The Research Process

and the Variables in

Research
Lesson 3
 —Intended Learning Outcome/s:

•Discuss the steps in a research process.

•Differentiate quantitative and qualitative variables.
•Identify whether a variable is in nominal, ordinal,
interval, or ratio level.
The Research Process
All researchers engage in a number of similar activities in conducting educational research.
Almost all research plans include, for example, a problem statement, a hypothesis,
definitions, a literature review, a sample of subjects, fests or other measuring instruments, a
description of procedures to be followed, including a time schedule, and a description of
intended data analyses.
Creswell (2002) gives six (6) steps in the research process
1. Identifying a research problem
2. Reviewing the literature
3. Specifying a purpose for research
4. Collecting data
5. Analyzing and interpreting the data
6. Reporting and evaluating research
1. Identifying a research problem
We begin a research study by identifying a topic to study- typically an
issue or problem in education that needs to be resolved. Identifying a
research problem consists of specifying an issue to study, developing a
justification for studying it, and suggesting the importance of the study
for select audiences who will read the report. By specifying a "problem,"
we limit the subject matter and focus attention on a specific aspect of
study
2. Reviewing the literature
Reviewing the literature means locating summaries, books, journals, and
indexed publications on a topic; selectively choosing which literature to
include in our review; and then summarizing the literature in a written
report. The skills required for reviewing the literature develop over time
and with practice. We can learn how to locate journal articles and books
in an academic library. access computerized databases, choose and
evaluate the quality of research on your topic, and summarize it in a
review. Library resources can be overwhelming, so having a strategy for
searching the literature and writing the review is important.
3. Specifying a purpose for research
The purpose for research consists of identifying the major intent or
objective for a study and narrowing it into specific research questions or
hypotheses. The purpose statement contains the major focus of the study,
the participants in the study, and the location or site of the inquiry. This
purpose statement is then narrowed to research questions or predictions
that we plan to answer in our research study.
4. Collecting data
Collecting data means identifying and selecting individuals for a study,
obtaining their permission to study them, and gathering information by
asking people questions or observing their behaviors. Of paramount
concern in this process is the need to obtain accurate data from
individuals and places. This step will produce a collection of numbers
(test scores, frequency of behaviors) or words (responses, opinions,
quotes). Once we identify these individuals and places, we write method
or procedure sections into our research studies. It can be found in the
Methodology part of our research which offers detailed, technical
discussions about the mechanics and administration of data collection
5. Analyzing and interpreting the data
During or immediately after data collection, we need to make sense of
the information supplied by individuals in the study. Analysis consists of
"taking the data apart" to determine individual responses and then
"putting it together" to summarize it. Analyzing and interpreting the data
involves drawing conclusions about it representing it in tables, figures,
and pictures to summarize it; and explaining the conclusions in words to
provide answers to our research questions. We report analysis and
interpretation in sections of a research report usually titled Presentation,
Analysis, and Interpretation of Data.
6. Reporting and evaluating research
After conducting our research, we will develop a written report and
distribute it to select audiences (such as teachers, administrators, parents,
students) that can use our information Reporting research involves
deciding on audiences, structuring the report in a format acceptable to
these audiences, and then writing the report in a manner that is sensitive
to all readers.
 Our structure for the research report will vary for each audience, from a
formal format for theses and dissertations to a more informal document for in-
house school reports. In all types of reports, however, researchers need to be
respectful and to avoid language that discriminates on the basis of gender, sexual
orientation, race, or ethnic group. The audience for our report will have its own
standards for judging the quality and utility of the research.
Evaluating research involves assessing the quality of a study using
standards advanced by individuals in education. Although there are no definite
standards for evaluating educational research in the academic research
community; in school districts; or in local or national agencies, still, we need
some means of determining the quality of studies, especially published research
or reports presented to practitioner audiences.
Research Variables
The research variable is a quantity or a characteristic that has
two or more mutually exclusive values of properties. It is a characteristic
or property that takes on different values which is observable or
measurable on each and every element of the population. If a
characteristic assumes only one value then it is a constant. The values or
levels of the variable is called the data.
A. Quantitative (Numerical) Variable
It is a variable that takes on numerical values or levels which connotes
quantity, magnitude, amount, or measure. Some examples of quantitative variable
are weight, height, score in a test, age, number of students, number of absences,
speed, length, population density, drop-out rate, etc. Quantitative variable is
either discrete or continuous.
Discrete variable is a quantitative variable which assumes an exact
value. It is countable. Examples of discrete variable are number of teachers, size
of the family, performance rated as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, temperature rounded to the
nearest degree, etc.
Continuous variables is a quantitative variable which cannot assume an exact
value. It is measurable however cannot be exactly counted. Examples include
age, height, weight, speed, length, etc.

B. Qualitative (Categorical) Variable

It is a variable which values or levels do not connote quantity,
magnitude, amount, or measure. Usually, it does not take on numerical values or
levels. Examples of qualitative variable are course, specialization, skin color,
gender, method of teaching, religious affiliation, etc.
C. Dependent and Independent Variables
The dependent (criterion) variable is the one that the independent
variable is presumed to affect or influence. It is the variable a researcher is
interested in. The changes to the dependent variable are what the researcher is
trying to measure using various techniques.
An independent (predictor) variable is a variable believed to affect the
dependent variable. This is the variable that you, the researcher, will manipulate
to see if it makes the dependent variable change.
 Let's say our experiment will examine four people's ability to throw a
ball when they haven't eaten for a specific period of time -6, 12, 18 and 24 hours.
We can say that in our experiment, we are going to do something and
then see what happens to other things. Our dependent variable is the person's
ability to throw a ball. We're trying to measure the change in ball throwing as
influenced by hunger. In our example of hungry people throwing a ball, our
independent variable is how long it's been since they've eaten.
To reiterate, the independent variable is the thing over which the
researcher has control and is manipulating. In this experiment. the researcher is
controlling the food intake of the participant. The dependent variable is believed
to be dependent on the independent variable.
Table 1.4 Examples of independent and dependent variables as used in
educational research.
D. Moderator Variable
It is a special type of independent variable. It is a secondary
independent that has been selected for study to determine if it affects or modifies
the basic relationship between the primary independent variable and the
dependent variable. Further, moderator variable is a variable which can affect the
degree or extent by which the independent variable will exert its effects on the
dependent variable.
Table 1.5 Examples of Independent and Dependent Variables with Moderator
Variables
In an experiment, if the moderating variable could be controlled or its bias effect
could be eliminated, then it is called controlled variable. But if its bias effect
could not be eliminated or controlled, it is called an intervening (extraneous)
variable. The following are examples of intervening variables:
1. Size of class
2. Gender of students/teachers
3. Age of teacher
4. Time of day class meets
5. Length of class
6. Textbooks used
Levels of Measurement
Any variable, whether quantitative or qualitative,
independent, dependent or moderator, can be classified
according to their level or scale. A variable could be nominal,
ordinal, interval or ratio
1. Nominal
A nominal variable (sometimes called categorical variable) is one that
has two or more categories, but there is no intrinsic ordering to the categories. It
refers to categories such as gender, civil status, name of schools, type of car you
drive, type of books, etc. This one is easy to remember because nominal sounds
like name.
For instance, gender is a categorical variable having two categories
(male and female), and these two categories cannot be ordered. We can code the
two categories if we want (male =1, female 2), but the order is by chance.
Similarly, civil status (single, married, or widow/er) can be coded as single = 1,
married = 2, and widow/er=3, in which these codes have no relative order, size
nor meaning
2. Ordinal
An ordinal variable has a clear ordering or ranking of the variables. The ranking
of favorite sports, the order of people's position in a line, the order of runners finishing a
race or more often the choice on a rating or Likert scale from 1 to 5.
For example, you might ask a student about his/her perception on K to 12
curriculum. He/she may respond to your statements as Strongly Agree – 4, Agree - 3,
Disagree - 2, and Strongly Disagree-1. Likewise, you might ask patients to express the
amount of pain they are feeling on a scale of 1 to 10. A score of 7 means more pain than a
score of 5, and that is more than a score of 3. But the difference between 7 and 5 may not be
the same as the difference between 5 and 3. The values simply express an order.
Academic Rank is also an ordinal variable. Teacher 1, II, III, Head Teacher I, II,
III, IV, and Master Teacher I, II, III can be ranked accordingly but the difference between
Master Teacher I and Head Teacher IV is not the same as the difference between Teacher II
and Teacher 1
3. Interval
An interval variable has values that are equally spaced, that is, distance
or difference between two values can be measured. However, an interval variable
has no true zero value.
Temperature and test scores are interval variables. The difference
between 100°C and 90°C is the same as the difference between 90°C and 80°C.
Similarly, a the difference between the scores 30 and 20 is the same as the
difference between the scores 20 and 10.
Moreover, 0°C does not mean there is no temperature and a score of 0
in a test does not follow that a student has no knowledge at all.
The values of interval variable can be added or subtracted
4. Ratio
Ratio variable is the highest level of measurement and allows for all
basic arithmetic operations, including division and multiplication. Data measured
on a ratio scale have a fixed or true zero point. When the variable equals 0, there
is nothing of that variable. Examples include business data, such as cost, revenue
and profit. Height, weight, age, area, volume, income, etc. are also ratio variables.
It is important to know the kind of variable we are dealing with, so that
the data gathered can be properly interpreted and the appropriate statistics are
used.