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EDUC 200
METHODS OF RESEARCH
Handout #1
Meaning of Research

Research is defined as the scientific investigation of phenomena, which includes the

collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data or facts that link man’s
speculation of reality.

Values of Research to Man

1. Research improves quality of life. Research has led man in his search for ways
to improve his life. A teacher-researcher who conducts research with return on
investment (ROI) will find ways to make his research output profitable. For
instance, the owner of Mang Inasal conducted a preliminary experimental research
on inasal chicken and pork. Mang Inasal started small scale in Iloilo City and has
now become big and famous, with many branches throughout the country. From
poor and humble beginnings, the owner of Mang Inasal rose to the rank of
multibillionaire through acceptable, salable, and profitable research output.

2. Research improves instruction and students’ achievements. Research has

no beginning and no end. It is a never-ending task. MODERN TEACHERS who
are research-oriented and scientific continually conduct research on the
effectiveness of teaching strategies, methods, approaches, and techniques that
best suit the learning competencies of students. In other words, MODERN
TEACHERS are in constant search for ways to improve instruction that ultimately
leads to higher achievements by students. Hence, everybody passes the
Professional Regulation Commission’s (PRC) Licensure Examination for Teachers
(LET).

3. Research reduces the burden of work. Modern technology gadgets, tools,

appliances—are all products of research—are available everywhere. Whether
they are rice cooker, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, gas range, cellular
phone, web camera, copier machine, fax machines, and many others all cut the
time a person performs his daily tasks. In short, they reduce man’s burden of work.

4. Research satisfies man’s needs. In the 19th century, the needs of man were not
as fully satisfied as they are today. Man lived in conventional ways of living. There
were no concrete homes and conveniences like air conditioning, freezers,
refrigerators, no electricity to run the appliances, no communication facilities, no
television nor movie houses. There were no modes of land transportation. Air
travel like airplane was unheard of. There were no infrastructures like bridges. But
due to products of research, man’s conventional ways of living have changed to
modern ways. All modes of transportation like airplanes and vehicles were
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invented to satisfy man’s needs because almost all equipment are run by electricity
like light, ventilation, rice cooker, computer, television, air conditioning equipment,
escalator, elevator, karaoke, and many others. If man wants a heat mechanical
device during cold or winter season, heater equipment is available. If he wants
cool mechanical device during summer, air conditioning equipment are available.
If one wants to talk and see his relatives and friends abroad, web camera is
available. If one wants to know current happenings here and abroad, television is
available. These modern facilities that satisfy man’s needs are products of
experimental research.

5. Research improves the exportation of food products. Through research,

exportation of food products has improved. It has made the global
commercialization of local products possible. Philippine products being exported
are frozen yellow fin tuna, frozen headless shrimp and prawn (sugpo), dried
seaweed, mangoes, bananas, canned pineapple, canned crab meat, frozen
boneless milkfish, frozen tilapia fillet, and many others.

6. Research improves teacher’s competence. Through research, teacher’s

competence can be improved by using innovative teaching techniques, strategies,
methods, and approaches to deliver the goods and services to students effectively,
efficiently, and excellently. They always conduct research to improve their
competence, especially with the new implementation of K to 12. As a result of their
research, students achievement can be improved because graduates of grade 12
or senior high school are expected to be self-employed or employed in different
industries of the country and can compete globally with other graduates abroad.
These can be achieved by students for having competent teachers who possess
the qualities of MODERN TEACHERS—equipped with skills, abilities, and
competencies necessary for global competitiveness. There are many teachers
here and there who are only qualified because they are licensed “Professional
Teacher,” but not competent to teach due to laziness to conduct research.

7. Research responds to the country’s effort as economic recovery. By and

large, the Philippines is rich in master’s and doctorate graduates. Some even avail
thesis and dissertation grants, but majority of their theses and dissertations fall
under descriptive research with no return on investment (ROI). Nobody buys their
research outputs and they only exhaust government’s research budget.

In conducting research with ROI, the invest-harvest principle must be applied by

researchers. The invest-harvest principle means a researcher invests or spends
money to finance research; then, he harvests or gains money so that the budget
or capital is not exhausted or to realize a return on investment. In other words, his
research output is acceptable, salable, and profitable. For instance, research on
milkfish bones, value-added products like burger, luncheon meat, polvoron,
quekiam, nuggets, siopao, sausage, embotido, cracker, and many others gives
livelihood projects to people, hence, augmenting their income, alleviating poverty,
and contributing to the socioeconomic recovery of the country.
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8. Research trains graduates to respond to the socioeconomic development of

the society and to compete globally. Teachers should adopt innovative
teaching techniques using modern technology in order to produce graduates who
can respond to the socioeconomic needs of the country and are equipped with
skills and competencies necessary for global competitiveness.

Every year, Science Fairs are sponsored by the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) for high school and college students. Hence, investigatory
projects in school, district, division, regional, and national levels are participated in
by the high school and college students. This kind of activity trains students to
become research-oriented. The role of the teachers is to encourage students to
conduct their own experimental research that yields return on investment (ROI).

9. Research makes the country great again. If all Filipinos are research-oriented,
like the businesses owners of Mang Inasal, SM (Shoe Mart), Jollibee, Goldilocks,
Chowking, Binalot, and many others the Philippines can be great again. The
owners of these big establishments start small as experimental research to test
their product’s acceptability, salability, and profitability but eventually grow big.
Their research outputs continue to yield immense return on investment (ROI) and
personal wealth.

Qualities of a Good Researcher

1. Research-oriented. A good student researcher must be research-oriented. The

school is his training ground where he starts to love and finds interest to conduct
research.

2. Efficient. He must be a dreamer. He must be ambitious, but he must also be

industrious in order to achieve his dreams. If his dream is to conduct experimental
research with return on investment, and if his ambition is to become rich someday,
he must be efficient and industrious in his research work in order to achieve his
dreams.

3. Scientific. He must be systematic, methodical, logical, and precise in his decision

pertaining to his research and interpreting research results.

4. Effective. He must be successful in his experimental research so that its results

are useful. Ultimately, he must be able to realize a return on investment from the
research outputs by commercializing them.

5. Active. He must be energetic and dynamic in conducting his research until its
completion.

6. Resourceful. He must be inventive and quick-witted in conducting his research

with the goal in mind of improving his quality of life from poor to rich.
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7. Creative. He must be unique, original, and innovative in his research to arrive at

productive results that can augment income, alleviate poverty, and improve quality
of life.

8. Honest. In research, the saying “Honesty is the best policy” applies. A good
researcher must be trustworthy and declare valid research results.

9. Economical. He must make his research cost-effective. He must be thrifty and

wise in the use of materials, time, and money.

10. Religious. He must be a spiritually-oriented individual by implementing first in his

life the acronym of UNLAD, meaning Unahin Natin Lagi ang Diyos in order to be
well guided excellently by the Almighty in his research efforts. A very spiritual
individual receives extraordinary blessings of good health, wisdom, knowledge,
and understanding, all necessary traits in fulfilling the difficult task of research.

Characteristics of a Researcher

1. Intellectual Curiosity

The researcher is inquisitive. He engages in reflective thinking and investigates

things, situations, and problems around him. He is interested in acquiring
knowledge about them especially the new and uncommon. For instance, a
community whose livelihood is the exportation of boneless bangus suffers from
foul odor caused by the decaying milkfish bones thrown to the sea which pollute
the seawater. Due to this problem, an inquisitive secondary student tried to solve
this problem in their locality. As a result of his investigation, he found out that these
wastes can be utilized into fish-value-added product.

2. Prudence

It is said that intellectual curiosity ends when prudence begins. Once the
researcher has chosen his research problem wisely, his intellectual curiosity ends
but prudence begins. The researcher is prudent if he conducts his research project
carefully, wisely, and practically at the right time and the right place, effectively,
efficiently, and economically. In other words, he does the right thing at the right
time by using the 7Ms: (a) manpower; (b) money; (c) machinery; (d) materials;
(e) methods; (f) moment; and (g) marketing wisely, effectively, efficiently, and
economically.
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3. Healthy Criticism

The researcher is always doubtful as to the truthfulness of the results of his study.
Normally, the researcher always doubts the correctness of his findings even if the
data are gathered and computed honestly.

4. Honesty

An intelligent researcher is honest in gathering data or facts in order to arrive at

honest and valid results because success or failure of the research study lies in
his hand. If his research is on the acceptability, salability, and profitability of a
certain product, he must be honest in gathering his data and declare the honest
results of his study.
5. Creativity
An intelligent researcher is creative when he conducts research which is new,
unique, and original. For example, “Utilization and Commercialization of Milkfish
Bones as Offal of Boneless Milkfish into Siopao with and without Moringa,” id new,
unique, and original because this study is the first of its kind in the world.
6. Inventiveness
An intelligent investigator must be inventive and innovative in his research. Not
only should his research be the first of its kind, but the result should also be
patentable.

7. Productivity
An intelligent researcher must be productive and resourceful in conducting
research that has return on investment (ROI), by applying the invest-harvest
principle. For example, “Utilization and Commercialization of Milkfish Bones as
Offal of Boneless Bangus into Luncheon Meat with and without Moringa” is a
productive research because there is return on investment (ROI).

Characteristics of Research
1. Empirical 7. Replicable
2. Logical
3. Cyclical
4. Analytical
5. Methodical
6. Critical