Learning Activity Sheets in Practical Research 1

Quarter 1 Worksheet No. 8

Learner’s Name: ________________________________________________

Grade Level/Section: ____________________________________________
Date: _______________________________

I. LEARNING SKILLS
A. Most Essential Learning Competency (MELC)
Design a research project related to daily life.
B. Objectives:
1. Narrow down a general topic into a smaller one;
2. Identify possible research problems; and
3. Design a research project useful to daily life.

II. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS

Before you design your own research project, you have to need first a working
research title. Thus, you begin your research work with a problem, that is, having a problem
or topic to work on.

When finding the right research paper topic, let’s consider this:

1. To write your title, you must start with a topic. There is actually no such thing as
a single best topic. It is easier to jot down three topics of your choice, or even five,
instead of selecting one single topic. Soon you will realize there is wisdom to this
practice.

2. Identify problem situations. At home, there are problems that you dwell on.
Examples are relationships, money matters, unemployment, infidelity and more. In
school, you would hear students complain about failing grades, teachers’ teaching
strategies, limited allowances, school facilities and equipment and a lot more. You
can move to the larger community and look into problems on politics, prices of
commodities, and other concerns.

For sure, if given the opportunity, you would help in a way you can to ease people
out of these problems. These are already your sources of a topic or topics of
research.

3. Consider your passion or interest. Your interest in a topic may be caused by your
rich background knowledge about it and by its unfamiliarity to you. Your real interest
in a subject pushes you to research, investigate, or inquire about it with full
enthusiasm, motivation, and energy.

4. Make sure you have enough resources for your topic. This means finding a topic
that is discussed not just on website or blogs, but more so on books, articles or even
encyclopedia references. Find a topic that is both interesting and has plenty of
published materials. Check magazine articles as well.
 5. Pick a topic that is timely and relevant. The topic is relevant if it yields results that
are instrumental in societal improvement. It is timely if it is related to the present.

6. Check references from the library. Visit your library to check the availability of
reading materials on your chosen topic. Do not hesitate to ask your librarian for
assistance.

7. Be ready with your personal resources. Assess your research abilities in terms of
your financial standing, health condition, mental capacity, needed facilities, and time
allotment to enable you to complete your research.

8. Master the skill of finding the right research topic. Unfortunately, not all topics
you are interested in may be that easy to write about. It becomes even more difficult
if there is not enough research material about the topic you’ve chosen. When
confronted on what research paper topics to do, find a broad subject first, then
narrow it down.

The following are research topics to be avoided:

1. Controversial Topics
These are topics that depend greatly on the writer’s opinion. Facts cannot support
topics like these.

Example: The Extent of Filipinos’ Faith in God

2. Highly Technical Topics

For a beginner, researching on topics that require an advanced study, technical
knowledge, and vast experience is a difficult task.

Example: Spaceship Building

3. Hard-to-Investigate Topics
A subject is hard to investigate if there are no available reading materials about it and
if such materials are not up-to-date.

Example: Labor Unions before the Coming of Christ

4. Broad Topics
Topics that are too broad will prevent you from giving an in-depth analysis of the
subject matter of the paper. The solution to this is to narrow or limit the topic to a
smaller one.

Example: Lack of Self-Confidence (Broad)

Better Topic: Lack of Self-Confidence in Adolescents: Root Causes, Manifestations
and Intervention (Narrowed)

5. Too Narrow Topics

These subjects are too limited or specific that an extensive or thorough searching or
reading for information about these is necessary.
 Example: The Definition of Research

6. Vague Topics
Choosing topics like these will prevent you from having a clear focus on your paper.
Titles beginning with indefinite adjectives such as several, many, some, etc., are
vague enough to decrease the readers’ interests and curiosity.

Example: Some Excessively Priced Imported Vehicles

HOW TO DESIGN A RESEARCH THAT IS USEFUL IN DAILY LIFE

The design stage constitutes the step where the methodological procedure is planned and
prepared. Following are the steps in research design:

Step 1: The very first step is to choose a topic. The following are topics from which you can
design a research that should be useful in daily life.

Step 2: Include the goals/objectives of the study. The objective should be very clear in the
mind of the researcher as this will lead to the clarity of the design and proper response from
the respondents.

Step 3: Describe a specific setting/location. It describes in brief the place where the study is
conducted.

Step 4: Consider the data sources. The various sources of data or the information should be
very clearly stated by the researcher. Primary data sources include information collected and
processes directly by the researcher such as interviews, surveys, and observations.
Secondary data sources include information retrieved through preexisting sources such as
research articles and internet or library searches.

Step 5: Use techniques of data collection. For the collection of required information, it is
necessary to use some special techniques such as interviews, questionnaires and surveys,
observations, documents and records, etc.

III. ACTIVITIES

A. Practice Task 1
What to do:

A. On your notebook. write the title that appears to be the best in terms of narrowing down a
broad topic.

1. ______ Symptoms of AIDS

______ Physical Symptoms of AIDS
______ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS

2. ______ World Ideologies

______ Feminism in the Digital Era
______ Feminism in Nick Joaquin’s Latest Novel
 3. ______ Communication Skills
______ Pre-Writing Strategies
______ The Writing Process

4. ______ Russian-Plate Service

______ Food Serving Techniques
______ Hotel and Restaurant Management

5. ______ Philippine Transportation System

______ Manila’s Transportation System
______ Metro Manila’s LRT/MRT Systems

B. Use numbers 1 to 5 to show the order of these topics if you narrow them from general to
the most limited topic. Number 1 being the general topic and 5 as the most limited one.

1. ______ Man’s Personality

______ The Right Lobe of the Brain
______ The Five Aspects of Personality
______ The Intellectual Aspect of a Person
______ Brain Components

2. ______ Prose and Poetry

______ Fiction
______ The Legend of Mayon Volcano
______ Philippine Literature
______ Legends

3. ______ Pluses and Minuses of Teenage Marriage

______ Teenage Marriage
______ The Advantages of Early Marriage
______ Marriage
______ Human Relationships

B. Practice Task 2
Narrow down each of the following general subjects to make it a good research topic.

1. General subject: Bullying

NARROWED _________________________________

Narrowed further ______________________________

2. General subject: Online Gaming

NARROWED _________________________________

Narrowed further ______________________________

 C. Practice Task 3: Help! I Don’t Have A Problem

What to do:

A. In your notebook, enumerate three possible problems you may encounter in the following
circumstances:

1. Personal Life (Family and Friends)

a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________
2. School
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________
3. Local Community
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________

4. Government
a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________

5. Other areas of interest

a. ________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________

B. Based on the enumerated possible research problems, select and identify three
researchable problems and explain why you chose them. Write your answers on your
notebook.

Problem no. 1: _______________________________________________________

Reason:

___________________________________________________________________
 Problem no. 2: _______________________________________________________

Reason:

___________________________________________________________________

Problem no. 3: _______________________________________________________

Reason:

___________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT

Plan your research by following the five steps in research design.

1. Problem/Topic: _______________________________________________________
2. Objective of the Study: _________________________________________________
3. Setting: _____________________________________________________________
4. Data Sources:
___________________________________________________________________
5. Data Collection methods:
__________________________________________________________________

IV. REFERENCE

Borjal, P.F. 2020),Practical Research 1 Module 8 Designing a Research Topic

Prepared by:

Pinky Farah B. Borjal

Teacher II, Tabaco National High School

Quality Assured by:

LANY M. ABAINZA
EPS-English