Module in Practical Research 2

Grade 12
Second Quarter
Week 4

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

● Collects data using appropriate instruments ( CS_RS12-IId-g-1 )

WHAT’S IN
Quantitative research will entail the use of research instrument to obtained data from your study. A research instrument is
a tool used to gather, quantify, and evaluate data related to your topic. Different kinds of Research instruments in
obtaining data can be:
a. Questionnaire method
b. Interview method
c. Observation method
Questionnaire is a set of methodically arranged questions, carefully organized to answer the specific problems of the
study.
It is a list of questions to be answered by the respondents especially designed to obtained facts or information. It is also a
list of written questions related to your research topic. This is the most appropriate instrument of data collection in
quantitative research especially with bigger number of respondents.
In preparing your questionnaire, include the following guidelines:
1. The questions are clear and easy to understand.
2. The design of a questionnaire should be such that it is easy to read and pleasing to the eye.
3. The style should be developed interactively.
4. The delicate question or a question that respondents may feel uncertain about answering should be prefaced
by an interactive statement explaining the significance of the question.
General rules can be stated on question wording:
• Be concise and unambiguous- be exact on your wordings and clear.
• Avoid double questions-make sure that questions should have one focus to express.
• Avoid questions involving negatives- avoid using words that negate the questions.
• Ask for precise answers- wordings should be exact on what you want to elicit.
• Avoid leading questions-never give hints that may not be their answer.
Types of Questions
1. Open-ended questions-this questionnaire does not provide answers to choose from. The respondents may freely
answer and recorded verbatim. Since it is a spontaneous answer being sought, respondents might give little
information. In this type of question, code or categories may be used to quantify the same answers.
2. Closed-ended questions-a set of answers may be provided. Easy to ask, to answer and to record, however this
may limit or lead the respondents to the options provided in the questionnaire.
3. Contingency questions- these questions are asked after a certain question is answered in a particular way.
Question Format
You can arrange the questions in different ways.
1. Open-ended questions- used when there are many plausible answers to a particular question.
Example: What is the effect of a certain pandemic to the economic status in the Philippines?
2. Closed-ended questions- used where responses are predetermined, difficult to construct however easy to
answer by the respondents and quick to tabulate and analyze by the researcher.
a. Dichotomous questions- there are only two possible answer like yes or no, agree or disagree.
Example: Do you agree on the use of vaccine against flu? ____YES _____NO
b. Multiple choice questions- used when the respondents are to choose one from different list of answers
that best approximate his or her own.
Example: What is your music GENRE?
(A) POP (B) Rock (C) RAP
c. Rank order questions- requires the respondent to indicate the order of preference, degree of priority or
place the importance to the answers from the items listed.
Example: What fruits that is preferred to be included in a regular meal ( from 1-5, 1 being the most )
Apple ( )
Banana ( )
Guyabano ( )
Lychees ( )
 Mango ( )

d. Rating Scale-where the answers to the questions are in the form of a scale-meaning, rate of agreement
or disagreement with a particular statement, a hierarchy or gradation of the intensity of response or
according to sets of ordered categories.
Example: Respondents indicate their answers as:
Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly disagree
Very good, Good, Just okay, Poor
Good, Fair, Poor, Very poor
e. Semantic differential scale-requires respondents to check their responses between two contrasting
adjectives at the opposite ends of the scale. It measures the respondent reaction to some objects or
concepts in terms of rating on bipolar scales.
Example: Put a check in the space above the number that best describe your feelings.
Good ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ _____ Bad
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
f. Checklist- a form of multiple choice questions from which the respondents may choose multiple answers.
Example: Which of the following do you observe during typhoon?
( ) Flash flood
( ) Landslides
( ) Traffic
( ) Panic buying
Questionnaire Pretest/Validation-​find an expert who will validate the content of your instrument.
1. Undergoes content validation to check the content of the instrument.
2. Undergoes face validation to check the structure and language used in the study.
3. Pilot test the questionnaire on a sample of respondents to check their understanding of the questions.
4. Identify the problems and gaps in content, layout, words and grammar used.

Questionnaire Administration
1. Face to Face- the questionnaires are administered directly with the presence of the researcher together with
the respondents.
2. Mailed questionnaire- wherein the researcher will send the questionnaire via email and other social media
platform to the intended respondents.

Interview Method​- a form of data gathering, interaction where verbal questions are posed by an interviewer to elicit
verbal responses from an interviewee.
Instruments for Interview
a. Interview schedule-Structured Interview- A formal set of questions posed to each interviewee and recorded using
a standardized procedure like video camera, pen and paper, voice recorder and other recording devices. A set of
fixed questions the same for all persons to be interviewed is used.​ ​Using the same wording and order of
questions as specified in the interview schedule.
b. Non-structured Interview- A less formal set of questions; the interviewer modifies the sequence and wording of
questions. The respondents can answer freely and spontaneously.
c. Non-Scheduled Interview- there is no pre-specified questions that are employed; nor the questions asked in a
specific order.
Guidelines in Formulating Interview Questions.
1. Wording should be open-ended. This will ensure the spontaneous answers from the respondents.
2. Questions should be as neutral as possible. Avoid leading questions and be sensitive​, ​Express your point in
exact, specific, bias-free, and gender-free language ( e.g. gender )
3. Questions should be asked in an orderly manner and sequential manner.
4. Questions should be worded clearly avoid jargons, abbreviations and complex terms.
5. Be careful asking "why" questions. This type of question concludes a cause-effect connection that may not
actually exist. These questions may also reason the respondents to feel self-justifying, e.g., that they have to
justify their response, which may prevent their responses to this and future questions.

Tips on Conducting an Interview

1. Inform the interviewee who you are.

2. Explain why the interview is taking place and tell the importance of the interview to your research.
3. Before you begin with your questions, ask the interviewee if he/she has any questions about the research.
4. If you intend to take notes, video record, audio record and use of other recording devices the interview, ask the
interviewee’s permission first and explain how data will be used and accorded to data privacy act.
5. It is often useful to share the main points you have noted with the interviewee at the end of the interview. This allows
the interviewee to clarify points or make further comment.

Observation Method- ​it involves the researcher watching what people do. The researcher is concerned with the direct
description of the situation and observes ongoing behavior. Used in descriptive or experimental investigations.
Ways of Doing Obsevation
1. Naturalistic Observation: the natural behavior of participants in natural surroundings. The researcher simply
records what they see in whatever way they see it. Observer maintains distance from the observed.
2. Participant Observation: the researcher becomes part or gets involved, a variation on natural observations where
the researcher immersed in a group they are studying to get a deeper insight into their lives.
Factors that affect Observation
1. Perception, values, biases, skills, expectations and previous experiences of the researchers.
2. Situations and events
3. The angle, positions, or locations where the researcher is observing.

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2 Q2W4 Prepared by: Ontog, JV