LESSON 2 Topic 2 CLO1: Reflection 1

Topic 2: Research Problem, Research Objectives, Critically appraise (20%)

Research and Research Questions in Qualitative qualitative research
Problem, Research designs relevant to
Research • Identifying research problems educational research.
Questions, • Formulating Problem Statement (C4 : PLO1)
Research • Framing Research Objectives
Objectives in
• Formulating Research Questions
Qualitative
Research

Why This Lesson

This lesson focuses on framing research problems, objectives, and questions and reviewing literature in
qualitative research. At the end of this lesson, you will be able to
1. Identify the research problem
2. Formulate a problem statement
3. Frame research objectives, and
4. Formulate research questions.
5. Review the literature in Qualitative Research

Identifying Research Problem

A good research study begins with a problem. The research problem guides the researcher in formulating the
research questions, hypothesis and objectives of the study. It is it is the basis of all subsequent research
activities the researcher will undertake

What is Research Problem

Research problems are the educational issues, controversies, or concerns that guide the need for conducting a
study (Creswell and Guetermann, 2021). It 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.
(https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185918)

Why Research Problem

Without a well-defined research problem, you are likely to end up with

• an unfocused and unmanageable research project.
• repeating what other people have already said, trying to say too much, or doing research without a
clear purpose and justification.

You need a problem in order to do research that contributes new and relevant insights.The research problem is
the first step towards knowing exactly what you’ll do and why.
(https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-problem)

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Sources of Research Problem
Good research problems can be found in various educational settings. To locate the research problem in a
study, the following questions could be asked::
• What is the issue, problem, or controversy that you are interested to explore?
• Why do you need to study this topic: relevance and significance?
• What controversy leads to a need for this study?
• What was the concern being addressed “behind” this study?

Examples of research problems to be explored in qualitative research are as the following:

1. Disruptions caused by at-risk students in classrooms
2. Increase in violence on campuses
3. The lack of parental involvement in schools or students with challenging behaviors.
4. Effectiveness of teaching and learning techniques
5. Management styles of school principals.
In writing about the research problem, authors state it as a single sentence or several sentences in a research
report (Creswell, and Guetterman, 2021).

Formulating Problem Statement

What is a Problem Statement

A problem statement is a concise description of the problem or issues a study seeks to address. The problem
statement identifies the current state, the desired future state and any gaps between the two. A problem
statement is an important communication tool that can help ensure everyone working on a study knows what
the problem they need to address is and why the study is important.
(Adapted https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-a-problem-statement)

The Purpose a Problem Statement

A problem statement is important as it ensure researchers working on a study and the readers know what the
problem being addressed is and why the study is important”. It intends to:
1. Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented to the significance
of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow.
2. Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated.
3. Provides the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the
study and explain how the findings will present this information.
(https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185918)

Essential Aspects of a Problem Statement

Creswell and Guetterman (2021) state that statement of the problem should illustrate these five aspects:

1. The topic
2. The research problem
3. A justification of the importance of the problem as found in the past research and in practice

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 4. The deficiencies in our existing knowledge about the problem
5. The audiences that will benefit from a study of the problem By identifying these five elements, you can
easily understand introductions to research studies and write good introductions for your own research
reports
Hence, a problem statement should have:
• A lead-in that helps the reader to maintain interest over the study
• A declaration of originality [e.g., mentioning a knowledge void, which would be supported by the
literature review]
• An indication of the central focus of the study, and
• An explanation of the study's significance or the benefits to be derived from an investigating the
problem.
(Source: https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185918)

Guidelines for Writing a Problem Statement

i) State the Problem
You begin by first stating the problem. It is an area your are concerned with, and you often think about it and
you wish to find a solution for. e.g. Poor Communication in English among Graduates .
ii) The Need to Investigate the problem
You need to provide a a rationale for why it is of concern. For Example: Employers are complaining
about the poor communication skills of graduates they employ. Few studies have addressed the
communication skills of graduates as most studies continue to focus on primary and secondary school
students.
ii) State the purpose of the study.
Your purpose is to solve the problem; i.e. find answers to questions put forward.

An Example of a Problem Statement

The following is an example of a Problem Statement:

The literature on teaching and learning mathematics indicated that prerequisite mathematics ability is
necessary for students to understand any new mathematics content. Besides prerequisite mathematics, most
of past research showed that proper teaching mathematics can improve students’ performance in
mathematics. Lately, research on mathematics learning discovered that English language skills facilitate
mathematics learning. This research attempted to determine whether prerequisite mathematics ability, English
language skills, and teaching method affect mathematics achievement. (Abdul Razak Habib, 2010. The Effects
of Prerequisite Mathematics Ability, English Language Skills, ad Teaching Methods Affect Mathematics
Achievement)

Framing Research Objectives

What are Research Objectives?

Research objectives describe what you intend to accomplish in your research study. They summarize the
approach and purpose of the study and help you to focus on your research.. They should guide you at every
step of the research process, including how you collect data, build your argument, and develop your
conclusions (Ryan.2022.https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-objectives/).

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Research objectives are usually found at the end of the “statement of the problem” section, after the literature
review, or in a separate section of the research study. They are stated by phrases such as “The objectives in
this study are. . . .”

Research objectives are important as they:

• State the intent you wish to accomplish in your study.

• Establish the scope and depth of your study.
• Contribute to your research design in order to have a clearer idea of what methods are most
appropriate for your research.

(Source: Ryan. 2022.https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-objectives/).

How to write research objectives

The acronym “SMART” is commonly used in relation to research objectives. It states that your objectives
should be:

• Your objectives must be specific. They should not be overly vague. They must be clearly defined in
order to get the required results.
• Objectives are measurable ie you know how you’ll measure whether your objectives have been
achieved.
• Objectives must be achievable. Your objectives may be challenging, but they should be feasible.
• Objectives are relevant. They directly address the research problem you want to work on and that they
contribute to the current state of research in your field.
• Obejectives are time-bound.

Ryan (2022) provides the following guideline to write research objectives:

Step 1: Decide on a general aim

Your research aim should reflect your research problem and should be relatively broad.

Example: Research aim : To assess the safety features and response times of self-driving cars.

Step 2: Decide on specific objectives

Break down your aim into a limited number of steps that will help you resolve your research problem. What
specific aspects of the problem do you want to examine or understand?

Example: Research objective:

To measure the response time of self-driving cars to pedestrians.

Step 3: Formulate your aims and objectives

Once you’ve established your research aim and objectives, you need to explain them clearly and concisely to
the reader.

You’ll lay out your aims and objectives at the end of your problem statement, which appears in your
introduction. Frame them as clear declarative statements, and use appropriate verbs to accurately characterize
the work that you will carry out.

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Example: Explaining your research aim and objectivesThe aim of this research is to assess the safety features
and response times of self-driving cars. Using quantitative methods, I will measure the response time of self-
driving cars, first to other moving vehicles and then to pedestrians. I will also test their awareness of nearby
inanimate obstacles (e.g., sidewalks).
(Source: Ryan (2022).https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-objectives/).

Formulating Research Questions

Research Questions in Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is guided by central questions and subquestions posed by the researcher at the outset of
a qualitative study. These questions usually employ the language of how, and what in an effort to allow
understanding to emerge from the research. In general, a qualitative study will have one or two central
questions and a series of five to ten subquestions that further develop the central questions. These questions
are often asked directly of the study participants (through in-depth interviews, focus groups, etc.) in recognition
of the fact that developing an understanding of a particular phenomenon is a collaborative experience between
researchers and participants.
https://www.statisticssolutions.com/dissertation-resources/research-hypotheses/

What is a Research Question?

Defining a clear research question is an essential step in qualitative research. It is the first and important
aspect of the research study.

Research questions are questions around which a research study focuses. They are questions that narrow the
purpose statement to specific questions that the researcher wishes and seeks to answer in the study. It is “a
sentence that defines what the researcher intends to examine, within which population, and what the outcomes
will be” (https://ighhaminstitute.org.au).

It is the question around which a research centres the research. It is aligned to the research problem. It
should be:
• clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without
needing additional explanation.
• focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
• concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
• complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of
ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.
• arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.
In qualitative research, the questions include the central concept being explored. This is called a central
phenomenon
(https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question)

Framing the Research questions

Framing a research question is usually done before identifying the types of data to be collected, analysed and
interpreted in the study. A good research question
• defines your study and helps the researcher to seek an answer to the research.

© UNITAR International University Confidential Page 5 of 7

 • guides the research paper or thesis to define exactly what the researcher wants to find out, giving your
work its objectives.
• addresses issues or problems which is answered through analysis and interpretation of data.
(Source: Sirisilla, S.(2022).https://www.enago.com/academy/how-to-develop-good-research-question-types-
examples

Qualitative research questions seek to explore or describe phenomena, not provide a neat nomothetic
explanation, so they are often more general and vaguely worded. They may include only one concept, though
many include more than one. Instead of asking how one variable causes changes in another, we are instead
trying to understand the experiences, understandings, and meanings that people have about the concepts in
our research question.
(Source: https://pressbooks.pub/scientificinquiryinsocialwork/chapter/8-4-qualitative-research-questions/)

Three Types of Qualitative Research Questions

Type Description Example

Exploratory This form of question looks to understand Asking how a chemical is used or
Questions something without influencing the results. The perceptions around a certain topic
objective of exploratory questions is to learn
more about a topic without attributing bias or
preconceived notions to it.

Predictive Questions Predictive research questions are defined as Asking why a consumer behaves
survey questions that automatically predict the in a certain way or chooses a
best possible response options based on text of certain option over other.
the question. Moreover, these questions seek to
understand the intent or future outcome
surrounding a topic.

Interpretive This type of research question allows the study How do you feel about AI
Questions of people in the natural setting. The questions assisting publishing process in
help understand how a group makes sense of your research?
shared experiences with regards to various
phenomena. These studies gather feedback on
a group’s behavior without affecting the
outcome.

(Source: Sirisilla, S.(2022).https://www.enago.com/academy/how-to-develop-good-research-question-types-

examples/)

Examples of Research Questions in Qualitative Research

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Qualitative research questions often contain words like lived experience, personal experience, understanding,
meaning, and stories. They can change and evolve as the researcher conducts the study. They can change
over the course of a study. Qualitative research is a reflexive process, one in which the researcher adapts their
approach based on what participants say and do. The researcher must constantly evaluate whether their
question is important and relevant to the participants. As the researcher gains information from participants, it
is normal for the focus of the inquiry to shift.

(Source: https://pressbooks.pub/scientificinquiryinsocialwork/chapter/8-4-qualitative-research-questions/)

A qualitative researcher asks multiple research questions so that the study can be fully explored. Research
questions are aligned with the problem statement and objecives of the study. They are developed to “provide
enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional
explanation” (https://writingcenter.gmu.edu).

Examples of Research Questions

What are the factors that cause stress among undergraduates in Malaysia?
How do undergraduates overcome lack of motivation in learning English?
“What are the main factors that cause violence among teenagers?”
What are the main challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of school-based assessment?
Note:
Qualitative research uses 'questions' instead. You cannot statistically test the narrative data that emerges from
qualitative data collection (https://www.researchgate.net)

Tutorial Activity

Analysis of a research article and comment on the research problem statement, objectives and questions.

Internet References
Creswell, & Guetterman (2021). Educational research : planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and
qualitative research. London: Pearson
Ryan( 2022).https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-objectives/
Sirisilla, S.(2022).https://www.enago.com/academy/how-to-develop-good-research-question-types-examples/
https://pressbooks.pub/scientificinquiryinsocialwork/chapter/8-4-qualitative-research-questions
Problem Statement: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-a-problem-statement)
https://writingcemter.gmu.edu).
https://www.researchgate.net
https://ighhaminstitute.org.au
https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185918)

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