Pagadian Diocesan Schools

SANTA TERESITA ACADEMY

Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur

SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE IN PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

Section:
Name:_______________________________________________ Name of Teacher:
Quarter: 1 Teacher’s Mobile No.
Module No.: 1

An Introduction to Qualitative Research

Overview: This module on Practical Research 1: Qualitative Research will provide you with a general understanding of
how to conduct practical qualitative research and possibly even encourage you to undertake a study that may
have been thinking about doing. Through this subject, you help develop your abilities in establishing
connections, listening, writing, and observing which the primary elements are needed in the qualitative
research process. You will find out how to conduct practical researches that you can apply in your specific
track. Often, when we find out that we are going to engage in research, we immediately worry and put on a
skeptical face. It is our goal to replace that worry with excitement, skepticism with confidence. You will
discover how much fun it is to do research as we eagerly learn new things and develop a new and better
perspective about research. The twenty-first century learning allows you to discover, to improvise, and to
interact, using research as a tool to expand your knowledge and skills. With this module on Practical Research
1, we hope that you will be able to nurture yourself to be active, creative, and collaborative researchers.
Learning Competencies: At the end of the module, you can:
1. Explain the importance of research in daily life (CS_RS11-IIIa-2)
2. Describe characteristics, processes, and ethics of research (CS_RS11-IIIa-3)
3. Differentiate quantitative from qualitative research (CS_RS11-IIIa-4)
4. Illustrate the importance of qualitative research across fields. (CS_RS11-IIIb-2)
Instructional Materials: Practical Research 1 for Senior High School. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City.
Values: critical thinking

Pre-assessment
Directions: Read the following statements. Answer TRUE if the statement describes a
research, FALSE if you think it is not. Write your answers on the blank.
___1. Should have an adequate data before conducting a research.
___2. Have an objective view of his or her study, the researcher should avoid listening to another
researcher.
___3. Researcher must read literature that relates to the problem he or she is studying.
___4. Opinion from any person is recognized and considered as an answer to the question asked by the
researcher.
___5. Researcher has the final say in his findings.
INTRODUCTION

Great! You have Directions: Circle the words in the box that are related to the
successfully completed the definition of research.
pre-activity. Thus, let us
discoverbiases
how the previousInstrument theories factual investigation
intuition
activities are related in our discovery system subjective Interview
lesson. dreams experiences data phenomena guessing
productivity drama validate opinions Literature

 Using the words encircled, formulate your own definition of research. Use the blanks provided.
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Now, the proceeding activities will help you in identifying qualitative research its types,
methods, and other approaches. You will also learn the importance of research in our daily
lives, its characteristics, and processes.
 INTERACTION
Learning Activities

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio)
to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a
problem or generate new ideas for research.

Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves collecting and analyzing
numerical data for statistical analysis.

Qualitative research is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences, in subjects such as
anthropology, sociology, education, health sciences, history, etc.

Qualitative research question examples

• How does social media shape body image in teenagers?
• How do children and adults interpret healthy eating in the UK?
• What factors influence employee retention in a large organization?
• How is anxiety experienced around the world?
• How can teachers integrate social issues into science curriculums?

Approaches to qualitative research

Qualitative research is used to understand how people experience the world. While there are many
approaches to qualitative research, they tend to be flexible and focus on retaining rich meaning when
interpreting data.

Common approaches include grounded theory, ethnography, action research, phenomenological

research, and narrative research. They share some similarities, but emphasize different aims and
perspectives.

Qualitative research approaches

Grounded theory- Researchers collect rich data on a topic of interest and develop theories inductively.

Ethnography- Researchers immerse themselves in groups or organizations to understand their

cultures.

Action research- Researchers and participants collaboratively link theory to practice to drive social
change.

Phenomenological research- Researchers investigate a phenomenon or event by describing and

interpreting participants’ lived experiences.

Narrative research- Researchers examine how stories are told to understand how participants
perceive and make sense of their experiences.

These are some of the most common qualitative methods:

• Observations: recording what you have seen, heard, or encountered in detailed field notes.
• Interviews: personally asking people questions in one-on-one conversations.
• Focus groups: asking questions and generating discussion among a group of people.
• Surveys: distributing questionnaires with open-ended questions.
• Secondary research: collecting existing data in the form of texts, images, audio or video
recordings, etc.

Advantages of qualitative research

Qualitative research often tries to preserve the voice and perspective of participants and can be
adjusted as new research questions arise. Qualitative research is good for:
• Flexibility
The data collection and analysis process can be adapted as new ideas or patterns emerge. They are
not rigidly decided beforehand.
• Natural settings
Data collection occurs in real-world contexts or in naturalistic ways.
• Meaningful insights
Detailed descriptions of people’s experiences, feelings and perceptions can be used in designing,
testing or improving systems or products.
• Generation of new ideas
Open-ended responses mean that researchers can uncover novel problems or opportunities that they
wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Disadvantages of qualitative research

Researchers must consider practical and theoretical limitations in analyzing and interpreting their
data. Qualitative research suffers from:
• Unreliability
The real-world setting often makes qualitative research unreliable because of uncontrolled factors
that affect the data.
• Subjectivity
Due to the researcher’s primary role in analyzing and interpreting data, qualitative research cannot be
replicated. The researcher decides what is important and what is irrelevant in data analysis, so
interpretations of the same data can vary greatly.
• Limited generalizability
Small samples are often used to gather detailed data about specific contexts. Despite rigorous analysis
procedures, it is difficult to draw generalizable conclusions because the data may be biased and
unrepresentative of the wider population.
• Labor-intensive
Although software can be used to manage and record large amounts of text, data analysis often has to
be checked or performed manually.

The Importance of Research in Daily Life

In your junior high school, you learned that research is essential knowing that it is used in your daily
life. It will enable you for inquiry and research in finding solutions to problems especially in real life
situations. Sharing your experiences and knowledge on the importance of research develops your
skills to think critically and relate it in every decision you do.
What is Research?

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

presentation, analysis and interpretation of facts that lines an individual‘s speculation with reality.
2. Solutions to problems must be based on knowledge not on mere beliefs, guesses or theories.
3. In research a systematic and well-planned procedure is required to meet the need in order that
information is acquired and evaluate its accuracy and effectiveness.
4. It is a process of inquiring 1.

Nature of Inquiry

1. Inquiry is defined as “a seeking for truth, information or knowledge”. It is a problem solving

technique.
2. The information and data pursued through questioning begins with gathering by applying the
different human senses.
3. Individuals carry on the process of inquiry from birth till death.
4. Inquiry is synonymous with the word investigation.

Characteristics of Research

1. Empirical. Research is based on direct experiences or observation by the researcher

2. Logical. Research is based on valid procedures and principles.
3. Cyclical. Research is a cyclical process because it starts with a problem and ends with a problem.
4. Analytical. Research utilizes proven analytical procedures in gathering the data, whether historical,
descriptive, and experimental and case study.
5. Critical. Research exhibits careful and precise judgment.
6. Methodical. Research is conducted in a methodical manner without bias using systematic method
and procedures.
7. Replicability. The research design and procedures are replicated or repeated to enable the
researcher to arrive at valid and conclusive results

The Seven Steps of the Research Process

Step 1. Define and develop your topic (Research Problem).

 Factors to Consider in Selecting a Research Problem
1. Researcher‘s area of interest
2. Availability of funds
3. Investigator‘s ability and training

Step 2. Find background information about your chosen topic (Review of Related Literature).

Step 3. Plan your research design including your sample (Methodology).

Step 4. Gather necessary data using open ended questions (for qualitative research) and closed-ended
questionnaire or paper pencil test questionnaire (for quantitative research) (Data Gathering Activities).

Step 5. Process and analyse data using thematic analysis (for qualitative research) and statistical tools
(for quantitative research).

Step 6. Formulate new insights gained (for qualitative research) conclusions (for quantitative research)
and recommendations.

Step 7. Define new problem.

Ethics in Research

Research ethics are guidelines for the responsible conduct of research which educates and monitors
researchers to ensure high standard. It promotes the aim of research, such as expanding knowledge
and supports the values required for collaborative work, such as mutual respect and fairness.

Ethical considerations in conducting research

 1. Objectivity and integrity
2. Respect of the research subjects ‘right to privacy and dignity and protection of subjects from
personal harm
3. Presentation of research findings
4. Misuse of research role
5. Acknowledgement of research collaboration and assistance
6. Distortions of findings by sponsor

What are these ethics in research 1?

1. Informed Consent. This is required to secure in order protect the rights of the participants in your
study. Inform your participants about the criteria set for choosing them as informants and the
schedule of one-on-one interview at the convenient time they are available. Participation to the study
will be completely voluntary.
2. Honesty. It report data, results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate,
falsify and misrepresent the data.
3. Objectivity. Avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review,
personnel decisions, grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of research.
4. Integrity. Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought
and action.
5. Carefulness. Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your work and
the work of peers. Keep good records of research activities.

E XE R C I S E S

Activity 1: Question and Answer

Directions: Answer the questions briefly. Write your answers on the space provided.
1. What is research?
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2. What is qualitative research?
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3. What is inquiry and its nature?
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4. How important is research in your daily life activities?
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5. Why is there a need to conduct research?
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Processing
Questions
1. What is qualitative research? How does it differ from quantitative research?
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 INTEGRATION

Closure/Synthesis

Directions: Ask your classmate or a friend about his/her plans after senior high school. Ask him/her how
research played a major role in his/her chosen track or strand. Make a report about it. Write
your report using a narrative format. Make use of the notes you wrote down before and after
you conducted your interview to flesh out the report. The first is the brief detail about what
the report is, who is the interviewee and the location of the interview. Then break up the
interview into paragraphs, like narrating a story and finally a conclusion paragraph to end
your report. The interview can be done through chat, text, or call. Or, if you conduct a face-
to-face interview be sure to strictly follow the health protocols. Use the lines below for your
answer.

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INTERVENTION
Evaluation
Directions: Read the following statements. Answer TRUE if the statement describes a research,
FALSE if you think it is not. Write your answers on the blank.
___1. An opinion from any person is recognized and considered as an answer to the question asked by
the researcher.
___2. A researcher must read literature that relates to the problem he or she is studying.
___3. The researcher has the final say in his findings
. ___4 Have an objective view of his or her study, the researcher should avoid listening to another
researcher.
___5 Should have an adequate data before conducting a research.

POST ASSESSMENT

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if otherwise.

_____1. Qualitative research generally uses smaller pools of participants than quantitative research.

_____2. Qualitative research uses statistical analysis to prove or disprove a particular hypothesis based on

theory or previous studies.

_____3. Both qualitative and quantitative research rely on analysing data, but qualitative research relies

more on the researcher’s own interpretation.

_____4. Consistency of data collection and analysis by a neutral, unknowing party is a hallmark of good

qualitative research.
_____5. Reliability of data can be checked through statistical analysis or checking with participants

themselves, depending on the methods used.