Quarter 1: Module 2_Lesson 4-PR 2

What’s In

In the previous lessons of this module, you were taught how to design research that is interesting and something that you are passionate about. You have learned that research problems are within your environment or area of interest. You were given various activities to learn how to come up with interesting and useful research problems. In this lesson, Identification of the research problems and research questions will be furthered explained.
You have also learned how to craft qualitative research problems and questions when you took Practical Research 1 In this lesson, quantitative research problems and types of quantitative research questions will be elaborated.

What I Need to Know

Nature of Quantitative Research Problem

Once we encounter uncertainty, being inquisitive, we always find ways for answers or solution. Ignited by interest, curiosity, or need, we always find ourselves pondering about the current problem we are facing. When we are thinking and behaving this way, we are then confronted by a problem that can be a source of a research problem.

What I Need to Know

A research problem is simple as a problem you would like to research. Quantitative Research Problem deals more with the precision and specificity of the problem. Furthermore, the quantitative research problem describes trends and patterns of a phenomenon.

What I Need to Know

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 as Statement of the Problem, where it formally introduces the problem that you want to investigate or address. By this time, you can start specifying what you want to answer in your study.

What I Need to Know

Research Problem and Research Questions

The research questions help clarify and specify the research problem. They are also considered as sub-problems of your research problem and are informative in nature. They specify the method of collecting and analyzing data, and the type of data to be collected when exploring a quantitative research problem.

What Is It

Characteristics of Good Research Questions

Once you have already enumerated your research questions for your study, it is important that you consider its quality to answer and explain your research problem. The following are good characteristics of research questions, as described by Fraenkel and Wallen (2020).

What Is It

Feasible. Consider the amount of time, energy, money, respondents, and even your current situation as a student-researcher. Is the research problem possible? Will it not spend unreasonable amount? Consider these examples: “How do parents feel about the blended learning modality for elementary learners?” and “How would giving each learner their own laptop to be used in this blended learning modality affect their performance tasks?” The first example is definitely a more feasible research question. Considering the resources, it is more possible to gather the data needed to answer the question.

What Is It

Clear. The clarity of how the questions are stated lead to agreement of meaning of the readers of your study. Since your research questions are also considered as the main focus in the gathering and analyzing the data, it is therefore very important that these are stated clearly.

What Is It

Significant. Ask if your research questions are relevant or important to ask. Will answering these questions provide an additional contribution to address the given research problem? In other words, are the research questions really worth investigating?

At this point, you do not just consider the time and money that you will spend, but more importantly, the value of what you are trying to investigate. So aside from the reason that your chosen research problem is within your interest, you should also provide a sound justification of your choice as a researcher.

What Is It

Ethical. Always consider the welfare of people, animals or whosoever are involved in your study. Look into ways of answering the research questions without inflicting physical and psychological harm to persons involved.

What Is It

Formulating Research Questions

Research questions can be generally classified into two: general and specific. The general question of the study is derived from the research problem while the specific questions are anchored on the general research problem.

What Is It

For example:

This study aims to determine the relationship between the types of learning delivery mode and students’ learning styles. Furthermore, it seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the different learning delivery modes of the school? (2) What are the various learning styles of the students? (3) Is there a significant relationship between the different learning delivery modes of the school and the learning styles of its students?

What Is It

Notice that a general problem was presented first. Then it was followed by the specific questions considered as research questions of the study.

In stating quantitative research questions, you should also consider the design of your quantitative research. Quantitative research designs will be elaborated in Module 4. For the purpose of writing your research question, here’s a quick guide of research questions for descriptive research, correlational research, Ex Post Facto research, Experimental, and Quasi-experimental research.

What Is It

Research Questions for Descriptive Research focus on observing, describing, and reporting factors or aspects of the research problem. Phrases such as how often/frequently, how many/much, what is/are, to what extent/degree, and the likes are used in these questions. For example, you study the use of social media among Senior High School Students, you can ask the following questions:

What are the various social media platforms used by Senior High Students?

How many hours students spend on social media per day?

What Is It

Research Questions for Correlational Research aim to determine the relationships among two or more variables in your research problem. Correlational research questions usually begin with the phrases “Is there a significant relationship...” or “What is the relationship between/among...”. In the study of use of social media and level of digital literacy of students following questions can be asked:

What is the relationship between the length of hours spent on social media and level of digital literacy of students?

Is there a significant relationship between the type of social media used and the level digital literacy of students?

What Is It

Research Questions for Ex Post Facto Research attempt to identify the causes of the phenomenon in the context of your research problem. It is also assumed that no control or manipulation of variable has been done in order to cause the effect. It is also understood that the cause of the problem already exists before you conducted your study. For example, ex post facto study on family background and digital literacy of students, the following questions can be asked:

Is there a difference in the literacy level of students between their cultural and educational family background?

What Is It

Research Questions for Experimental and Quasi-experimental Research suggest that answers to these questions are brought about by manipulation or control of a certain variable during the conduct of the study. These questions provide explanation to the causal relationship of variables. The following research questions can be asked on studies on elementary student’s remedial sessions and academic performance of students:

Is there a significant difference in the posttest scores of the control group and experimental group?

What’s More

Activity 2: The Very Good Questions

Directions: Using the same examples in your Activity 1, rank them on the scale of 1 to 10 (1= lowest, 10 = highest) based on the given parameters in writing a good research question. If you find that the questions are not so good, then rewrite the questions on the last column of the table. If you think it is already good, then write your justification as well.

Activity 4: Let’s go Online

Go to the link below and practice what you’ve learned from this lesson:

https://bit.ly/2zxLYS5

What I Have Learned

Directions: As you have learned from this lesson, answer each item comprehensively.