pr1

• Research

  The scientific investigation of phenomena which includes the collection
• Variables

  Factors to be manipulated, measured or described in the study
• Methods of Field Research

  • Direct observation - observational method or subjects in a natural environment
  • Participant observation - live in a comfortable environment with the participants of the research
  • Ethnography - social research and social perspective and the cultural values of an entire social setting
  • Qualitative interviews - closed-ended questions that are asked directly to the research subjects
  • Case study - in-depth analysis of a person, situation or event
• Characteristics of Qualitative Research

  • Human understanding and interpretation
  • Active, powerful and forceful
  • Multiple research approaches and methods
  • Specificity to generalization
  • Contextualization
  • Diversified data in real-life situations
  • Abounds with words and visuals
  • Internal analysis
• Strengths of Qualitative Research

  • Issues can be examined in detail and in depth
  • Interviews are not restricted to specific questions and can be guided/redirected by the researcher in real time
  • The research framework and direction can be quickly revised as new information emerges
  • The obtained data based on human experience is powerful and sometimes more compelling than quantitative data
  • Subtleties and complexities about the research subjects and/or topic are discovered that are often missed by more positivistic inquiries
  • Data usually are collected from a few cases or individuals so findings cannot be generalized to a larger population. Findings can however be transferable to another setting
• Limitations of Qualitative Research

  • The researcher's presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative research, can affect the subjects' responses
  • Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can bring/result to problems when presenting findings
  • Findings can be more difficult and time consuming to characterize in a visual way
• Research Problem

  A statement that promptly suggests for conducting an investigation
• Considerations in Formulating a Research Problem

  • External Criteria: Novelty - problem must carry newness
  • Availability of subjects - must ensure that participants are available
  • Support of the academic community - administrators, teachers, staff, students, and parents should be considered
  • Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment - devices should be considered
  • Ethical considerations - must not pose any unethical demands

  Internal Criteria: Qualifications of the researcher - expertise of the researcher to the problem

  • Motivation and interest of the researcher - the rp may give satisfaction and enjoyment
  • Time factor - should be time efficient
  • Costs and returns - must not be expensive
  • Hazards and handicaps - should not be dangerous
• Characteristics of a Research Title

  • Should be limited to substantive words
  • Avoid abbreviations
  • Form of a phrase with correct use of capitalization
  • Should be concise
• Rationale of the Study

  • Controlling principles of opinion, belief, practice
  • Reasons the study must be conducted
• Research Justification

  • Existing literature
  • Relevance to local/global context
  • Critical background/contextual information
  • Research gap
  • Proof of urgency
  • Research goal
• Statement of the Problem

  Well defined problem
• General Problem

  • State the main tasks
  • Major variables related to the phenomenon
  • Participants of the study
  • Research setting
  • Intended output
• Scope and Delimitation

  • Population - entire pool from which the sample is drawn
  • Research locale - particular location
  • Specific duration - exclusive time frame
  • Research method - systematic plan
  • Protocols followed - standard procedure
  • Data gathering procedure - step by step procedure
• Beneficiaries

  • Academic beneficiaries - educational staff, teachers, students and researchers
  • Non-academic beneficiaries - stakeholders, policymakers, agencies and organizations
• Benefits Classifications

  • Educational - learning about issues and methods in chosen field
  • Professional - exploring potential careers
  • Personal - building confidence and independence