RESEARCH
PROBLEM
ERNIE C. CERADO
FACILITATOR
Research writing is a significant part of all academic curricula
and the students must write a research paper during their
educational period. Before anyone can write their research
paper, the researcher should choose the right topic. You
should select a topic that is interesting to you to make the
entire research process straightforward. This will help you to
save time from deep research. It is also important to make use
of great books related to the topic, academic publications, and
internet resources such as educational websites and blogs of
educational institutions and government authorities.
Learning Targets
At the end of the lesson, I can:
1. Describe what a research problem is.
2. Enumerate the elements of a research problem.
3. Identify the sources of research problems.
4. Explain the criteria of a good research problem.
5. Develop one’s research problem.
What is a research problem?
A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to
be improved, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that
exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need
for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.
In some social science disciplines, the research problem is typically posed
in the form of a question. A research problem does not state how to do
something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question.
Selecting the Topic
It is discouraging and difficult task to select a
certain topic. It is said that the main problem
of a research paper is to identify the problem.
Therefore, it is best to read extensively on the
topic, until the specific problem is discerned
and finally chosen.
Some practical tips for
selecting a topic
A thorough analysis of the present situation should be done. The issues, concerns, or even questions at hand can
lead to a very feasible topic to investigate.
It is said that the researcher is the first person who benefits from his research. Therefore, he has to look into
himself, his own experiences as a student, son, sibling, friend, etc., without losing track of his area of professional
interest.
Reading literature can further confirm a topic or even open up a new one.
The use of the internet is a powerful tool to look into a topic that is new or rarely explored.
A habit of visiting a school library can be beneficial to a researcher.
A discussion with classmates or even with teachers and other professionals can yield new ideas and insights.
Sources of Research
Problem
Cristobal and Cristobal (2017) cited that research
problems may exist in various settings such as
schools, houses, restaurants, clinics, or any places
in the community.
Research problems are commonly
found in areas where there are:
1. A feeling of discomfort like during recitation or in making projects
2. Perceived difficulties in the management and leadership of the class president or the adviser
3. A gap between theory and practice
4. A daily experience of a person that requires further inquiry especially if improvements are
desired
5. A procedure that requires technologically advanced equipment which needs to function
properly
6. A pattern of trends such as classmate failing in a lesson, increasing tardiness in English class,
or misbehavior during PE class
7. A phenomenon experienced by everyone such as the COVID-19 pandemic
8. A research agenda of the university or other agencies
9. A literature review
These instances can give students an idea
that something is researchable:
Solutions are available but not yet tested and not known by the
practitioner.
No solutions are available to answer the gap or problem
assessed.
Answers, solutions, or results are seemingly not tested or are
factually mandatory.
A phenomenon exists which requires explanation.
There are several possible and plausible explanations for the
existence of an undesirable condition
Criteria in the Selection of Research
Problem (Barrientos-Tan, 1997)
Internal
External
External Criteria
Availability
and adequacy
Availability of Administrative Ethical
Novelty of facilities
subjects support considerations
and
equipment
Exter
nal
Criter
ia
1. Novelty – the topic must not have been used by many researchers; the newness of a topic
and its variables will inspire a researcher or other fellow researchers.
2. Availability of subjects – since this is practical research, it is suggested that you think of
study participants who are within your reach (i.e. your classmates, teachers, neighbors).
These people could easily be approached and their cooperation could easily be gained.
3. Administrative support – refers to the aid or assistance that can be solicited from the school
or extended by the community.
4. Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment – devices such as computers,
telephones, WIFI, etc. used in undertaking the research must be considered.
5. Ethical considerations – ensure that all activities to be undertaken are acceptable and are
done following what is legal and morally right.
Internal Criteria
Motivation,
interest,
Experience,
intellectual Hazards,
training, and Cost and
curiosity, and Time factor penalties, and
professional returns
perceptiveness handicaps
qualifications
of the
researcher
Inter
nal
Criter
ia
Experience, training, and professional qualifications – constitute the researcher's knowledge,
expertise, and experience for him/her to cope with the research demands.
Motivation, interest, intellectual curiosity, and perceptiveness of the researcher – these are
essential attitudes that bring anticipated satisfaction or enjoyment in the completion of
research tasks.
Time factor – considers the fact that studies must be pursued in a given time frame.
Cost and returns – these factors matter in choosing a research problem. Research is an
expensive undertaking. The amount of funding necessary depends on the size of the sample,
the place where the research is to conduct, the research design, and the treatment of data.
Hazards, penalties, and handicaps – are determined by the researcher's physical and
intellectual capacity and moral judgment.
End.
A research problem observed from experience…
MTB-MLE has been implemented for several years already in the Department of
Education. Since then, many teachers in grades 1 to 3 were doubting about the
relevance of the program. Some of them are assigned to teach the subject
despite their being non-native speaker of the adopted mother-tongue in school.
Currently, many instructional materials devoted to the subject are claimed as
not responsive to the real needs of the learners. It is also observed that pupils
are fairly confused on its social and cultural significance. This situation motivates
the researcher to pursue this inquiry because she is one of the Mother Tongue
teachers directly experiencing the challenge, thus, professionally affected. This
study will basically evaluate the Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education
(MTB-MLE) Program as well as its influence to the academic performance and
socio-cultural awareness of Grade 3 pupils in Surallah North District.
A research problem observed from experience…
Nowadays, one of the perceived issues in the management of school funds is the
financial incompetence of administrators. Their lack of interest in managing the finances
of the school is often the main cause of this weakness. Other violations they committed
are as simple as not submitting the required documents on time or complying with
what is prescribed by government policies. Some committed misappropriation or
intentional illegal use of funds due to various personal reasons and other inappropriate
causes (Galigao & Piplapeil, 2019).
In the public elementary schools of DepEd Esperanza Districts, there are common
observations that administrators encountered challenges in demonstrating knowledge
and skills in financial management that subsequently affects the teachers’ performance.
It is evident that in the delivery of quality teaching, the instructional materials, facilities,
and other resources require adequate funds. Most often, the wrong prioritization of
school fiscal resources disappoint the teachers to perform properly their basic tasks. In
this context, the researcher is interested to undertake the study to explore the link
between financial management competence of school administrators and the teachers’
proficiency.