NAME:__________________________________________
GRADE/SECTION:______________________________
12
Practical Research 2
Semester I – Week 4
Research Problems and Questions
CONTEXTUALIZED LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF PUERTO PRINCESA CITY
Practical Research 2 – Grade 12
Contextualized Learning Activity Sheets (CLAS)
Semester 1 – Week 4: Research Problems and Questions
First Edition, 2021
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Lesson 1
Research Problems and Questions
MELC:
•
•
•
State research questions. CS_RS12-Id-e-4
Indicate scope and delimitation of study. CS_RS12-Id-e-5
Present written statement of the problem. CS_RS12-Id-e-7
Objectives:
1. Define research question;
2. State a research question;
3. Define the scope and delimitation of the study;
4. Indicate scope and delimitation of the study; and
5. Present a written statement of the problem.
Let’s Try
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on the space provided
before each number.
_______1. Which of the following covers the range of research?
A. Statement of the problem
B. Significance of the study
C. Scope and delimitation
D. Strength and weaknesses
_______2. What type of research question is shown in this example: “Do people who are good
at mathematics, science or technical subjects tend to be poor in English?”
A. Control
B. Descriptive
C. Evaluative
D. Predictive
_______3. Which of the following is a good characteristic of a research question?
A. Concise
B. Focused
C. Undefined
D. Vague
_______4. “What are the characteristics of a category of persons or organizations?” This is
an example of what type of research question?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Descriptive
Explorative
Evaluative
Explanatory
2
_______5. What do you call the conditions beyond the control of the researcher that may
cause restrictions and make the conclusions to be generalizable only to the
conditions set by the researcher?
A. Delimitations of the study
B. Definition of the study
C. Limitations of the study
D. Significance of the study
______6. What are the characteristics of a good research question?
A. Focused and clear
B. Clear, significant, and ethical
C. Focused, clear, concise, complex, and arguable
D. Focused, clear, significant, and includes a hypothesis
______7. What is the main concern of a quantitative research problem?
A. description and explanation of situations
B. trends and patterns of the chosen group
C. precision and specificity of the problem
D. precision and general explanation of phenomena
______8. Which of the following qualifies as a good quantitative research question?
A. Are the teachers well-motivated?
B. Does a social medium lead to more social awareness?
C. Is blended learning more effective than face to face learning?
D. How would parents respond to the current educational challenge?
______9. When is a research question considered significant?
A. It uses the simplest words for readers
B. When it does not take undue resources
C. It contributes to a bigger body of knowledge
D. No harm is possible to be inflicted to participants
______10. What part of the research study states what is and is not included in the research
study?
A. Statement of the Problem
B. Significance of the Study
C. Background of the Study
D. Scope and Delimitation
3
Let’s Explore and Discover
Unlocking of
Difficulties
Research problem is a
statement about an
area of concern.
Research questions
are the foundation of
your research study.
There are so many things we wanted to know about this
world where we live. Once you encountered uncertainty, be
inquisitive so that you can find ways for answers or solutions.
Our continuous quest for knowledge, answers, and
explanation of people, things, events, and so on cannot be
understood until we are engaged in research. In doing
research, it is important to identify the specificity and
feasibility of a chosen research.
When you have identified your quantitative research
problem, you can now state it and make sure to establish its
place in your study. In your written paper, this can be found
in the Statement of the Problem which formally introduces
the problem that you want to investigate or address. Then, you will start specifying what
you want to answer in your study.
In this lesson, you will be guided on how to formulate research problems and
research questions.
The research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be
improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly
literature, theory, or practice that points to the need for a meaningful understanding and
deliberate investigation.
How important is a research problem? How do you formulate a research problem?
How do you state a research question?
A research problem is the main organizing principle guiding the analysis of your
paper. It provides you a venue to express what you want to convey, and it signifies three
things:
1. The core subject matter of scholarly communication;
2. Means by which you arrive at other topics of conversations; and
3. The discovery of new knowledge and understanding.
The aims of stating a problem are the following:
1. Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied;
2. Place the problem in a particular context; and
3. Provide the framework for reporting the results.
Take note that a research problem is not just answerable by yes or no. It should
imply that explanations and justifications regarding the true situation or observation are
required. A research problem implies a relationship between the variables of the study. It
should be stated clearly and unambiguously. It may be expressed in declarative or
interrogative form.
Research questions are the foundation of your research study. It is key to research
because it points out where you are going and it signifies what you intend to do.
4
A research question should, in general, be “potentially testable” and it should be:
1. of sufficient scope as to be resolvable with resources available
2. not involved in proving right or wrong
3. stated in such a way as to clearly define the problem to be investigated
There is no so-called "best way" to structure a quantitative research question.
However, to create well-structured quantitative research questions, we recommend an
approach that is based on four steps:
1. Choosing a type of quantitative research question you are trying to create
(i.e., descriptive, comparative, or relationship-based)
2. Identifying the different types of variables you are trying to measure,
manipulate, or control as well as any groups you may be interested in
3. Selecting an appropriate structure as a type of quantitative
research question based on the variables and/or groups involved
4. Writing down the problem or issues you are trying to address
To
summarize, a research question should be:
1. Clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience
can easily understand its purpose without needing an
additional explanation.
2. Focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered
thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
3. Concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
4. Complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or
“no”, but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas
and sources before the composition of an answer.
5. Arguable: its potential answers are open to debate
rather than accepted facts.
Categories of Research Questions
Type
Descriptive
Relevant Questions
1. What are the characteristics
of a category of persons or
organizations?
2. How prevalent or widespread
are the events or phenomena?
Explorative
Which characteristics or details
are related to observing events,
phenomena, or reasoning?
Evaluative
How will/did a process or
procedure work?
Such a question tends to be more
applied than basic, but it is still
ought to be founded on an
5
Examples
1. What is the frequency of the
use of different training methods
in the industry?
2. How prevalent is the use of
drugs among prison inmates?
3. What is the nature of
counseling support provided for
overseas students?
1. How do voting patterns of a
given community compare to the
results of the most recent
elections?
2. Is there any relationship
between age and perception of
the quality of music?
3. What is the nature of
preferences for specific religions
among
members
of
social
classes?
1. Which of several possible
programmers had the greatest
impact on reducing long-term
unemployment?
established model or theory, or 2. Which teaching approach had
form the basis for a new one.
the greatest appeal to the
learners?
3. Do the subjects taken in
school differentially increase the
probability
of
subsequent
employment?
Predictive
What will happen if one variable 1. If family size increases, is there
changes? We do not always have an increase or decrease in family
control over variables. Things income?
happen and we are observers.
2. At which times of the year do
people of different age groups
prefer to take overseas holidays?
3. Do people who are good at
mathematics,
science,
or
technical subjects tend to be poor
at English?
Explanatory What are the causes of an 1. Which side of the brain is
observed outcome?
predominantly responsible for
Here, we focus on testing computer mouse manipulation?
proposed causal relationships 2. During periods of high
and identifying one or more employment, does the perceived
potential independent variables threat of unemployment reduce
and their effect on the dependent spending among the employed?
variable.
3.
Do
genetic
traits
or
environmental conditions have
the greatest impact on the
tendency of male children of
alcoholics to become alcoholics
themselves?
Control
What will happen to a second 1. Can stress in patients about to
proposed dependent variable if undergo surgery be reduced by
the
suspected
independent specific
types
of
nurse
variable is changed? Are there intervention?
any
side
effects
to
the 2. What night-time medication
independent variable of interest? regime (if prescriptions allow)
would enhance the quality of
sleep of hospital patients?
3. Will tranquilizers enhance the
examination
performance
of
highly stressed students?
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
How do you indicate the scope and limitations of a study? Scope and delimitation
cover the range of research. It states the limitations of the study in the terms of the study
area, subject/sample, problem, time frame, as well as the statistical treatment,
instruments, and equipment, among others.
MISCONCEPTION ALERT
Limitations and delimitations are two different terms and should not
be used interchangeably in a research study.
Limitations are conditions beyond the control of the researcher that may cause
restrictions and make the conclusions to be generalizable only to the conditions set by the
researcher.
6
Delimitations, on the other hand, are the conditions that the researcher purposely
controlled. These are the limits beyond the concern of the study.
Limitations of the study may be due to:
Methodological limitation – this is due to the inability to obtain sufficient appropriate
evidence.
Data interpretation – this is due to access or limited use of a particular data analysis
technique or software.
Scope of the study – this is due to an intentional setting of parameters that define
the boundary of the study.
Components of Scope and Delimitation
In writing the scope and delimitation of your study, you are also asking the basic
profile questions of your research. The following are the components of the scope and
delimitation of the study but not limited to:
The topic of the study. What are the variables to be included and excluded?
Objectives or problems to be addressed. Why are you doing this study?
Time Frame. When are you going to conduct this study?
The locale of the study. Where are you going to gather your data?
Characteristics of the respondents. Who will be your respondents?
Method and Research Instruments. How are going to collect the data?
7
Let’s Practice
Directions: Research questions should be clear, focused, concise, complex, and arguable.
The following are examples of unclear, unfocused, and complex questions. Rewrite the
questions to make it clear, focused, and simple.
Unclear: How do social networking sites address the harm they cause?
Clear:
Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment caused by global warming?
Focused:
Complex: What main environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors predict
whether Filipinos will develop diabetes, and how can these commonalities be used to
aid the medical community in the prevention of the disease?
Simple:
Directions: Determine the provided type of question used. Write your answer on the
space provided.
Questions
Types (Descriptive, Explanatory, Predictive,
Evaluative, Control, Explorative)
1. Will tranquilizers enhance the
examination performance of highly
stressed students?
2. Are there any relationships
between social class, educational
achievement, and drug use among
18 to 24-year-old?
3. Which of the several counseling
approaches had the greatest
success in reducing the return to
drinking among alcoholics?
4. Is there any relationship between
age and perception of the quality of
music?
5. What do customers use as
criteria for choosing which
supermarket to patronize?
8
Let’s Do More
Directions:
1. Write a research problem.
2. To contextualize your research problem, state, and describe the research.
3. The main body of your research problem should contain the following:
a. The purpose of the study (whether to describe, understand, develop, or
discover something).
b. The central idea that you want to describe, understand or discover.
c. The method by which you plan to collect and analyze data.
4. Write your research problem on the space provided below.
Introduced
the reader
to the
importance
of the
topic.
Place the
problem in
a
particular
context.
Provide a
framework
for
reporting
results.
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC (Writing a Research Problem)
Excellent
Good
Poor
7-10 points
4-6 points
1-3 points
The research
The research
The research
problem
problem slightly
problem barely
introduced the
introduced the
introduced the
reader to the
reader to the
reader to the
importance of
importance of the importance of the
the topic being
topic being
topic being
studied.
studied.
studied.
The problem
The problem
The problem did
clearly specified
somewhat
not specify the
the context.
specified the
context.
context.
Provided a
framework for
the reporting of
results.
Provided a
framework for
the reporting of
results but was
not explained
well.
Score
9
No framework is
provided.
Score
Directions: Write one general research question and two specific research questions for
the given research problems below.
Research Problem
General Question
Specific Questions
The Relationship
between Media
Exposure and Health
Anxiety
Organization’s
Leadership Practices
and Employee’s Job
Satisfaction
Effects of Parenting
Style and Children
Study Habits
Let’s Sum It Up
Directions: Summarize the main ideas in this lesson by completing the following
statements.
1. ________________________is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be
improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in
scholarly literature, theory or practice that points to the need for a meaningful
understanding and deliberate investigation.
2. ________________________are the foundation of your research study. They are the key
to research because they point where you are going. They signify what you intend to
do.
3. Scope and delimitation covers the research in terms of ___________________,
___________________________, _________________________________.
10
Let’s Assess
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on the space provided
before each number.
_______1. Which of the following is a good characteristic of a research question?
A. Concise
B. Focused
C. Undefined
D. Vague
_______2. “What are the characteristics of a category of persons or organizations?” This is
an example of what type of research question?
A. Descriptive
B. Explorative
C. Evaluative
D. Explanatory
_______3. What type of research question is shown in this example: “Do people who are
good at mathematics, science or technical subjects tend to be poor at English?”
A. Control
B. Descriptive
C. Evaluative
D. Predictive
_______4. Which of the following covers the range of research?
A. Statement of the problem
B. Significance of the study
C. Scope and delimitation
D. Strength and weaknesses
_______5. What do you call the conditions beyond the control of the researcher that may
cause restrictions and make the conclusions to be generalizable only to the
conditions set by the researcher?
A. Delimitations of the study
B. Definition of the study
C. Limitations of the study
D. Significance of the study
_______6. What are the characteristics of a good research question?
A. Focused and clear
B. Clear, significant, and ethical
C. Focused, clear, concise, complex, and arguable
D. Focused, clear, significant, and includes a hypothesis
_______7. What is the main concern of a quantitative research problem?
A. description and explanation of situations
B. trends and patterns of the chosen group
C. precision and specificity of the problem
D. precision and general explanation of phenomena
11
_______8. Which of the following qualifies as a good quantitative research question?
A. Are the teachers well-motivated?
B. Does a social medium lead to more social awareness?
C. Is blended learning more effective than face to face learning?
D. How would parents respond to the current educational challenge?
_______9. When is a research question considered significant?
A. It uses the simplest words for readers
B. When it does not take undue resources
C. It contributes to a bigger body of knowledge
D. No harm is possible to be inflicted to participants
_______10. What is the part of the research study states what is and is not included in the
research study?
A. Statement of the Problem
B. Significance of the Study
C. Background of the Study
D. Scope and Delimitation
12