Chapter 5: The

Statement of the Problem

OBJECTIVES:
To differentiate the general problem from the specific problem
of the thesis.
To compare the different types of research questions.
To formulate your own general problem and its specific
questions.
ACTIVITY (Individual)
Think of possible questions you want to answer in your
thesis. Determine how you were be able to formulate these
questions.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
After an investigator has clarifies the rationale,
identified the degree of seriousness of the problem,
and the literature review and overall objective, the
formulation of the heart of the thesis- the statement of
the general and the specific problems- must be done.
The opening paragraph of this section which contains the
general problem of the thesis. The following are examples
of a general problem:
1. This study is about the relationship between the level of
performance of clinical instructors and the efficiency of
nursing students in the operating ward of the Bataan
General Hospital.
2. This study focuses on the effects of Thai massage on the
recovery of nurses from back pain in selected hospitals
in Region III.
3. This study aims to determine the knowledge in proper
breastfeeding practices of primigravidas in Balanga City,
Bataan.

The general problem is followed by an enumeration of the

specific problems. The specific problems are usually
stated as questions the researcher seeks to answer
The specific problems must meet the following criteria:

1. The must be in question form

2. They must define the population and the sample of
the study, the respondents.
3. They must identify the variables being studied.
4. They must be empirical testable
There are two general types of questions in nursing
research. There are the non-researchable and
researchable questions.

Non researchable questions are question of value.

There are questions answerable by yes or no.
Examples:
1. Should all mothers breastfeed their babies?
2. Should all clinical instructors be watchful over their nursing
students?
3. Should nursing colleges force their graduates to enroll in review
classes before taking the nursing licensure examination?
4. Are all clinical instructors (CI’s) master’s degree holder?
5. Do family members help their diabetic patients recover?
6. do patients rest well in Intensive Care Units (ICUs)?
Researchable questions are questions of value, opinion or
policy raised to accumulate data. Formulating a clear,
significant questions prepare the researcher for subsequent
decision making over research design, data collection and
data analysis. the basic form of a research questions
involves the use of question word such as who, what,
where, when, why and how.
 Types of Research Questions (Dickoff et al., as cited
in Wilson, 1990)
Factor-isolating Questions “(What is this?”). they are sometimes
called factor-naming questions. They isolate, categorize, describe or
name factors and situations.
Examples:
A. What is the demographic profile of head nurses in terms of:
1. age;
2. gender and;
3. length of employment as head nurse
B. how will be their subordinates describe the
managerial skills of head nurses in the following
dimensions?

1. Conceptual
2. Human
3. technical
C. what are the common causes of the dengue fever
outbreak in Capunitan, Orion, Bataan?

1. Environmental
2. Social activities
3. Physiological aspects
D. How do the deans and faculty of the colleges of nursing
assess the administrator’s practices regarding:

1. Recruitment and selection of faculty

2. Retention of faculty
3. Supervision of faculty
4. Evaluation of faculty performance
5. Faculty development.
(Salvador, 2005)
E. How competent is the nursing coordinator’s
competence in curriculum delivery as assessed by:

1. Level III and IV students

2. Clinical Instructors; and
3. Nursing Coordinators
(Lazaro, 2005)
Factor-isolating Questions (“What is happening here?”). their goal is
to determine the relationship among factors that have been identified.
Examples:
A. What is the relationship of the performance of clinical instructors to
the RLE Performance of their nursing students in APCAS?
B. How is the knowledge in herbal medicines of the residents of
Jacoba, Ville, Tuyo, Balanga City associated with their patronage or
consumption in generic drugs?
C. How does their environment affect the recovery of pediatric patients
in Bataan General Hospital?
D. What are the significant differences in the assessment of
deans and faculty of administrators practices regarding?

1. Recruitment and selection of Faculty

2. retention of faculty
3. supervision of faculty
4. evaluation of faculty performance
5. faculty development
E. What are the significant differences in the assessment of
the nursing coordinator’s competencies in curriculum
delivery by level III and IV students, clinical instructors, and
nursing coordinators in selected colleges of nursing in the
City of Manila?
Situation-relating questions (“what will happen if…?”)
these questions usually yield hypothesis testing or
experimental study designs in which the researcher
manipulates the variables to see what will happen.
Examples:
A. What are the effects of traditional method of teaching
RLE to the RLE performance of nursing students?
B. How do the pain management procedures applied
in the emergency room by the nursing students affect
the level of pain experienced by burn injuries
children in emergency room?
C. What is the difference between the degrees of
assistance discharged by male and female nursing
students in the OR of Bataan General Hospital?
Situation-producing Questions (“How can I make it
happen?”) these questions explicit goals for nursing actions,
develop plans or prescription to achieve goals, and specify the
conditions under which goals will be accomplished.
Examples:
A. How can nursing services be organized to promote job
satisfaction?
B. What program must be proposed to hinder the growth of
nosocomial bacteria in selected hospitals in Bataan?
C. What measures must be implemented to raise the
passing rate of the nursing licensure examination?
D. What policy must be formulated to manage
outpatients effectively?
E. What part of the present curriculum should be
enhanced or improved?