Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Iba Campus

College/ Department College of Teacher Education

Course Code EDE
Course Title Introduction to Research
Place of the Course in the Program BEED
Professional Education
3rd Year, 1st Semester
Semester & Academic Year 1st Semester, AY 2021-2022

MODULE 3

Introduction
This course focuses on the development of competence and skill in research
methodology through exposure to different research models and techniques.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the ethical considerations in research
2. Determine the various research philosophies

Discussion

LESSON 5

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RESEARCH

Ethical concerns may emerge at all stages of research. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill
(2003,) summarize the main issues to consider, although the ethical issues surrounding
these items are not always clear-cut:

1. The rights of privacy of individuals

2. Voluntary nature of participation-and the rights of individuals to withdraw partially
or completely from the process
3. Consent and possible deception of participants
4. Maintenance of the confidentiality of data provided by individuals or identifiable
participants and their anonymity

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 5. Reactions of participants to the ways in which researchers seek to collect data
6. Effects on participants of the way in which data is analyzed and reported
7. Behavior and objectivity of the researcher

Discroll (2011) provides the following brief overview of ethical considerations.

Voluntary Participation. The Belmont Report suggests that, in most cases, you need
to get permission from people before you involve them in any primary research you are
conducting. If you are doing a survey or interview, your participants must first agree to fill
out your survey or to be interviewed.

Confidentiality and Anonymity. Your participants may reveal embarrassing or

potentially damaging information such as racist comments or unconventional behavior. In
these cases, you should keep your participants’ identities anonymous when writing your
results. An easy way to do this is to create a “pseudonym”.

Researcher Bias. There is little point in collecting data and learning about something
if you already think you know the answer! Bias might be present in the way you ask
questions, the way you take notes, or the conclusions you draw from the data you collect.

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 Name: Module 3
Course/Year/Section:
Date received:
Date submitted:
Score:

Activity
Role Playing. Select a partner and conduct a survey or interview. Draft a
dialogue/conversation on how you will convince your respondent to voluntary
participation in the research that you will be conducting. (30 pts.)

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Exercise
Construct a sample letter of consent to your participant/respondent stating the
confidentiality and anonymity of their involvement in the research process. (30 pts.)

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Reflection
Suggest ways on how to lessen researcher’ bias. (20 pts.)

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LESSON 6

RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES
Research is not ‘neutral’, but reflects a range of the researcher’s personal interests,
values, abilities, assumptions, aims and ambitions. There are essential two main research
philosophies (or positions) although there can be overlap between the two-and both
positions may be identifiable in any research project.

Positivistic
Positivistic approaches to research are based on research methodologies commonly
used in science. They are characterized by a detached approach to research that seeks out
the facts or causes of any social phenomena in a systematic way. Positivistic approaches are
founded on a belief that the study of human behavior should be conducted in the same way
as studies conducted in the natural sciences (Collis & Hussey, 2003).

Positivistic approaches seek to identify, measure and evaluate any phenomena and to
provide rational explanation for it. This explanation will attempt to establish causal links and
relationships between the different elements (or variables) of the subject and relate them to
a particular theory or practice. Positivistic approach can also be referred as quantitative,
objectivist, scientific, experimental and traditionalist.

Phenomenological
Phenomenological approaches however, approach research from the perspective that
human behavior is not as easily measured as phenomena in the natural sciences. Human
motivation is shaped by factors that are not always observable, e.g. inner thought processes,
so that it can become hard to generalize on, for example, motivation from observation of
behavior alone. Furthermore, people place their own meanings on events; meanings that do
not always coincide with the way others have interpreted them.

Phenomenological approaches are particularly concerned with understanding

behavior from the participants’ own subjective frames of reference. Research methods are
chosen therefore, to try and describe, translate and explain and interpret events from the
perspectives of the people who are the subject of the research. Phenomenological approach
can also be referred as qualitative, subjective, scientific, humanistic and interpretative.

Methodologies

Positivistic
Survey Phenomenological
Experimental Studies Case Study
Longitudinal Studies Action Research
Ethnography (Participant
Cross-Sectional
Observation)
Studies
Participative Inquiry
Grounded Theory

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 However, as mentioned earlier, research often contains both positivistic and
phenomenological approaches, e.g. a survey that also contains qualitative work from
participant observation.

Title Approach Methodology

Impact of developments in IT on Positivistic Cross –sectional
financial services approach study & in-depth
survey
Age discrimination in the Positivistic and Survey & case study
workplace phenomenological
approaches/feminist perspectives

Personality Testing: is this a valid Both positivistic Survey & Participant

tool in the recruitment and and observation
selection process? phenomenological
approaches

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 Name: Module 3
Course/Year/Section:
Date received:
Date submitted:
Score:

Activity
Provide three (3) sample titles of conducted research. Cite author and year of
publication. Categorize each research according to approach and methodology used. (30 pts.)

Title Approach Methodology

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 Exercise
Draft possible research topic of your interest for the following: (20 pts.)

Positivistic

Phenomenological

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Reflection
Enumerate possible advantages and disadvantages of utilizing positivistic and
phenolomogical approaches in research. (30 pts.)

Positivistic

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 ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Phenomenological

 ____________________________________________________________________________________
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 ____________________________________________________________________________________
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 ____________________________________________________________________________________

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Suggested Readings

 Tamban, Victoria, Maningas, Ofelia & Maningas, Rolando (2019). Methods of Research
a Textbook/Workbook: St. Andrew’s Publishing House, Bulacan, Philippines
 An Introduction to Research http://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/
upmbinaries/29985_Chapter1.pdf
 Driscoll, Dana Lynn (2011). Introduction to Primary Research: Observations, Surveys,
and Interviews. ISBN 978-1-60235-184-4
http://www.parlorpress.com/pdf/driscoll--introduction-to-primary-research.pdf
 D. Slesinger and M. Stephenson (1930). The Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences, Vol. IX,
MacMillan, 1930.
Resources and Additional References

 UNESCO. (2005). Educational research: Some basic concepts and terminology.

France: International Institute for Educational Planning/UNESCO.
 Research an Introduction
http://www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/000896.pdf
 Research Methodology: An Introduction
http://www.limat.org/data/research/Research%20Methodology.pdf
 Research Methods, Data Analysis, and Reporting
http://www.cdse.edu/documents/education/ED508samplesyllabus.pdf
 Undergraduate Research Methods Course
http://mcnair.usc.edu/Research%20Methods%20Course,%20Spring%202012.pdf

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