Formulating the Research

Problem and Hypothesis

What is a Research Problem?
❏ One fundamental principle in research is: “If one wants
to solve the problem, one must generally know
what the problem is.”
❏ The problem is, mentally, the first thing that a
researcher thinks about when he plans a research
project, although it is the TITLE and the
INTRODUCTION that come first on paper.
❏ A problem is an interrogative statement that asks:
“What relation exists between two or more
variables?” 2
Common Problems Encountered
Not all problems are
empirically testable
(metaphysical
problem).

Don’t know the

sources for their
research problem.
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Common Problems Encountered
Faced with so many
research problems but
can’t decide which one
to pursue.

Some problems are very

interesting but data
needed are hard to
obtain.
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Common Problems Encountered

Don’t know what the

specific purpose in
choosing a particular
research problem.
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Major Sources of Research Problem
❏ Theories
 A theory is an organized body of concepts,
generalizations, and principles that can be subjected
to investigation.
 In the Theory of Human Relations, Mayo examined
motivation in terms of the social needs of workers.
 Mayo proposed that individuals will produce their
best work if employers will treat their workers in a
caring and humane fashion.
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Major Sources of Research Problem

Theory of Human
Relations

Examining the relation between JOB PERFORMANCE

and various WORK MOTIVATORS (e.g., salary, work
settings, company policies, etc.)

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Major Sources of Research Problem
❏ Personal Experiences
 This is done by examining some of the questions we
commonly ask ourselves, e.g., way to increase
learning or enhancing math ability of students or
evaluating effectiveness of teaching strategies.
 It can also be the result of our own observation, e.g.,
why does it happen, what causes that, would
students’ performance improve if they are given
daily quizzes, etc.
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Major Sources of Research Problem
❏ Replication
 It means doing the same
research undertaking again.
 However, it is not carried out
identically with the original study
but some features of the original
study are altered to “stretch” the
findings of the original study.

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Characteristics of a Good Research Problem

It should be specific
dealing only on one The problem should be
specific aspect. empirically testable.
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Characteristics of a Good Research Problem

The problem should

always state relationship It should be linked to a
between two or more theory or at least have a
variables. theoretical framework.
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Characteristics of a Good Research Problem
Thomassen’s Customer Satisfaction Model
According to Thomassen, both the so-called
value proposition and other influences have an
impact on final customer satisfaction. In the
model, he shows that word-of-mouth,
personal needs, past experiences, and
marketing and public relations determine
customers’ needs and expectations. These
factors are compared to their experiences, and
this comparison between expectations and
experiences determines customers’
satisfaction level.
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Other Important Considerations of a Good
Research Problem
❏ Relevant with time
❏ Related to a practical problem
❏ Fill a research gap
❏ Permit generalization
❏ Sharpen the definition of an important concept or
relationship
❏ Create or improve an instrument for gathering and
analyzing data
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Criteria of a Good Research Problem
❏ The problem should express relationship between two
or more variables.
❏ The problem should be stated clearly and
unambiguously in question form. Questions have the
virtue of posing the problem directly.
❏ The problem and problem statement should be such
as to imply possibilities for emprical testing.

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 ❏ Explain what is not known about
Justifying the the problem.
Research ❏ Explain why the problem matter.

Problems
❏ Provide a documentation that this
is actually a problem that needs to
be studied.
 Are there available statistics?
 Are there available literature that
shows that this is a needed area
for inquiry? 15
Some Common ❏ Very broad area of interest.

Mistakes in ❏ Too narrow.

❏ Cannot be measured.
Defining  Deeply religious students
Research perform better in school.
 There is life after death.
Problems ❏ Not interesting to the researcher.

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Some Errors in Problem Statement
Formulation
❏ Scientific problems are not moral and ethical questions.
 To ask value and judgmental questions in problem
statements is erroneous.
 To detect value statements, look for words such as
“should”, “ought”, “better than” and other similar words
that indicate cultural or personal judgment.
❏ Methodological points or “problems” should not be listed
as subproblems.
 They relate to techniques/methods of sampling,
measuring, analyzing, etc. 17
 Class Activity No. 1
Learning How to Formulate the Research Problem

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From Research Problem to Hypothesis
Justification

Problem Statement

Research Question 1 Research Question 2

Testable Testable Testable

Hypothesis 1 Hypothesis 2 Hypothesis 3
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Proposition vs. Hypothesis

❏ Propositions link
concept with Drug Use Violence
another concept.

❏ Hypotheses link
variables Number of times a
Observed “violent
person consumed
together with drug X over time T
acts” over time Y
specific
relationships. 20
Turning Research Questions into Testable
Hypothesis
❏ A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the
relationship between two or more variables that is stated
in declarative sentence form relating the variables either
generally or specifically.
❏ It is a statement that contains two or more variables that
are measurable or potentially measurable and that
specifies how variables are related (Kerlinger, 1986).
❏ A hypothesis is, therefore, a proposition that states the
relation between two or more measurable variables.
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Turning Research Questions into Testable
Hypothesis
❏ Once a research problem has been identified and one or
more research questions emerge, specific hypotheses
are used to relate specific variables.
❏ Hypothesis should specify at least two variables and the
relationship between them and they should be
measurable.
❏ Concepts contained in the proposition/theory are
transformed into their measurable form called variables.
❏ How the concepts and variables are defined will be
helpful in hypothesis formulation. 22
Turning Research Questions into Testable
Hypothesis
Proposition : Family bonding is affected by social media.
Research : Is there a relationship between family bonding
Question and social media?
Hypothesis 1 : There is a relationship between family bonding
and social media.
Hypothesis 2 : There is a relationship between internet use and
time spent with the family.
Hypothesis 3 : As internet use increases, time spent with family
members decreases. 23
Turning Research Questions into Testable
Hypothesis
Theory : Mayo’s Theory of Human Relations
Proposition : Individuals will produce their best work if treated in
a caring and humane fashion.
Research : Is there a relationship between job performance
Question and and human relations?
Hypothesis : There is no relationship between monthly
accomplishment of employees and coaching
provided by supervisors.
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Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis
❏ It is a statement of the relation between or among
variables.
❏ It must carry clear implications for testing the
stated relation.
❏ A good hypothesis should be stated in operational
terms. Instead of saying: “The higher the level of
exposure to mass media, the greater the level of
participation in demonstration”, we can say, “The
greater the time spent by a person reading
newspaper, the greater the tendency for him to join
more demonstration.” 25
Types of Hypothesis
❏ Non-directional hypothesis
 Null hypothesis vs. Alternative hypothesis
 It does not tell the direction of relationship between or
among variables (i.e., direct or inverse)
 Example: There is a relationship between internet use
and time spent with the family.
❏ Directional hypothesis
 It states very explicitly the direction of relationship.
 Example: The more time spent to internet, the lesser is
the time spent for the family. 26
 Class Activity No. 2
Formulating the Hypothesis from the Research Problem

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Thank You!!!

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