purpose statement will be narrowed to
research questions or predictions that you
plan to answer in your research study.
• See the note on “RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
FORMULATION”, in word format.
Consider the meaning of the following
important points(Cresswell, 2014).
• Purpose statement is a declarative statement
that advances the overall direction or focus of a
study.
• Researchers describe the purpose in one or
more clearly formed sentences.
• It is used both in quantitative and qualitative
research, and it is typically found in the
introduction or beginning section of research.
• Research problems are the educational issues,
controversies, or concerns studied by
researchers.
• Research questions are interrogative
statements that narrow the purpose
statement to specific questions that
researchers seek to answer in their studies.
• Research objective is a statement of intent
for the study that declares specific goals that
the investigator plans to achieve in a study.
• Hypotheses are declarative statements in
quantitative research in which the
investigator makes a prediction or a
conjecture about the outcomes of a
relationship.
Examples of a research subject, topic, problem, purpose
and question relation:
Subject: Teaching in TVET Colleges

Topic: Classroom teaching

Problem: Lack of teachers acceptance in the class
Purpose: To explore teacher perception of the quality of
classroom teaching.
Question: How do teachers describe the quality of their
classroom teaching?
1.5 Rationale for research
The following points verify the reasons for conducting
research;
• Adds to knowledge: This means that educators
undertake research to contribute to existing
information about issues.
• Research Improves Practice: Research is also
important because it suggests improvements for
practice.
• Research Informs Policy Debates
In addition to helping educators become better
practitioners, research also provides information to
policy makers when they research and debate
educational topics.
1.6 Ethics of Research
Human subject protection is based on three primary
principles: full disclosure, confidentiality, and voluntary
participation(Depoy et al, 2016)
Full disclosure
Full disclosure means that the investigator must clearly
share with the informant, subject, or research participant
the types and content of interviews, length of time of
participation, types and length of observations, and
other data-collection procedures that will occur, as well
as the scope and nature of the person’s involvement.
Confidentiality: The investigator is required to ensure
that all information shared by a respondent in the course
of a study is kept confidential.
Voluntary participation
•When humans are involved in studies, their
participation is strictly voluntary.
•Individuals have the right to choose to participate or
not.
•An individual who initially agrees to participate in a
study has the right to withdraw from the study at any
point and the right to refuse to answer any particular
question(s) or participate in a particular set of
procedures.
•Thus, the voluntary quality of participation is
protected at three points in a study: initial enrollment,
continuation in the study, and right to refuse to answer
specific questions or participate in a study procedure
•Right to comment: this will depend on your personal
methodological preferences and beliefs.
•Some researchers believe that willing participants
should be consulted throughout the research process
and that if someone is unhappy with the emerging
results and report, they have the right to comment and
discuss alterations.
•The final report: it is useful for participants to know
what is going to happen with the results.
• Who will receive a free copy of the report?
•Will it be on public display?
•If the final report is very long you can produce a
shorter, report which can be sent to interested
participants.
No harm
In some experimental studies participants are potentially
exposed to harm because of the intervention of
researchers.
For example, in medical experiments in which new drugs
are to be tried, participants may be exposed to potential
danger. This should be avoided.
Privacy
While the principles of voluntary participation and
confidentiality are partly based on the principle of a
person’s right to privacy.
Privacy can also mean that people can expect to be free
from intrusion; that is, they do not want companies or
survey researchers contacting them unless permission for
such contacts has been given.