CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
THE INTRODUCTION

Situation:
If you are the businessman on the picture,
how will you introduce yourself to the
prospective client?
Guided Questions:

1. Based on the role play/situation, what are the elements of a

proper introduction?
2. For what purpose does an introduction serve in general?
3. In a research study, what do you think is the significance of
an introduction?
 BEGINNING OF THE RESEARCH
The first chapter of the research paper is entitled “The Problem” or “The
Problem and Its Background”. Its purpose is to introduce the problem and
clarify important variables, its delimitations, and its significance to the field of
study. It has the following essential elements:
1. Introduction
2. Statement of the problem
3. Scope and Delimitation
4. Significance of the study
5. Definition of terms
 It should also be noted that the researcher has to introduce the different
elements of the first chapter by giving a brief description of each element, so
that the reader knows what to expect from the chapter.
Example:
This chapter presents the different essential elements: the introduction,
which contains the rationale (an explanation of the reasons for the conduct of
the research); the review of related literature and statistical foundation; the
statement of the general and specific problems; the scope and delimitation
which identifies the major variables, sub-variables and the indicators; the
significance of the study which enumerates the beneficiaries of the study and
the corresponding benefits each will receive; and lastly, the notations.
 INTRODUCTION
The introduction is important in establishing the cognitive setting of the
research. It has the following elements:
1. Rationalization of the need to research on the problem.
2. Clarification of the important terminologies for the reader to easily understand what
the research is about.
3. Establishment of the degree of seriousness of the problem which prompted the
researcher to look for solutions.

The following questions can aid the researcher in formulating the introduction:
1. What is the rationale of the problem?
-This question is answered by sharing the reasons why the researcher decided to
look for solutions to the problem. A rationale may include the narration of a personal
experiences, a description of an article read, a scene witnessed, a news heard, or a theory
that needs to be clarified. The researcher should describe the existing and prevailing
problem based on his or her experience. The scope may be local, national, or international.
Ideally, the rationale can start from a global perspective to a more personal one.
Example:
As a Grade 12 student, Arjohn David, experienced some difficulties in performing
well because of various factors such as the attitude of his teachers as well as their
teaching methods, the absence of laboratory facilities, and inadequacy of books in the
library. He is having difficulties in his quizzes and class performance.
2. What is the setting of the problem?
-The setting forms part of the delimitation of the study. It defines the geographic
boundaries and certain demographic characteristics of the research. This describes the
place where the research was conducted, since the setting has a significant bearing on the
variables being studied. In the description of the setting, its distinctive characteristics must
be highlighted.
Example:
Puting Capunitan Elementary School is one of the barrio schools in Orion, Bataan
where most enrollees are from disadvantaged families whose immediate ancestors are
either laborers or fisher folks. This school is one of the schools with poorly performing
students in their division according to the Department of Education.
3. What is the basic literature foundation of the study?
-This is different from the review of the related theories, conceptual literature, and research
literature. This part seeks to provide the researcher clarity on the terms or variables used in the study.
The terms and variables must be clear to the researcher for an easy understanding of the readers. As
such, sufficient background can assist the investigator in determining the boundaries of the study.
This part is derived form different literature sources. The use of various references is crucial in this
part of the first chapter.
Example:
As teaching is considered to be a complex activity (Medley, as cited in lqbal, 1996), the
scholars and researchers in the field of education have since long been exploring into and analyzing
the teaching phenomenon. Teaching is an arrangement and manipulation of a situation in which a
learner tries to overcome the learning problems. Teaching is also a multidimensional set of activities
intended to facilitate learning (Torrington et al., 2003). However, it is universally recognized that
teachers’ instructional performance plays a key role in students’ learning and academic achievement
(Panda and Mohanty, 2003).
4. How serious is the chosen research problem?
-The research is tasked to identify the intensity and magnitude of the problem. When
the gravity of the problem has already been described, he or she may then gauge the kind of
action to be used to identify the problem. In most cases, the researcher at this point looks for
statistical or quantitative evidence to assess the significance of the problem at hand.

Example:
Based on the DepEd Division Memo series 2012, among the 12 schools with the most
poorly performing students, Puting Capunitan Elementary Schools ranked 12th.
5. What is the general objective of the problem?
-This is the general statement of the problem or the major tasks of the researcher to
discharge and should also be the basis of the enumerated statements of specific problems.

Example:
With the abovementioned scenario and situations, it is the main objective of the
researcher to determine the common reasons of the poor performance of the students.
Therefore, the research findings on that objective become the basis of an intervention program
for school effectiveness.
6. What is the overall purpose of the problem?
-It is important to note that the researcher must be totally aware of the purpose of the
research problem. He or she must fully understand the implications of the resulting findings of
the study.

Example:
This is mainly for the purpose of letting the students acquire the needed competencies
before graduation and enabling the school to perform better in the Regional Achievement
Examinations.
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

After the investigator has clarified the rationale, identified the degree of
seriousness of the problem, provided the literature review, and set the overall
objective, the formulation of the heart of the thesis – the statement of the general
and the specific problems – must be done. The opening paragraph of this section
contains the general problem of the study.
 WRITING THE GENERAL PROBLEM IN A
QUALITATIVE STUDY
In the book Principles of Qualitative Research: Designing a Qualitative Study,
Creswell and Clark (2014) provide the following criteria in writing the purpose
statement:
1. It should use single and not compound sentences.
2. It should clearly express the purpose of the study.
3. It should include the central phenomenon.
4. It should use qualitative words, e.g., explore, discover and explain.
5. It should identify the participants in the study.
6. It should state the research site.
Example:
The objective of this ethnographic study is to differentiate the customs and
traditions of the Aetas and the locals of Zambales enrolled in Olongapo National
City High School for the school year 2014-2015. In this research, the customs and
traditions are defined as their practices in the celebration of feasts.
 The general problem is followed by an enumeration of the specific
problems. These problems are usually stated as questions that the researcher
seeks to answer. Therefore, the specific problems must meet the following
criteria:

1. They must be in question form.

2. They must define the population and the samples of the study (respondents).
3. They must identify the variables being studied.
 According to Creswell and Clark (2014), there are two types of research
questions. These are as follows:

1. Central questions- these are the most general questions that can be asked.
2. Sub-questions- these questions subdivide the central question into more
specific topical questions and are only limited in number.
 Creswell and Clark (2014) also provide some guidelines in formulating the
research question:
1. The question should begin with words such as “how” or “what”.
2. The readers should be informed of the information that will be discovered,
generated, explored, identified, or described in the study.
3. The question “What happened?” should be asked to help craft the description.
4. The question “What was the meaning to people of what happened?” should be
asked to understand the results.
5. The question “What happened over time?” should be asked to explore the process.
 In addition, Creswell and Clark (2014) also provide the following scripts as a
guide in designing qualitative central and sub-questions:
1. Central question script
a. “What is the meaning of/what does it mean to (central phenomenon)?”
Examples:
* What is the meaning of intrapersonal competencies?
* What does it mean to differentiate the customs and traditions of Aetas to those
of locals?
* What does it mean to characterize the study habits of the top 10 students of the
class?
b. “How would (participants) describe (central phenomenon)?”
Examples:
* How would school managers describe intrapersonal competencies?
* How would the Aetas and locals of Zambales differentiate their customs and
traditions?
* How would the top ten high school students characterize their general study
habits?
2. Sub-question script
“What (aspect) does (participant) engage in as a (central phenomenon)?
Examples:
a. What level of self-concept does the school managers engage in as a
characteristic of interpersonal competencies?
b. What nature of practices do the Aetas and locals of Zambales engage in as a
part of their customs and traditions?
c. What kind of preparation does the top 10 high school students engage in as an
indicator of their general study habits?