RESEARCH TITLE prefaces the study by

providing a summary of the main idea and is

usually short and concise.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH TITLE

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
Note: The general problem of the
research 5.orIt should describe
even the specificor imply the participants of the
questionsstudy.
that the researcher
intends to answer, when rewritten
in a statement form, can serve as
the title.
NOTE: THIS SECTION RESEARCH PROBLEM states the area
ONLY STATES THE of concern of the research paper
PROBLEM AND NOT whether it is a circumstance needing
PREFACE OR SUGGEST A development , a difficulty requiring
• w FOR IT.
SOLUTION attention , or an inquiry necessitating
an answer

SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Hospitals 1. It conveys a feeling of

or clinics discomfort or difficulty.

Schools

Offices

Homes
2. It
has a perceived difficulty in 3. It displays a gap between
broad subjects such as family theory and practice: what is
affairs, home management, said by the elders and what
and leadership system. the students see and
observe.

4. It utilizes a procedure requiring

technologically advanced equipment.
5.It involves the experience of 6. Replication- the repetition of
any kind of individual. a prior research study in a
different setting and time.

7.It relates to an individual’s

curiosity and interest.
 A DISCERNED PROBLEM IS SAID TO BE RESEARCHABLE WHEN THE
FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE MET:

1. Solutions are available but not yet tested and not yet known by
the practitioner.
2. No solutions are available to answer the GAP or the problem
being assessed.
3. When the given answers or solutions, as well as the possible
results, are seemingly untested or are factually contradictory with
each other.
4. A phenomenon requiring an explanation has occurred.
5. There are several possible and plausible explanations for the
existence of an undesirable
 Considerations in Formulating the Research
Problem
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 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. Permission of
those concerned for the participation in the study of staff members, children, the
aged, and the mentally challenged should be secured.

d. Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment

e. Ethical Considerations
II. INTERNAL CRITERIA
a. Experience, training, and qualifications of the researcher – These constitute the
researcher’s knowledge and expertise as a result of experience and study.
b. Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity, and perceptiveness of the
researcher – These are essential attitudes that bring anticipated satisfaction or
enjoyment in the completion of research tasks.
c. Time factor – This considers the fact that studies must be pursued within a given
time frame.
d. Costs and returns – These factors matter in choosing a research problem.
Research is an expensive undertaking. The amount of funding needed, after all,
depends on the size of the sample, the place where the research is to be
conducted, the treatment of data, and the kind of research design.
e. Hazards, penalties, and handicaps – These depend upon the researcher’s
physical and intellectual capacity and moral judgment
 CHOOSING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AS A HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT

The background of the researcher is an

important factor that defines the selection
of research problems and topics.

FACTORS IN DETERMINING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND

TOPIC
FEASIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH
STUDY

EXTERNAL SUPPORT

INNOVATIVE QUALITY
 Statement of the Problem
F T HE
T O
EAR ESIS
H TH
WRITING THE GENERAL PROBLEM IN A QUALITATIVE
STUDY
(Creswell and Clark, 2014)

1. It should use single and not compound sentences.

2. It should clearly express the purpose of the study.
3. It should include the central phenomenon.
4. It should use qualitative words (ex.explore, discover,
and explain).
5. It should identify the participants in the study.
6. It should state the research site.
A sample pattern for the purpose statement:

The purpose of this (narrative, phenomenological,

grounded theory, ethnographic, case) is to (understand,
describe, develop, discover) the (central phenomenon of
the study) for (the participants) at (the site). At this
stage in the research, the (central phenomenon) will be
generally defined as (a general definition of the central
concept).
(Creswell and Clark, 2014)
 Below are some examples of a general
problem:
Example1
The overall objective of this phenomenological
study is to describe the intrapersonal and interpersonal
competencies of school principals, and their
relationship to the school effectiveness in the Division
of Bataan for the school year 2001-2002. The result is
used as a basis for an intervention program (Cristobal,
2003). Here, intrapersonal is the school managers’ own
self-concept and personality while interpersonal is their
communication and expressions in dealing with
subordinates.
Example 2
The objective of this ethnographic study is to
differentiate the customs and traditions of the Aetas and
the locals of Zambales enrolled in Olongapo National
City High School for the school year 2014-2015. In this
research, the customs and traditions are defined as their
practices in the celebration of feasts.

The objective of this grounded theory study is to characterize

the general study habits of the high school students that belong to
Example
the 3 the class. The study habits are concentrated on the
top ten of
student’s preparation before attending classes daily.
The GENERAL PROBLEM is followed by an enumeration of
the SPECIFIC PROBLEMS . These problems are usually
stated as questions that the researcher seeks to answer.

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS MUST MEET THE

FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

1. They must be in question form.

2. They must define the population and the
samples of the study (respondents).
3. They must identify the variables being studied.
TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(CONVENTIONAL)

1. Non-researchable questions – These are questions of

value and are answerable by yes or no.
Examples:
a. Should all mothers breastfeed their babies?
b. Should high school teachers be watchful over their
Grade 7 students?
c. Should the schools offering different majors in senior
high schools require their students to have a mandatory
review before taking the National Assessment Exam?
d. Do all head teachers have a master’s degree?
e. Are family members helping their children in reviewing
their lessons?
 TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(CONVENTIONAL)

2. Researchable questions – These are questions of opinions,

perceptions, or policy that are raised to accumulate data.
Examples:
a. What are the common preparations done by Grade 7 students
during their first days in school?
b. How do senior high school students respond to their Math
teacher?
c. What are the study habits of students who are poorly
performing?
d. What is the relationship of the attitudes of the adviser to the
classroom behaviour of Grade 9 students?
e. How do the officers of the Parent-Teacher Community Association
assist in the improvement of school facilities?
 .a l (as
Further Classification to Research Dic ko ff Questions:
et
s on,
ci te d by W il
1989)
1. Factor-isolating questions – These ask the question “What is
this?” These questions are sometimes called factor-naming
questions because they isolate, categorize, describe, or name
factors and situations.
Examples:
a. What is the profile of school principals in terms of the following?
i. Age
ii. Management experience
iii. Civil Status
b. What are the levels of competencies of school principals as
described by their respective teachers and themselves in terms of the
following?
iv. Intrapersonal
v. Interpersonal
2. Factor-relating questions – These ask the question “What
is happening here?” The goal of these questions is to
determine the relationship among factors that have been
identified.
Examples:
a. What is the relationship of the level of performance of the
senior high school teachers to the OJT performance of the
students enrolled in the business track of Saint Paul
School of Professional Studies?
b. How does the performance level of volleyball teams of
boys differ to that of the girls?
3. Situation-relating questions – These questions ask the
question “What will happen if...?” These questions usually
yield hypotheses testing or experimental study designs in
which the researcher manipulates the variables to see what
will happen.
Examples:
a. What are the effects of computer-learning assisted methods
of teaching to the interest level of the sophomores to their
history subjects?
b. How significantly different is the performance of the call
center agents who are well rested than those who are not?
4. Situation-producing questions – These ask the question “How
can I make it happen?” These questions establish explicit goals for
actions, develop plans or prescriptions to achieve goals, and specify
the conditions under which these goals will be accomplished.
Examples:
a. Based on the findings, what human relation intervention
program can be adopted to enhance or improve effectiveness of
existing teaching methods?
b. What faculty development activities can be sponsored by the
PTCA to improve the performance of graduating students in the UP
College Admission Test (UPCAT)?
 INTRODUCTION
- This is important in establishing the cognitive setting
of the research. It has the following elements:
1. Rationalization of the need to research on the
problem
2. Clarification of the important terminologies for the
reader to easily understand what the research is
about.
3. Establishment of the degree of seriousness of the
problem which prompted the researcher to look for
the solutions.
 The following questions can aid the
researcher in formulating the introduction:
1. What is the rationale of the problem?
- This question is answered by sharing the reasons
why the researcher decided to look for solutions to
the problem.
A RATIONALE may include:
a. Narration of personal experiences
b. Description of an article read
c. A scene witnessed
d. A news heard or a theory that needs to be clarified
 Example:
As a Grade 12 student, Arjohn David, experienced some difficulties
in performing well because of various factors such as the attitude of
his teachers as well as their teaching methods, the absence of
i b e t he
laboratory facilities, and inadequacy of books in the dlibrary. d escr He e m is
h ou l rob l
having difficulties in his quizzes and class performance.
e r s g p .
earches vailin
pre ienceer
The r a n d h er ex p
onal,
start n g r a ti
a ti onale c a n existi on his o e local, n
e r t oa b
Ide ally, t h
l p erspe c ti ve based ope may
b a c
from a
g lo
a l one. The s rnational.
o n e
more pe
rs or int
 2. What is the setting of the problem?
The setting forms part of the delimitation of the study. It defines
the geographic boundaries and certain demographic
characteristics of the research. This describes the place where
the research was conducted, since the setting has a significant
bearing on the variables being studied.
Example:
Puting Capunitan Elementary School is one of the barrio schools
in Orion, Bataan where most enrollees are from disadvantaged
families whose immediate ancestors are either laborers or fisher
folks. This school is one of the schools with poorly performing
students in their division according to the Department of Education.
3. What is the basic literature foundation of the study?
This part seeks to provide the researcher clarity on the
terms or variables used in the study. The terms and
variables must be clear to the researcher for an easy
understanding of the readers. As such, sufficient
background can assist the investigator in determining
the boundaries of the study. This part is derived from
different literature sources. The use of various
references is crucial in this part of the first chapter.
Example:
As teaching is considered to be a complex activity (Medley,
as cited in Iqbal, 1996), the scholars and researchers in the field
of education have since long been exploring into and analyzing
the teaching phenomenon. Teaching is an arrangement and
manipulation of a situation in which a learner tries to overcome
the learning problems. Teaching is also a multidimensional set
of activities intended to facilitate learning (Torrington et al.,
2003). However, it is universally recognized that teachers’
instructional performance plays a key role in students’ learning
and academic achievement (Panda and Mohanty, 2003).
 4. How serious is the chosen research problem?
The researcher is tasked to identify the intensity and
magnitude of the problem. When the gravity of the
problem has already been described, he or she may
then gauge the kind of action to be used to identify
the problem. In most cases, the researcher at this
point looks for statistical or quantitative evidence to
assess the significance of the problem at hand.
Based on the DepEd Division Memo series 2012, among
Example:
the 12 schools with the most poorly performing students,
Puting Capunitan Elementary Schools ranked 12th.
 5. What is the general objective of the
problem?
This is the general statement of the problem or
the major tasks of the researcher to discharge
and should also be the basis of the enumerated
With the abovementioned scenario and situations, it is
thestatements of specific
main objective of the problems.
researcher to determine the
Example:
common reasons of the poor performance of the
students. Therefore, the research findings on that
objective become the basis of an intervention program for
school effectiveness.
 6. What is the overall purpose of the problem?
It is important to note that the researcher must
be totally aware of the purpose of the research
problem. He or she must fully understand the
implications of the resulting findings of the
This is mainly for the purpose of letting the students
study.
acquire the needed competencies before graduation and
Example:
enabling the school to perform better in the Regional
Achievement Examinations.