WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Inquiries, Investigations and Immersion Quarter 1

Week 1-2
BRAINSTORMING FOR RESEARCH TOPICS,
IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND ASKING THE QUESTIONS
Name: __________________________________________ Section: _______________
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this learning, you are expected to:
1. Prepare a plan and focus on issues and ideas in their respective
field; and
2. Formulates clearly the statement of the research problem
Key Concepts:
• In order to choose a topic that will be the best for you in writing
your research paper is to have enough time to think about it (NCU,
2021). As you think of potential topics, you may ask questions
yourself and write it on a journal or log book. Doing this may lead
to relevant new topic areas and research questions in a broader
sense.
• The next step will be identifying the keywords related to your
potential topic ideas. Try to break down your topic or research
questions in to 2-4 overall main ideas. This will help you narrow
down your broader topic to a specific one.
• Background of the Study –This part provides the rationale of the
research. Tips for writing the background of the problem (Faryadi,
2018):
1. State the problem or phenomenon to be investigated.
2. Identify the party affected by the problem.
3. Explain how you plan to solve the problem.
4. Convince the reader that you are qualified and equipped with the
right methods of solving that problem.
5. Highlight the benefits of solving the problem.
6. Tell the reader what results you anticipate.

• Conceptual Framework - a graphical presentation of your concepts

or ideas on the basic structure or components of your research as
well as on the relationships of these elements with one another.
Designing the conceptual framework:
1. Identify the variables or simply the characteristics or properties
that you want to study. The form yours takes will depend on
what kinds of relationships you expect to find.
 2. To visualize our expected cause-and-effect relationship, we will
use the basic design components of boxes (for the variables),
arrows (for causal relationships), and lines (for correlation).
• Research Hypothesis (for quantitative research) - a tentative
explanation or an answer to a question about variables, their
relationships, and other facts involved in the research.
Categories of Hypothesis:
1. Ho = null hypothesis; which states the absence of or no relationship
between the independent and dependent variables; that nothing will
happen between variables.
Example: Two-thirds of the senatorial candidates have no
knowledge about law.
2. Hi = alternative hypothesis; states the relationship between the
independent and the dependent variables and the fact that the first affects
the second one.
Example: One-half of the senatorial candidates are knowledgeable
about law.
Guidelines in making the Hypothesis:
1. Express your hypotheses in a declarative sentence.
2. Support your hypotheses with ideas based on theories, known facts,
previous studies, or your own experience and wisdom.
3. Establish a logical relationship between the hypotheses and the
research problem.
4. Have your hypotheses predict the nature of relationship between or
among variables.
5. Ascertain the possibility of having some means of testing, analyzing,
and investigating your hypotheses.
6. Avoid wordiness by using clear, exact, or specific language in stating
the hypotheses.
• Statement of the Problem - states a specific condition (issue) that
needs urgent attention and a possible solution. As a researcher,
show your readers how your investigation will fill or narrow the gap
in existing literature. The problem must generate questions for the
researcher to answer (Faryadi, 2018).
The Do’s in writing the statement of the problem
1. Formulate a research problem that is researchable; meaning,
open to empirical investigation.
2. Let your quantitative research problem state the variables and
their relationships with one another.
3. Construct an introductory statement to present your research
problem, which is the main problem of your research.
 4. State your research questions or sub-problems, not in the form
of yes-or-no questions, but in informative questions.
5. Express your research problem and research questions either in
an interrogative or declarative manner, but some research books
say that the former is more effective than the latter form
(Barceros, 2016).
Types of Quantitative Research Questions - can generate a set of
research questions or sub-problems that fall under any of these
types of research questions:
1. Descriptive research questions – ask questions on the kind,
qualifications, and categories of the subjects or participants
2. Relation questions – are questions about the nature and manner
of connection between or among variables.
3. Causal questions – reasons behind the effects of the independent
variable on the dependent variable is the focus of these types of
research questions.
• Definitions of Terms - one way of giving clear meaning of a concept
or anything involved in a research is to define it operationally.
Operational definition defines the term based on how it is
operationally used or how it is applied in the research (Barceros,
2016).
Guidelines in giving operational definitions (Barceros, 2016)
1. Have a clear understanding of the concept focused on by your study
before you begin defining such concept operationally.
2. Make sure that you focus on what something is, not just what its
effect it is used for.
3. Extend the definition so that it exactly covers what you want the
readers to understand. This may mean that you will expand the
dictionary definitions.
4. Supplement the definition to clarify further the meaning of the term.
5. Do not invent a definition for any term which has already a clear
and accepted definition in place.
6. Do not change the meaning in the middle of the article or the paper.
7. Avoid defining with "X is when" and "X is where" statements. These
introductory adverb phrases should be avoided. Define a noun with
a noun, a verb with a verb, and so forth.
8. Define a word in simple and familiar terms. Your definition of an
unfamiliar word should not lead your audience towards looking up
more words in order to understand your definition.

• Significance of the Study - the importance of the study is revealed,

including the benefits that individual values can get from it (UN,
 2021). Your statement of the problem can guide in identifying the
specific contribution of your study (Kamal, 2017).

Example:
Respondents. The respondents will have an awareness on the
importance of the mentoring program and its role on the improvement of
their academic performance.

Teachers/Mentors. The result of the study will help the teachers/mentors

provide encouragement to think of ideas that will give proper guidance
to the students/mentees. This may also increase their competency.

• Scope and limitation - refers to the parameters under which the study
will be operating. The scope serves as a zone of your research – what
should be included in the study and what should not be. You need to
make it as clear as possible what you will be studying and the factors
within the accepted range of your study. For example, if you want to
know if students who study more hours get higher exam scores, the
scope could include specific hours the Grade 12 students spend in
studying in a day and their exam scores in English (Goes & Simon,
2013).

Limitations are matters and occurrences that arise in a study which are
out of the researcher’s control. They limit the extensity to which a
study can go. Every study has a limitation that is why we do not use
the words “proves” or “disproves” with respect to research findings.
You might have access to only certain people, organization,
documents, and data that other studies may overcome (Goes & Simon,
2013).
Exercises/ Activities:
Activity 1. My question, my answer!
In your journal notebook, answer the following questions with honesty. Your answers will serve as
a potential topic of your research paper.
QUESTION ANSWER
1. What is your track and strand?
2. What is the specific lesson or issue in your track and
strand that interests you the most?
3. What is the unanswered or unresolved problem, or issue
involved in lesson or issue that interests you the most?
4. Answer Yes or No.
• Is it within your interest?
• Are there available data, resources, and evidences that will
support your topic?
• Is it timely and relevant?
• Will it contribute to your track or strand?
• Is it within your personal resources?
 5. If all of your answers is yes, then write down the specific
research problem. if no, reevaluate your research question
or problem.

Scoring Rubrics
Criteria/ 5 3 1
Indicators Excellent/ Satisfactory Needs Improvement
Outstanding
Feasibility of The research problem The research problem The research
Research Problem is practical and doable is slightly practical problem is
and may be doable completely
impractical and
undoable
Specificity of The research problem The research problem The research
Research Problem uniquely belongs to a is slightly ambiguous problem is still
specific area of the broad
topic
Timeliness The research problem The research problem The research
Relevance is highly significant at is slightly significant problem is
of the time being at the time being insignificant at the
Research time being
Problem

Activity 2. Research Plan

Based on the research problem that you have written above, write your research plan by answering
the following questions on the table below. Answer briefly on your notebook. (2 points each).

RESEARCH PLAN
1. Research Problem
(What is your research problem?)

2. Rationale
(Why do you want to conduct this study)
3. Significance
(Why is it important to be conducted?)

4. Objectives
(What is your goal to achieve in this study?)
5. Method and Design Respondents:
(Is it a quantitative or qualitative study?) (Who or what will be the source of your
data?)

Sample size:
(How many respondents does your study
need?)

Sampling Technique
(How will you choose your respondents
or source of data?)
Scoring Rubrics:

Criteria/ 5 3 1
Indicators Excellent/ Satisfactory Needs Improvement
Outstanding
Completeness of All of the sections Two sections were None of the sections
answers were answered unanswered were answered
Quality of answers All of the responses Some of the None of the
were discussed responses were responses were
substantially and discussed discussed
comprehensively substantially and substantially and
comprehensively comprehensively
Appropriateness of All of the responses Some of the None of the
answers correspond to the responses responses
needed information correspond to the corresponds to the
in all of the sections needed information needed information
in some of the in all of the sections
sections

Activity 3. Guess me

Identify the parts of a research paper that is described in each number.

1._____________________ the parameters under which the study will be operating.

2._____________________ Provides the rationale of the study.
3._____________________ States the specific condition or issue that needs urgent
attention a possible solution.
4._____________________ a tentative explanation or an answer to a question about
variables, their relationships, and other facts involved
in the research.
5._____________________ a graphical presentation of your concepts or ideas.
6._____________________ matters and occurrences that arise in a study which are
out of the researcher’s control that other studies may
overcome.
7._____________________ The category of hypothesis that states the absence of
relationship between variables.
8._____________________ Gives the importance of the study and the benefits that
this can give to different bodies/parties/individuals.
9._____________________ Operational terms are defined.
10.____________________ This shape shows the causal relationship of variables.

Activity 5. Let the research begin!

Based on the main idea that you have given in Activity 3, start writing the
Chapter I of your research paper by providing the following:

1. Background of the problem

2. Conceptual Framework
3. Research Hypothesis (for quantitative research)
4. Statement of the Problem
5. Definitions of Terms
6. Significance of the Study
7. Scope and limitation
Rubrics for scoring

Criteria/ 5 3 1
Indicators Excellent/ Satisfactory Needs Improvement
Outstanding
Relevance and The problem is The problem is The problem is untimely
Timeliness of the very timely and timely and and irrelevant
Problem relevant relevant

Relevance of The research The research The research question is

research question is question is irrelevant to the research
question directly relevant relevant to the problem
to the research research
problem problem

Specificity of The research The research The research question is

research question is clear question is clear unclear and broad with
question and specific and specific with many confusing terms
few confusing
terms

Appropriateness The elements are The elements are The elements are
of elements exactly appropriate to inappropriate to what is
appropriate to what is being being asked with many
what is being asked with few misplaced details
asked misplaced details

Significance of The problem is The problem is The problem is

the Problem highly significant significant at insignificant at this point
at this point in this point in time in time
time

Reflection
Think of one (1) specific research topic from the broad topics listed below
which has the most significance in your daily lives. Write your answers on
your notebook.

Malnutrition Humans Racism Violence Vaccine

and
Wildlife

Sex Online Gender Technology Mobile

Education Learning Roles and Games
Business

Example:
Broad topic: Online selling
Specific topic: Influence of Internet Based Marketing Activities on
Digital Consumer’s Mind
References for Learners:
Barceros, E.L. (2016). Practical Research 2. Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc.
NCU Library. Research Process.
https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/brainstorming. Accessed
March 2021.
Faryadi, Q. (2018). PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach—How to Write
Your Introduction. Scientific Research Publishing.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED590321.pdf . Accessed March 2021.

Swaen, B. (2015). Constructing a conceptual framework.

https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/conceptual-framework/ Accessed March 2021.
Goes, J. & Simon, M. (2013). Scope, Limitations and Delimitations. Dissertation and
Scholarly Research: Recipes for Success. http://www.dissertationrecipes.com/ Accessed
March 2021

Answer Key
9. Definition of terms
2. Background of the

8. Significance of the
3. Sttatement of the

7. Null hypothesis
Activity 3. Guess Me

5. Conceptual
Framework
4. Hypothesis

6. Limitation
Problem
1. Scope

Study

10.arrow
study

Writers:

MONIQUE JESSE T. DELIMA MARYBETH DIABORDO

moniqejesse.delima@deped.gov.ph marybeth.diabordo@deped.gov.ph

FEMY ANN A. LIGAD RODA JEAN D.PATEŇO

femyann.ligad@deped.gov.ph rodajean.pateňo@deped.gov.ph

Reviewers: DOLYNESSA J. GALEON

HUMSS 12 Group Head

AMALIA B. RINGOR
Track Head

RUTH A. CASTROMAYOR
Principal IV
Assistant Principal – SHS

ISRAEL B. REVECHE, PhD.

EPS-Values
Division SHS Coordinator