SELF-LEARNING HOME TASK (SLHT)

Subject: Inquiries, Investigations and Immersion Grade Level: 12 Quarter: 3 Week: 2

MELCs: Formulates clearly the statement of research problem

Objectives:
Knowledge: The learners formulate clearly the research problem of one’s chosen topic.
Skill: The learners present written statement of the problem.
Attitude: The learners show appreciation of research study in real life.

Name: ________________________________Section: ______________ Date: ___________

School: ________________________________ District: ______________________________

A. Readings/Discussions

A research problem is a statement of a concern in any area, a problem that needs immediate
solution, a recurring difficulty that is necessary to be taken out of the situation, or a practical
question from a scholarly inquiry in different disciplines.

As an intelligent recall, Clemente, Julaton, & Orleans (2016) noted some criteria for
evaluating whether or not a research problem or statement is good. May it be quantitative,
qualitative, or mixed method research, research problem should bear the S.M.A.R.T.
characteristics.
Specific. This refers to the quality of being exact or particular. Research problem
statement should be able to communicate the specific inquiry or question that
needs to be answered.
Measurable. This is never an issue in a quantitative method of research.
However, in terms of qualitative research method, the measurability of a
research statement refers to its epistemological aspect or the state of being
objectively observable. More than that, instruments of data-gathering should be
present.
Attainable. The research questions should be easily answered or achieved when the
appropriate procedures are performed.
Realistic. The possibility of being carried out should always be observed in
formulating the research problem especially when there is a need for
experimentations and observations.
Time-Bound. Time is an important element in the research work. The research
questions should be narrowed enough to be attained within the set time frame.
Meanwhile, Calderon and Gonzales (2014) specified general guidelines in formulating the
general problem and the specific sub-problems or specific questions.
1. The general statement and specific sub-questions should be formulated before
carrying out actions in the conduct of the research work.
2. State the specific sub-problems in interrogative form.
3. The specific question should bear only one clear meaning.
4. Every question should not be dependent apart from other questions — that is requiring
answers afar from other questions.
5. It must be based on facts and phenomena.
6. The answers to each specific question should be contributory to the development of
the general problem statement.
 Types of Research Questions

The following are the four types of research questions in terms of their purpose according
to Clemente, Julaton, & Orleans (2016).
1. Factor-isolating questions. The major concern of these questions is to categorize,
label, or name factors and situations that exist or those that are present in the perimeter of
the research work.

Examples:

• What are the difficulties encountered by Senior High School learners in the
New Normal set-up of educational system in the country?

• What are the possible contribution that parents and the community can
extend to schools to overcome the difficulties encountered by Senior High
School learners in the New Normal educational system?

2. Factor-relating questions. Establishing relationships between and among factors that

have been identified is the purpose of these questions.

Examples:

• What relationship exists between the socio-economic status of family to

the learning ability of students?

• Is there a significant relationship between the choice of words of learners

in essay writing and the speaking skills of learners?

3. Situation-relating questions. These questions emphasize the observable changes that

happen to variable/s involved in the study as a result of experimentation.
Examples:
• What is the effect of the modular distance learning to the learning style
and behavior of learners?
• What are the impacts of flexible learning options and modalities in the
educational system in the Philippines?
4. Situation-producing questions. These questions open the opportunity to create a
definite course of action, policies or conditions in order to accomplish or to achieve a certain
goal.
Examples:
• What project could be designed to empower parents and the community
to be involved in the educational system?
• What action plan could be proposed to strengthen the coordination
between the family, the community and the school in achieving relevant
education?
To make research more manageable, the following shall be considered:
Selection of research topic is one of the most challenging tasks in research and very
important as well. This phase may be easy for some researchers by doing brainstorming.
Research topic becomes the basis of the time, effort and resources that the researcher will
invest through the journey. Careful attention in choosing the research topic will work to your
benefit. Thus, the following must be considered in deciding research topic.
a) Aspect - Choose one aspect through which you look at the research problem. To put it more
simply, look at just one facet of the issue or problem. E.g. A study about the effect of the
Corona pandemic to the life of the people is just too broad and has multiple aspects which
will be complicated for a student researcher.
b) Components - determine if your initial variables or unit of analyses can be divided into more
particular parameters which can then be analyzed more precisely. For example, a study
about vaping will be too broad. Topic is too broad when there are so many different ideas
about it. [e.g., a study of tobacco use among adolescents can focus only on vaping among
male adolescents rather than adolescents in general or focus on female adolescents of a
certain age.
c) Curiosity - Choose a topic that you know a little about, however you have the desire to
explore and learn more. There is no point in studying something you already knew as there
will be no place for finding new knowledge.
d) Interest - Choose a topic that seems interesting to you. If you do not have any interest in a
topic you will not be able to do the study with passion and probably you will not duly devote
time for it. As a senior high school student what are the most interesting topics in your field
that you want to explore. But remember that apart from your interest, topic you chose must
be objective and researchable. Moreover, your interest must be about a novel topic. Avoid
overly discussed or explored topic.
e) Time and Place --Remember that the smaller the area of analysis, the narrower the focus.
Moreover, the shorter the available time period, the narrower the focus should be. Narrow
down your topic and review it several times. Get feedback from your teacher about your
chosen topic.
f) Type -- Focus your topic in terms of a specific type or class of people, places, or things.
Otherwise, the conduct of the study will not be manageable.
g) Availability of Resources - Check the availability of references by visiting online libraries,
journals and research gates. Once you realize the non-availability of resources, change the
subject.
h) Significance of the Topic - The research topic chosen must be significant, and must
address a particular problem that will impact the life of the people in general.
Conceptual Framework

Researchers create conceptual frameworks that include a philosophical and methodological

model to help design their work. The data collection and analysis are also based on the
theoretical and conceptual framework. Miles and Huberman
(1994) defined a conceptual framework as a visual or written product, one that ‘explains, either
graphically or in narrative form, the main things to be studied—the key factors, concepts, or
variables—and the presumed relationships among them. One of the most important things
about conceptual framework is that it primarily becomes the model of what is out there that you
plan to study.
Guide on How to Make the Conceptual Framework
1. Pick your research topic. Remember the considerations in choosing the research topic.
You may refer to the previous discussion in this module.
2. Do a literature review. Read relevant and updated research on the general topic that you
decide to work on.
3. Identify the important variables. Find studies with the same variables and figure out how
these are related to your study. You may go over the abstract of the published research.
Some abstracts contain the variables. If variables are not apparent from the abstract, you may
do a skimming of the discussion. .
4. Then build your conceptual framework using the variables from the related studies
you have read.
IPO (Input-Process-Output) is one of the most used paradigms that seek to understand a
factor or variable that causes a problem or change in the subject.

Input Process Output

Example of a Conceptual Framework

(Input)
(Process) (Output)
Manifestation of
a.Questionnaire a. Appearance
Perceived
b. Interview Concern
Narcissism
c. Focused b. Academic
a. Selfie
group Performance
b. Photo
discussion c. Interpersonal
Manipulation
Relation
c. Posting

Writing a Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a
relationship between two or more things, you need to write hypotheses before you start your
experiment or data collection. Hypothesis states a prediction about what the study will find. It is a
tentative answer to a problem that has not yet been tested.

Variables in hypotheses
In experimental and correlational research, hypotheses propose a relationship between
two or more variables. An independent variable is something the researcher changes or
controls. A dependent variable is something the researcher observes and measures.

Developing a Hypothesis
1. Ask a question. Hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to
answer. The question should be specific and researchable.
2. Do some preliminary research of the previous studies. Your initial answer to the
question should be based on what is already known about the topic. Look for theories and
previous studies to help you form educated prediction.
 3. Formulate your hypothesis. Foresee the idea of what you expect to find. Write your
initial answer to the question in a concise sentence.

Writing a Statement of the Problem

After identifying a research problem, the next step is to write a problem statement. It has
to be concise and concrete. Writing a problem statement can help the researcher put the topic
in context and have a deeper understanding of its significance. A problem statement may be
written in several paragraphs or in several sentences incorporated in the introduction.
For practical research, look at the concrete details of the situation and ask yourself these
questions:

a) Where and when does the problem arise?

b) Who are affected by the problem?
c) What attempts have been made to solve the problem?

Problem statement should also address the relevance of the research: why is it important
to resolve the problem. The problem statement need not lay world changing impact. What is
important is that the problem statement should lay how you intend to address the problem. Your
goal should not be to find a conclusive solution, but to seek out the reasons behind the problem
and propose more effective approaches to understanding it. So as a researcher must set the
objectives of the study. You may start with the following phrases:

a) The aim of this study is to determine…

b) This project aims to explore…
c) I aim to investigate…

The following are tasks that may help a researcher enhance skill in discovering and
identifying a research problem

a. Refer to related literature.

b. Attend webinars.
c. Be observant of the situations around you.
d. Visit libraries and online research gates.
e. Subscribe to research journals.
f. Conduct mini researches and note the gaps in the findings.

General problem statement is usually followed by specific problems which are in a form of
a question. There are two types of questions: researchable questions and non-researchable
questions. Non-researchable questions are those answerable by yes or no. Researchable
questions are questions of value or opinion.

Researchable question:

a. What are the effects of internet accessibility in the campus to the academic performance of
the students?
b. What learning enhancement project may be implemented to improve students’ academic
performance?

Definition of Terms
Definition of terms is an alphabetical list of the important words acronyms that researcher
defines particularly those used in a special way in the study so as to avoid ambiguity.
Your proposed study will likely include words that are not widely known outside your
discipline. It may include constructs, formulas and operational definitions that differ from
colloquial definitions or other schools of thought. This part of your study offers provides the
reader a list of definitions of these terms. Your definition can considerably affect how the reader
understands your thesis. Be sure you use these terms in a consistent manner from the start to
finish of your study.
In writing your definition of terms, make an introductory sentence or paragraph. It must also be
noted that a word may be defined conceptually and operationally in the study.
Example:

The following words defined are used in this study:

Photo Manipulation. This refers to editing of the pictures using the different features available in the mobile
phone or computer. Its purpose is for the person to look better and beautiful and handsome before they post it
on social media platforms.

Self-esteem. This is operationally defined as the manner the students value themselves through the affirmation
and motivation they get through the posting they make in the social media platform.

Selfie. This refers to self-portrait photograph typically taken using mobile phone and shared on social media such
as Facebook and Instagram. To some people they consider it as vanity and to some it is the best way to share
the both important and non-important things about themselves.

Significance of Study
Significance of the study answers the fifth W of an academic quest. That is the why. Why
do you think your study is significant? When discussing this, you deal with the general
contribution that your study makes.

According to Unite for Sight, the goal of research is to inform action. Your study must
contextualize its findings within the larger body of research. It must have a high quality that is
applicable outside of the research setting.

Dissemination of the research outcomes is the expressed contribution of the researcher.

Leann Zarah in her article offered 7 reasons why research is important. They are as follows:

1. Research is a tool for facilitating learning.

2. It is a way to understand various issues and it increases public awareness.
3. Research leads to business success.
4. It is a way to negate fallacious claims.
5. It finds and seizes opportunities.
6. Research is a key to love reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable
Information
7. Research nourishes and exercises the brain.
To be guided in drafting your Significance of the study, ask yourself these questions:
Q1: What is the specific significance of your research to yourself or other individual?
Q2: Why is it important to communicate the value of your research?

A study without sharing its findings is a mere brain exercise and will never give an
opportunity for more learning discoveries. If that is the case, it may not be considered significant.
 Here is an example of a Significance of the Study.
Example A

Significance of the Study

The study is beneficial to the following people:

The Students. This study will give awareness to students on the effects of social media addiction on their behavior.
Moreover, they can be enlightened and may practice using social media in an appropriate way.

The Parents. This study will help the parents to understand why their children are being addicted to social media. Through
this study, they can think of some preventive measures to help their children control the use of social media.

Future Researchers. This study may benefit future researchers since this will serve as blueprint of the findings and
conclusions which may lead to further studies.

Example B

Significance of the Study

This study is considered beneficial to the following:

Community. This study will benefit the community in general as the findings will give the people better understanding of
the millennial and their manner of boosting self-esteem through the use of social media platforms.

Teachers. This will help them understand the developmental, social and behavioral effects of using social media to their
students. The results of this study will be their basis in incorporating intervention and strategies on how to enhance the
teaching and learning process and promote and develop students’ interpersonal skill.

Students. This will help them realize the positive and the negative effects of selfie, photo manipulation and posting in the
social media with their self-esteem with relation to their physical appearance and academic performance and interpersonal
relationship skills which make them more responsible, sociable and contented of their self-worth.

Parents. This will make them aware of the positive and negative effect of selfie, photo manipulation and posting to the
self-esteem, academic and interpersonal skills of their children in order to guide their social networking behavior and help
them become better and responsible individual who know how to prioritize their time in studying and household duties.

Researchers. The knowledge derived from the study will lead them to have better understanding of the personality and
social network behavior of the millennial students on how they will promote and present themselves in social media to
become likeable. Further, this study will help them recommend some possible solutions to mitigate the negative effects of
selfie, photo manipulation and posting on their self-esteem, academic performance and interpersonal skill.

Future Researchers. This will serve as their guide in making further studies and provide related reading materials and
additional information for their own investigation.

Scope and delimitation

Everything must have limits. Government, politics, power, rights and sports have its own
bounds. Conduct of a study must have bounds as well. It is necessary to narrow down research
topic and limit its bounds. Otherwise, it will not be manageable and your study will go nowhere.
Readers of your research must know these limits. The scope identifies the boundaries of the
study in term of subjects, objectives, facilities, area, time frame, and the issues to which the
research is focused.
Given here are examples of opening phrases to express the scope of the study:

The coverage of this study ___________________________________________.

The study consists of _______________________________________________.

The study covers __________________________________________________.

The study focuses on _______________________________________________.

 The purpose of the delimitation of the study is to delimit by geographic location, age, sex,
population traits, population size, or other similar aspects. Delimitation makes study more
manageable and feasible. Part of it sets the constraints or weaknesses of a study which are
beyond the control of the researcher. An example of limitation is accessibility of data. The quality
of the research findings will depend upon the ability of the researcher to access information from
people or organization. Another example of limitation is the time that a research has to devote
in the conduct of the study. So, the researcher must be careful in deciding on a research
problem. Interest over the topic will not suffice. It must be practicable within a manageable
period of time.
Given here are examples of opening phrases to express the scope of the study:
The study does not cover the _________________________________________.
The researcher limited this research to__________________________________.

Here is an example of Scope and Delimitation.

Predictors of Students’ Performance in Chemistry Laboratories Of Selected Private

Schools (Estrella, 2009)

This study was focused on the factors affecting students’ performance in Chemistry laboratory in
selected schools in Balanga City for the School Year 2008-2009. In this study, the students’ performance
refers to the average grade of the students in their Chemistry laboratory from the first to third grading period.
Chemistry, the chosen field for the study is the science with more abstract theories which must be proven
with actual events through experiments by the students.
The study considered the following schools in Balanga City Schools as the research locale of the
investigation Tomas del Rosario College Asia Pacific College of Advance Science of Bataan Christian School.
This is because these schools belong to the same category as private institutions.
Specifically, the factors in this research were students-related ones which pertain to the attitude of the
students in Chemistry laboratory. Teacher related factors pertain to the teaching strategies, competencies
and teachers’ attitude in conducting experiments in the Chemistry laboratory. Lastly, laboratory related factors
pertain to the adequacy, availability and usability of the laboratory equipment and the laboratory manual and
facilities.
The grade point average (GPA) were gathered and tabulated to measure their performance in the
Chemistry laboratory.
 B. Exercises

Exercise 1. Proposed Research Problem

Topics are given below. List possible concerns, problems or issues you can think of or have
encountered relative to it. The first one is done for you. Use a separate sheet of paper in
answering the activity.

Topic Relative Problems or Issues

a. Effect of social media to the interpersonal skills of the students
Social Media b. Impact of social media to the academic performance
c. Over reliance of teens in social media

a.
Gender
b.
Discrimination
c.
a.
Bullying b.
c.
Disaster a.
response b.
management c.

Exercise II. Identify the characteristic of a good research problem according to Clemente,
Julaton, & Orleans (2016) described in each number. Write your answer on the space before
each number.
_______1. This characteristic pertains to maximizing the capacity and abilities of the researcher
to solve the research problem.
_______2. This is attributed to the use of instruments in order to gather quantifiable or observable
data.
_______3. A research problem should be bound to what exist in the norm and practicality in terms
of the conduct of experimentations.
_______4. This quality of a research problem concerns the possibility of being carried out in a
given or target timeline.
_______5. This refers to the quality of a research question that is being clearly stated or identified.

Exercise III. Classify the following research questions/problems based on the four types of research
questions based on their purpose. Write only the letter of the correct answer on the space before
each number.
A. Factor-isolating questions C. Factor-relating questions
B. Situation-relating questions D. Situation-producing questions
_______1. What appropriate learning strategy or technique could be used to maintain efficient
learning at home?
_______2. What is the effect of the changes in the communities due to COVID-19 pandemic?
_______3. What is the relationship between the social distancing and flattening the curve?
_______4. What are the factors contributing to increase of participation of parents in disaster risk
reduction and management?
_______5. What is the meaning of the “pandemic” among schoolchildren ages 5-7?
_______6. Is there a significant difference between the level of optimism of people in the
depressed areas before, during and after pandemic?
_______7. What can be the detrimental health effects of wearing facemask 8 hours straight?
_______8. What innovative devices/equipment can be developed as alternative protective device
to against contagious diseases?
_______9. What platform is mostly used by learners and teachers in communication during
pandemic?
_______10. What are the positive impacts of the pandemic to the health and medical community?

C. Assessment/Application/Outputs
A. Narrow Down the Topic
Directions. In Column A, write a general idea that may lead to a research problem. In column B,
narrow down the general idea to target a particular aspect of the topic. The first topic is answered
to serve as an example. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the activity.

Column A General Column B Narrow It

Topic
Topic Down
Social Media and Its Impact on the
Academic Performance

Social Media Social Media and Academic

Impact of Social Media on the
Performance
Academic Performance of High
School Students

Gender
Discrimination

Bullying

Disaster response
management
 B. Performance Task. Drafting the Research Question
Directions. You are now ready to supply the information below based on the topic that you
have chosen. This serves as your guide throughout your research journey.
A B
(Write a focusing question about the
Problem or Issue problem you are interested in)
Answer:
(Identify the people most affected by the
People most affected by the issue issue.)
Answer:
(Identify if the problem is about
Type of problem knowledge, skills, attitude or feelings.)
Answer:
(Based on your data analysis, what is
the most significant cause contributing
Probable cause of the problem
to this problem.)
Answer:
(This describes how you will impact the
problem. This becomes the basis of your
Goal for improvement
goal statement)
Answer:
(This becomes the basis of your action
Proposed solution to the problem planning.)
Answer:
(These are the target individuals who
Importance of the study can benefit from your study)
Answer:

D. Suggested Enrichment/Reinforcement Activity

Provide the necessary information as asked in the 1st Column. An example is given below.
Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the activity.
Example A:
Question/Instruction Answer

Topic of the Study Online Gaming

Problem Statement Many students skip school attendance

because of online games.
Hypothesis Based on
thethe Inappropriate online games weaken academic
Problem performance.
Do the same in this table.
Question/Instruction Answer
What is your proposed topic for study?
Write your statement of the problem
Formulate your hypothesis based on your
statement of the problem.
 Disclaimer: Writer does not claim ownership
over any of the words, questions and answers,
images and graphics used in this self-learning
home task (SLHT). All rights belong to
respective copyright owner.

References:

Barot, Jessie S.(2017). Practical Research 2.C&E Publishing, Inc.

Bigueja, April V. (2020). Inquiries, Investigations and Immersion. Quarter 1-Module 2:
Identifying the Problem and Asking Question.
Pangilinan, A.et.al.(2017) Practical Research 1 for Senior High School. C&E
Publishing,Inc.
Sabio,Florie Ann & Roldan, Keisha Marie.(2020) Practical Research 2, Quarter 1-Module 1:
Nature of Inquiry and Research.

Prepared by: Edited by:

ANA LORAINE HERMIA-GEALON IMELDA V. CANOY,Ed.D

SHS-T3 PRINCIPAL IV

Reviewed by:

CLAVEL D. SALINAS, Ed.D

Division SHS Coordinator

For the Teacher: You may give other exercises/reinforcement activities other than the ones
provided for in this SLHT.

For the Learner: Please read and analyze carefully the key points and the illustrative examples in
the readings part. Also, follow the instructions in accomplishing task/exercises assessments

For the Parent/Home Tutor: Kindly guide the learners in accomplishing this home task. Should
you need assistance, you may contact the subject teacher to address questions or ask for
clarifications and discussions.