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LEARNING KIT

I. TITLE
 Subject: Practical Research 2
 Time Frame: 2 Days (Week 7 / Quarter 1)
 Topic:
 Grade Level: 12 (STEM, ABM, HUMSS)

II. OVERVIEW

Research cannot be possible without taking into account measurable factors that are subject to change
due to certain conditions or situations. Anything that can change in research due to circumstances is called a
variable.

III OBJECTIVE:

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

 Define what is a variable
 Explore the different types and uses of variables, and how they may be used in research; and
 Distinguish between a dependent and an independent variable.

IV CONTENT

A. Let’s Get Involved.

1. Look at the picture below what did you notice about the pictures?

2. Have you heard the word Independent and Dependent variables before? What do you think is the
connection of the pictures below
 B. Let’s Explore.

Directions: Answer the questions below;

1. What do you think is the importance of classifying the different kinds of variables in research?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the difference between dependent and independent variables?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

C. Let’s Clarify Things.

Variable- refers to a characteristic, or attribute of an individual or an organization that can be measured

or observed and that varies among people or organization being studied.
- Root word is “varied” or simply “can change”.
- Something that can take more than one value and values can be words or numbers.

Attribute- specific value of a variable.

Example: Variable: Age

Attribute: 23 y/o, young, old, teenager, adult

Example:
Topic: Study of High School Students’ Preference for Toothpaste
Variable: Brand of Toothpaste
Attributes: Colgate, Close Up, Happy, etc.

Kinds of Variables

To understand more about variables and the role they play in scientific research, we should note the
different kinds of variables and their usage. The kind of variables to be used in the study depends on the
research design that you will follow. Refer to module 6 for a detailed discussion of research design. These are
the general types of variables:

1. Independent variables
2. Dependent variables
3. Confounding or extraneous variables
4. Categorical variables
5. Continuous variables
6. Quantitative variables
7. Qualitative variables

1. Independent variables- are manipulated variables that cause a change in another variable. Usually, these are
treatments or conditions that produce a varied response or effect.

2. Dependent- variables are those that are affected by independent variables. Simply put, they are the responses
or effects that result from the treatment or conditions employed. Using the previous research title, the phrase
"test anxiety" is the dependent variable.

3. Confounding or extraneous variables are those variables- usually indicated in experimental research.
They are not included in the study but in one way or another causes effect on the dependent variable. Most of
the time, these are the variables that are minimized to lessen their impact on the expected response. Going back
to the previous research example, the family background of the grade school student is an example of an
extraneous variable. As you may notice, it is not included in the variables under the study. But each grade
school student who will take part in the study has a family background that may likely affect the impact of the
peace-loving learning environment variable. To lessen its effect, the researcher must control it.

4. Categorical variables- are those that characterize and describe the quality of data. They are often classified
into mutually exclusive categories and extensive categories. The former comprises those that take on specific
values. Often, they do not follow a sequence. They just want to describe the data into the given options; thus,
they are called nominal variables. For example, civil status can be classified only as single, married, widowed,
or annulled. You can only be either one of these. Extensive categories, on the other hand, characterize data
using a definite range. They consider logical order or rank and are therefore called ordinal variables.
Description of data follows a sequence. For example, size is classified into small, medium, or large. When you
state the classification of sizes, you have to say it in order. Noticeably, the values of categorical variables are
not numeric.

5. Continuous variables- are those variables in which values are based on a given interval or continuum. These
variables rely on numbers for description. For example, normal temperature ranges from 36°C to 37°C. So,
description of normal temperature is only within the given interval. Think about income as another example.
When you state an income, you can just say the amount. It does not follow an interval, but it falls along a
continuum.

6. Quantitative variables- are those variables that give details regarding the number or level of something.
These variables count the frequency of responses or effect. An example is a popularity contest. The contestant
who will get the highest number of votes as the most well- liked will be declared the winner.

7. Qualitative variables- are those variables that represent kinds or types of objects. They are synonymous with
categorical variables. They are often categorized into names, labels, or groups. At times, numbers are used as
codes to represent the categorization to be able to measure the variable and describe its extent. Responses such
as yes or no; few, many, and too much; and agree or disagree, are some examples of qualitative variables

Variables and Their Level of Measurement

 A variable has one of four different levels of measurement: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, or Ratio.

 Nominal Scales – are just concerned with the names and categories of responses. They do not intend to
quantify the data. Qualitative and categorical variables are examples. Let’s take nationality for example.
You cannot quantify the attribute of the variable nationality which is Filipino. It is not measurable.
Therefore, it is an example of a qualitative / categorical variable.

 Ordinal Scales- are used for data that intends to be ranked, from its root word order. This scale is
expressed through sequential and numerical order and therefore allows a comparison of degree.
Qualitative and sometimes quantitative variables are measured using this scale. Some examples are the
following: educational level (e.g. freshman, sophomore, Grade 11 ad Grade 12), income brackets, etc.

 Interval Scales- use equal units of measurement and intervals to know the distance between them more
than the sequence. An interval scale does not use zero as its base point, though. Quantitative data are
usually measured by interval scales. Examples include temperature and IQ.

 Ratio Scales- are the highest level of measurement. Variables will be more accurately measured because
a ratio scale uses zero as its base point. It cannot go below zero. It permits the comparison of both
differences in scores and the relative magnitude of scores. Examples are height, weight, and age.

D. Let’s Reinforce Learning.

Directions: Study the following research cases. Identify the independent and dependent variables for each of
the following research cases by writing your answers on the table below.

Case 1:
 To determine whether a diet of blueberries has an effect on aging, an experiment involving 19-month-
old rats was undertaken. In this study, one group of rats was fed with their standard diet while the other three
groups were fed with diet supplemented with blueberry, strawberry, or spinach powder, respectively. After eight
weeks, the rats were given a memory test and motor skills test.

Case 2:
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), if given in megadoses, is known to reduce the occurrence of
cancer cells. To test this hypothesis, patients with known cancers were given megadoses of
vitamin C for a period of 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, screening tests were done to determine if
cancer cells decreased.

Case 3:
Lucy is an owner of a fashion accessories store. She surveyed her customers on their preferences for
accessories on a headband. She found out that her customers prefer ribbons. Thus, Lucy would stock up on
ribbons because this will determine the number of headbands with ribbons that she can sell.

Case No. Independent Variable Dependent Variable

E. Let’s Evaluate.
I. Directions: Identify the level of measurement used for the following variables.
_____1. Level of anxiety _____4. Job satisfaction Rating
_____2. Test Scores in English _____5. Civil status
_____3. Annual Income

II. Directions: Classify the following into their respective variable types;
_____ 1. Dropout rate
_____ 2. Religion
_____ 3. Political party identification
_____ 4. Grade point average
_____ 5. Teaching method
_____ 6. Behavior
_____ 7. Learning style
_____ 8. Air-conditioned room
_____ 9. Rate of cognitive processing
_____ 10. Ethnicity

V. References

Baraceros, E. L. (2016). Practical Research 2. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Espinosa, A. A. (2016). DIWA: Senior High School Series Practical Research 2. Makati City: DIWA Learning Systems,
Inc.
Faltado, R. E., Bombita, M. B., Boholano, H. B., & Pogoy, A. M. (2016). Practical Research 2 (Quantitative research for
SHS). Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Prieto, N. G., Naval, V. C., & Carey, T. G. (2017). Practical Research for Senior High School 2 Quantitative. Quezon
City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Uy, C., Cabauatan, R., De Castro, B., & Grajo, J. (2016). Practical Research 2. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.