Identifying a Research

Problem
2
C H A P T E R

R esearchers begin a study by identifying a research problem that they need

to address. They write about this “problem” in the opening passages of their study
and, in effect, give you as a reader the rationale for why the study is important and
why you need to read their study. In this chapter, you will learn about specifying
a research problem and positioning it within a section that introduces a study, the
“statement of the problem” section.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
◆ Define a research problem and explain its importance in a study.
◆ Distinguish between a research problem and other parts of research process.
◆ Identify criteria for deciding whether a problem can and should be researched.
◆ Describe how quantitative and qualitative research problems differ.
◆ Learn the five elements in writing a “statement of the problem” section.
◆ Identify strategies useful in writing a “statement of the problem” section.

Maria begins her research project required for her graduate program. Where does
she start? She starts by posing several questions and then writing down short answers
to them.
◆ “What is the specific controversy or issue that I need to address?” Escalating vio-
lence in the schools
◆ “Why is this problem important?” Schools need to reduce the violence; students
will learn better if violence is less a part of their lives, etc.
◆ “How will my study add to what we already know about this problem?” We really
don’t have many school plans for addressing this escalating violence
◆ “Who will benefit from what I learn about this problem?” Schools, anybody inter-
ested in learning how schools can respond to escalating violence (the body of
literature, administrators, teachers, etc.)

58
 CHAPTER 2 Identifying a Research Problem 59

For a beginning researcher, the difficulty is not developing answers to questions, but
coming up with the questions to ask yourself. To do this, we need to learn how to write
an introduction or “statement of the problem” section for a research study.

WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM AND

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

One of the most challenging aspects of conducting research is to clearly identify the
“problem” that leads to a need for your study. Individuals do not seem to give enough
attention to why they are conducting their studies. Research problems are the edu-
cational issues, controversies, or concerns that guide the need for conducting a study.
Good research problems can be found in our educational settings, such as:
1. The disruptions caused by at-risk students in classrooms
2. The increase in violence on college campuses
3. The lack of parental involvement in schools for students with challenging behaviors
These problems concern personnel in our schools, classrooms, and college cam-
puses. In writing about the research problem, authors state it as a single sentence or
several sentences in a research report. To locate the research problem in a study, ask
yourself:
◆ What was the issue, problem, or controversy that the researcher wanted to address?
◆ What controversy leads to a need for this study?
◆ What was the concern being addressed “behind” this study?
◆ Is there a sentence like “The problem addressed in this study is . . .”?
You can find “problems” in the introduction to a study. They are included in a passage
called the “statement of the problem” section. You can locate this passage in the open-
ing, introductory paragraphs of a research report.
We study research problems so we can assist policy makers when they make deci-
sions, help teachers and school officials solve practical problems, and provide research-
ers with a deeper understanding of educational issues. From a research standpoint,
specifying a research problem in your study is important because it sets the stage for the
entire study. Without knowing the research problem, readers do not know why the study
is important and why they should read the study. What are some educational issues that
you might research? Write down these issues.
Although you are aware of many educational problems, it is challenging to write
them into a research report. This may be due to a lack of understanding about how to
write them or identify them for your study.

HOW DOES THE RESEARCH PROBLEM DIFFER FROM

OTHER PARTS OF RESEARCH?

To better understand research problems, you might distinguish them from other parts of
the research process. The research problem is distinct from the topic of the study (to be
addressed later in this chapter), the purpose or intent of the study (to be considered in
60 PART II The Steps in the Process of Research

the chapter on purpose statements), and specific research questions (also discussed in
the chapter on purpose statements). The research problem needs to stand on its own and
be recognized as a distinct step because it represents the problem addressed in the study.
In the brief definitions that follow, consider the differences among these parts of
research:
◆ A research topic is the broad subject matter addressed by the study. Maria, for
example, seeks to study weapon possession by students in schools.
◆ A research problem is a general educational issue, concern, or controversy
addressed in research that narrows the topic. The problem Maria addresses is the
escalating violence in schools due, in part, to students possessing weapons.
◆ A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study used to address the problem.
Maria might state the purpose of her study as follows: “The purpose of my study
will be to identify factors that influence the extent to which students carry weapons
in high schools.”
◆ Research questions narrow the purpose into specific questions that the researcher
would like answered or addressed in the study. Maria might ask, “Do peers influ-
ence students to carry weapons?”
Looking at these differences, you can see that they differ in terms of breadth from
broad (topic) to narrow (specific research questions). Let’s examine another example,
as shown in Figure 2.1, to make this point. In this example, a researcher begins with a
broad topic, distance learning. The inquirer then seeks to learn about a problem related
to this topic: the lack of students enrolled in distance education classes. To study this
problem, our educator then reformulates the problem into a statement of intent (the
purpose statement): to study why students do not attend distance education classes at
one community college. Examining this statement requires that our investigator narrow
the intent to specific questions, one of which is “Does the use of Web site technology

FIGURE 2.1
Distinguishing among the Topic, Research Problem, Purpose, and Research Questions

General

Topic Distance learning

Research Lack of students in
Problem distance education
classes

Purpose To study why students

Statement do not attend distance
education classes at a
community college

Research Does the use of Web site

Questions technology in the
classroom deter students
from enrolling in a
distance education
class?

Specific
 CHAPTER 2 Identifying a Research Problem 61

in the classroom deter students from enrolling in distance education classes?” The pro-
cess involves narrowing a broad topic to specific questions. In this process, the “research
problem” becomes a distinct step that needs to be identified to help readers clearly see
the issue.
A common error is stating research problems as the purpose of the study or as the
research question. The following examples show how you might reshape a purpose or a
research question as a research problem.
Poor model. The researcher intends to identify the research problem but instead
presents it as a purpose statement: The purpose of this study is to examine the
education of women in Third World countries.
Improved model. A revision of it as a research problem: Women in Third World
countries are restricted from attending universities and colleges because of the
culturally oriented, patriarchal norms of their societies.
Poor model. A researcher intends to write about the research problem but instead
identifies the research question: The research question in this study is “What factors
influence homesickness in college students?”
Improved model. An improved version as a research problem: Homesickness is a
major issue on college campuses today. When students get homesick, they leave
school or start missing classes, leading to student attrition or poor achievement in
classes during their first semester of college.
As you design and conduct a study, make sure that you are clear about the distinc-
tions among these parts of research and that your written material differentiates among a
topic, the research problem, the purpose, and your research questions.

CAN AND SHOULD PROBLEMS BE RESEARCHED?

Just because a problem exists and an author can clearly identify the issue does not mean
that the researcher can or should investigate it. You can research a problem if you have
access to participants and research sites as well as time, resources, and skills needed to
study the issue. You should research a problem if the study of it potentially contributes to
educational knowledge or adds to the effectiveness of practice.

Can You Gain Access to People and Sites?

To research a problem, investigators need to gain permission to enter a site and to
involve people at the location of the study (e.g., gaining access to an elementary school
to study children who are minors). This access often requires multiple levels of approval
from schools, such as district administrators, principals, teachers, parents, and students.
In addition, projects conducted by educational agencies receiving federal funding (most
colleges and universities) need to have institutional review approval to ensure that
researchers protect the rights of their participants. Your ability to gain access to people
and sites can help determine if you can research the issue.

Can You Find Time, Locate Resources, and Use Your Skills?
Even if you can gain access to the people and sites needed for your study, your ability to
research the problem also depends on time, resources, and your research skills.
62 PART II The Steps in the Process of Research

Time
When planning a study, investigators should anticipate the time required for data col-
lection and data analysis. Qualitative studies typically take more time than quantitative
studies because of the lengthy process of collecting data at research sites and the detailed
process of analyzing sentences and words. Regardless of the approach used, you can
gauge the amount of time needed for data collection by examining similar studies, contact-
ing the authors, or asking researchers who are more experienced. Developing a time line
for a study helps you assess whether you can reasonably complete the study within the
time available.

Resources
Investigators need resources such as funds for equipment, for participants, and for indi-
viduals to transcribe interviews. Researchers need to create a budget and obtain advice
from other, experienced researchers about whether the anticipated expenses are realistic.
Other resources may be needed as well, such as mailing labels, postage, statistical pro-
grams, or audiovisual equipment. Dependent on these resource requirements, investiga-
tors may need to limit the scope of a project, explore funding available to support the
project, or research the project in stages as funds become available.

Skills
The skills of the researcher also affect the overall assessment of whether the study of a
problem is realistic. Investigators need to have acquired certain research skills to effec-
tively study a problem—skills gained through courses, training, and prior research expe-
riences. For those engaged in quantitative studies, these skills require using computers,
employing statistical programs, or creating tables for presenting information. The skills
needed for qualitative researchers consist of the ability to write detailed passages, to syn-
thesize information into broad themes, and to use computer programs for entering and
analyzing words from participants in the study.

Should the Problem Be Researched?

A positive answer to this question lies in whether your study will contribute to knowl-
edge and practice. One important reason for engaging in research is to add to existing
information and to inform our educational practices. Research adds to knowledge. Now
let’s examine these ways in more detail as you think about the research problem in one
of your studies.
There are five ways to assess whether you should research a problem:
1. Study the problem if your study will fill a gap or void in the existing literature. A
study fills a void by covering topics not addressed in the published literature. For exam-
ple, assume that a researcher examines the literature on the ethical climate on college
campuses and finds that past research has examined the perceptions of students, but not
of faculty. This is a void or gap in the body of research about this issue. Conducting a
study about faculty perceptions of the ethical climate would address a topic not studied
in the current literature.
2. Study the problem if your study replicates a past study but examines different par-
ticipants and different research sites. The value of research increases when results can
apply broadly to many people and places rather than to only the setting where the initial
research occurred. This type of study is especially important in quantitative experiments.
 CHAPTER 2 Identifying a Research Problem 63

In a quantitative study of ethical climate, for example, past research conducted in a

liberal arts college can be tested (or replicated) at other sites, such as a community
college or major research university. Information from such a study will provide new
knowledge.
3. Study the problem if your study extends past research or examines the topic more
thoroughly. A good research problem to study is one in which you extend the research
into a new topic or area, or simply conduct more research at a deeper, more thorough
level to understand the topic. For example, in our illustration on ethical climate, although
research exists on ethical climates, it now needs to be extended to the situation in which
students take exams, because taking exams poses many ethical dilemmas for students.
In this way, you extend the research to new topics. This extension is different from
replication because you extend the research to these topics rather than participants and
research sites.
4. Study the problem if your study gives voice to people silenced, not heard, or rejected
in society. Your research adds to knowledge by presenting the ideas and the words
of marginalized (e.g., the homeless, women, racial groups) individuals. For example,
although past studies on ethical climate have addressed students on predominantly white
campuses, we have not heard the voices of Native Americans on this topic. A study of
this type would report and give voice to Native Americans.
5. Study the problem if your study informs practice. By examining the problem,
your research may lead to the identification of new techniques or technologies, the rec-
ognition of the value of historical or current practice, or the necessity of changing current
teaching practice. Individuals who benefit from practical knowledge may be policy mak-
ers, teachers, or learners. For example, a study of ethical issues in a college setting may
lead to a new honor code, new policies about cheating on exams, or new approaches to
administering tests.

HOW DOES THE RESEARCH PROBLEM DIFFER

IN QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?

After you identify a research problem, you should also consider if it better fits a quantita-
tive or qualitative approach. Because the two approaches differ in their essential char-
acteristics, there should be a match between your problem and the approach you use.
What factors are important in determining this match? What type of research problem is
best suited for quantitative research and what type for qualitative research?
Let’s look once again at the parent involvement study (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005)
and the mothers’ issues of trust in school principals study (Shelden et al., 2010). We can
see that each study addresses a different type of problem. In the quantitative parent
involvement study, the researchers make a case that we know little about what factors
lead parents to decide to (or to explain why they) become involved in their adolescents’
schooling. Why would such a lack of involvement be important? The authors cite litera-
ture suggesting that involvement means fewer disciplinary problems and higher grades.
Explaining or predicting relations among variables is an important characteristic of quan-
titative research. Alternatively, in the qualitative study of mothers’ issues of trust study,
the authors describe a need to gain insight into the trust of mothers of children with
disabilities in school principals. This requires exploring and understanding the nature of
trust. Exploring a problem is a characteristic of qualitative research.