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Department: English Course: Research Techniques Instructor: Dr. DEROUAG Mounira Level: Third Year (L3.)
Lecture outline
♦ Identifying a problem area and selecting ♦ Writing a statement of the problem and
a topic (Sources of the problem) generating research questions
♦ Criteria for selecting a problem ♦ Identifying variables and their types
♦ Classroom Research Problems
When planning a trip, you need to decide on a destination or at least a route. The same is
true for our research journey. The first step in the research process (journey), then, is to identify a
problem or question with clarity and precision. We need to start with a problem statement. What
questions, problems, issues or concerns exist that you would like to answer or explore in depth?
In this lecture you will be asked to consider your research question. You will be guided towards
the identification of a research area and the formulation of related questions. You will also learn
the topic you would like to address, investigate, or study, whether descriptively or
topic, phenomenon, or challenge that you are interested in and with which you are at least
somewhat familiar.”
How can a beginning researcher formulate an important and useful research problem?
Initially the problem may be stated in a broad general way and then the ambiguities, if any,
relating to the problem be resolved. Here are some sources and guidelines for choosing an
appropriate problem.
a. The research literature (abstracts, ERIC, Sage, etc) ( replication of previous research
c. Technological changes: they are constantly bringing forth new problems and
Guidelines
Locating problems
Booth et al. (1995, p. 36) suggest that the process for focusing on the formulation of your
question such as: The purpose of this study was to determine whether . . .).
A well written problem statement for especially a quantitative study, whether written as a
declarative statement or a question, has at a minimum, two components:
The next figure is a model that identifies different sets or classes of variables that may be linked
Instruction variables: time-on-task, the model of instruction employed by the teacher, or the
Outcomes might cover a wide variety of learner areas, perhaps also dealing with changes in any
of the other categories (for example, teacher variables). On the basis of this model, you could
identify a large number of prospective studies. This model helps you to narrow the range of
♦ The problem concerns with the functioning of the broader area of field studied, whereas
♦ A topic or title or statement of the problem is the verbal statement of the problem.
Once you have your research topic in mind, it is time to write your problem statement. The
format of a problem statement or research question varies depending on whether the study
significantly.
♦ By looking at your research question(s), you should be able to determine whether you are
(qualitative study).
♦ The problem statement can be a declarative one such as “This study investigates the
♦ The statement can ask a question about a relationship between the two (or more) variables
such as: “What is the relationship between use of portfolio assessment and
Qualitative research is useful for describing or answering questions about particular, localized
occurrences or contexts and the perspectives of a particular group toward events, beliefs or
practices. The general form of a qualitative problem statement is: what are the patterns and
perspectives of a group about something in a particular setting.
♦ Usually start with „what‟ or „how‟ (avoid beginning qualitative questions with „why‟ as
♦ Identify the central phenomenon you plan to explore (tell in your question what you are
♦ Avoid the use of quantitative words such as relate, influence, effect, and cause.
N.B. Academic requirements
You must ensure that the research subject is capable of meeting academic requirements if you
are undertaking a program of study. As Raimond (1993) suggests, be sure that your topic is
Examples:
1. The purpose of this research project is to find out from the perspective of EFL students
how a literature class can provide them with a broad range of engaging reading materials
2. How do Oral expression teachers feel about being required to use audiovisual materials
in their classes?
4. What are the experiences of grammar teachers working with large size classes? 5. How
would third year EFL students describe their first times experience while conducting their
research projects?
Other suggested topics: ♦Rote learning and vocabulary learning ability ♦Classroom activities
and students engagement♦Instructional materials and students attitudes♦Multimedia resources
What Is a Variable?
Definitions
A variable is a concept which can take on different quantitative values. For example;
height, weight, income, age etc. A variable is a quantity which can vary from one individual to
So, a variable is any quality or characteristic in a research investigation that has two or
Examples:
instructional methods used; teachers‟ educational backgrounds, emotional warmth, and beliefs
about classroom discipline; and children‟s existing abilities and personality characteristics, prior
learning experiences, reading skills, study strategies, and achievement test scores.
N.B. Explicit identification of variables at the beginning of a study is most common in
quantitative research, especially in experimental studies and certain kinds of descriptive studies.
In contrast, many qualitative researchers prefer to let important variables “emerge” as data are
collected.
Consider this research question: Among students of the same age and intelligence, is skill
performance directly related to the number of practice trials, the relationship being particularly
strong among boys, but also holding, though less directly, among girls? This research question,
Types of variables
Suppose a researcher plans to investigate the following question: “Will students who are
taught by a team of three teachers learn more research methodology than students taught
The independent (categorical) variable is the number of teachers, and the dependent
What are the independent and dependent variables in this statement of the problem? I will
study the extent to which access to a well-stocked library improves students‟ academic
performance.
*Library access is the independent variable and student academic performance is the dependent
variable here. The researcher might want to note the academic performance of a group of
students from before they gained access to library facilities and then record their performance
after they have had access for a few months. Interest and inclination can be moderating variables.
This means that only students who are interested in learning and are inclined to use the library to
In applied educational research, the dependent variables of interest are concerned with
student behavior. In this context, the study of student behavior refers to any measure of student
behavior or performance. Examples of student behavior can be any of the following: the number
of student disruptive incidents in a cafeteria period, the number of positive comments made by
one student to another, etc. Student performance can be measured in any of the following ways:
test scores, the number of items correct on assignments, or the length and sophistication of
The independent variable is the phenomenon that the researcher manipulates, and it has
variables often studied in experimental research are the following: (1) Type of learning materials,
(2) instructional method, (3) reinforcement contingencies, and (4) length of instruction.
N.B. A research study will often delineate in its title the two variables studied.
The following list reports a number of questions drawn from studies undertaken in a research
methods course; the independent and dependent variables have been identified for each one. •
• Research Question 2. Do girls who plan to pursue careers in science display more
aggressive, less conforming, more independent attitudes, and express stronger needs for
Research Question 3. In a group of children at elementary school age, will those above
average height be more often chosen as leaders by their classmates than are those below
average height?
expected to meet the standards of a set curriculum, will a child who is under 5 years of age
upon entrance to kindergarten be less likely to be ready for first grade in 1 year than a child
Independent variable: age upon entrance to kindergarten (under 5 versus 5 and over)
• Research Question 5. Will students who are taught to read using a phonics approach attain
a higher level of reading achievement than students taught by a whole language approach?
• Research Question 6. Will students who receive peer counseling prior to a test experience
Research Question 8. Will students who are required to take a quiz on each chapter score
higher on course examinations than students who are required to complete an outline of each
chapter?
secondary independent variable selected to determine if it affects the relationship between the
study‟s primary independent variable and its dependent variables. Formally, a moderator
Control variables
Control variables are factors controlled by the experimenter to cancel out or neutralize
Intervening Variables