Lesson 3 - The Title PDF

WEEK 2 LESSON 1 Course Learning Outcome At the end of this module, the students are expected to; 1. Enumerate the characteristics of a title; 2. Construct their own research title; 3. Define what is statement of the problem, assumption, and hypothese. The Title The title is a major det...

WEEK 2 LESSON 1 Course Learning Outcome At the end of this module, the students are expected to; 1. Enumerate the characteristics of a title; 2. Construct their own research title; 3. Define what is statement of the problem, assumption, and hypothese. The Title The title is a major determinant of whether your research paper will be read. It should draw the reader’s attention and interest and make them want to continue reading. The title should accurately, completely, and specifically indicate the focus of the paper, and should contain relevant “keywords.” The best way to structure you title is to look at your hypothesis and experimental variables. The thesis writer should be guided by the following of his title. These are also the characteristics of the title. 1. Generally, the title is formulated before the start of the research. It may be revised by the researcher later if there is a need to revise. 2. The title must contain the subject matter of the study, the locale of the study, the population involved, and the period when the data were gathered or will be gathered. 3. It must be broad enough to include all aspects of the subject matter studied or to be studied. The title must indicate what are to be expected to be found inside the thesis report. 4. It must be as brief and concise as possible. 5. The researcher must avoid the terms “An Analysis of”, “A Study of,” “An Investigation of,”. All these things are understood to have been done or to be done when a researcher is conducting his research. 6. If the title contains more than one line, it must be written like an inverted pyramid, all words in capital letters. Example of a complete title: THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF PROVINCE B AS A PERCEIVED BY THE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR 2016-2017 The contents as required by Guidelines No. 2 are: a. Subject matter : The teaching of mathematics b. Locale of the study : Senior High School of Province B c. Population involved : The mathematics teachers and students; and d. Period of the study : School year 2016-2017 THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF PROVINCE B It will be noted that the population, the mathematics teachers and students as well as the period of the study, 2016-2017, are omitted when writing the second form but they have to be mentioned in the scope and delimitation of the study. It will also be noted that the title, though brief and simplified, is broad enough to include all possible aspects of the subject matter. The central theme, which is the teaching of mathematics, is also very clear. Statement of the Problem Guidelines in formulating the general problem and the specific subproblems or specific questions. The following are suggested to guide the researcher in the formulation of his general as well as his specific subproblems or questions. These are also the characteristics of specific questions: 1. The general statement of the problem and the specific suubproblems or questions should be formulated first before conducting the research. 2. It is customary to state specific subproblems in the interrogative form. Subproblems are called specific questions. 3. Each specific questions must be clear and unequivocal, that is, it has only one meaning it must not have dual meaning. 4. Each specific question is researchable apart from the other questions, that is, answers to each specific question can be found even without considering the other questions. 5. Each specific question must be based upon known facts and phenomena. Besides, data from such known facts and phenomena must be accessible to make the specific question researchable. 6. Answers to specific question can be interpreted apart from the answers to other specific questions. 7. Answers to each specific question must contribute to the development of the whole research problem or topic. 8. Summing up the answers to all the specific questions will give a complete development of the entire study. 9. The number of specific questions should be enough to cover the development of the whole research problem or study. Before writing down the specific questions, determine first the different aspects of the research problem to be studied and then for each make one specific question with subquestions if there is a need to do it. If the research topic is the teaching of mathematics the different aspects may be the following: a. Qualifications of teachers, especially educational; b. Methods and strategies of teaching used and their level of effectiveness; c. Facilities available, instructional and non-instructional and their adequacy; d. Adequacy of supervisory assistance extended to teachers; e. Comparison between the perceptions of the teacher and those of the students concerning the different aspects; f. Problems encountered by the teachers in teaching mathematics; g. Proposals to solve or help solve the problems; and h. Implication of the study to the teaching of mathematics. 10. Generally, there should be a general statement of the problem and then this should be broken up into as many subproblems or specific questions as necessary. Example: This study was conducted to investigate all aspects of the teaching of mathematics in the senior high school of Province B during the school year 2016-2017 as perceived by the mathematics teachers and students. Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions: a. How effective are the methods and strategies used by the teachers in teaching mathematics? b. How qualified are the teachers handling mathematics in the senior high school of Province B? c. How adequate are the instructional as well as the non-instructional facilities for the teaching of mathematics? d. How adequate are the forms of supervisory assistance extended to the teacher relative to the teaching of mathematics? e. Is there any significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of mathematics? f. What problems are being encountered by the teachers of mathematics? g. What suggestions are offered by the teachers and students to improve the teaching of mathematics? h. What are the implications of the findings to the teaching of mathematics? Assumptions An assumption is a self-evident truth which is based upon a known fact or phenomena. Often times in descriptive or historical researches, assumptions are not explicitly expressed but left implicit, that is, they are unwritten. Generally, every specific question is implicitly based upon an assumption. If there is no assumption, expressed or implicit, there can be no specific question. Examples: 1. Specific question: How qualified are the teachers handling mathematics subject? Implicit (unwritten) assumption: There are certain qualifications that one should possess before he/she can teach mathematics. 2. Specific question: How adequate are the facilities that a school acquires before it can offer mathematics as a subject? Implicit assumption: There are certain required facilities that a school acquires before it can offer mathematics subject. 3. Specific question: How effective are the methods used in teaching mathematics? Implicit assumption: There are certain methods that are effective in the teaching of mathematics. Guidelines in the use of basis assumption. The following are the guidelines in the use of basic assumption: (By Sugden as cited by Manuel,p.81) 1. You cannot assume the value of your study. Such as argument should have been made under the section, significance of the study. 2. You cannot assume the reliability of the instruments you propose to use in your research. Such as rationale and defense should be made under methodology. 3. You cannot assume the validity of basic data. Validity is established under methodology. 4. You cannot assume that your population is typical. This point is to be made under methodology. 5. An assumption is not tested, neither is it defended nor argued. Hypotheses A hypothesis is an educated guess about the answer to a specific question or answer to a specific question raised at the beginning of the investigation. Forms of hypotheses There are two forms of hypotheses. One is in the operational form and the other is in the null form. The operational form is stated in the affirmative while the null form is stated in the negative. The operational form states that there is a difference between two phenomena while the null form states that there is no difference between the two phenomena. In other words the null form expresses equality between the two phenomena. This is more commonly used. The following are the guidelines in the formation of explicit hypotheses: 1. In experimental investigations, hypotheses have to be explicit, they have to be expressed. They have to be expressed also in comparative and correlational studies. 2. In descriptive and historical investigations, hypotheses are seldom expressed if not entirely absent. The subproblems or specific questions raised before the start of the investigation and stated under the statement of the problem serve as the hypotheses. (Good and Scates,pp.220-2221). The specific questions serve as the hypotheses. With this fact, it is logical to presume that all studies in research have hypotheses and for that matter all theses and dissertation have their own respective hypotheses. Consequently, no research is conducted without ant hypothesis at all. 3. Hypotheses are usually stated in the null form because testing a null hypothesis is easier than a hypothesis in the operational form. Testing a hypothesis simply means gathering data to answer it. 4. Hypotheses are formulated from the specific questions upon which they are based. Example: Question: Is there any significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of mathematics? Operational hypothesis: There is a significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of mathematics. Null hypothesis: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of mathematics. Hypotheses (specific questions) perform important functions in research such as the following: 1. They help the researcher in designing his study: what methods, research instruments, sampling design, and statistical treatments to be use, what data to be gather, and etc. 2. They serve as bases for determining assumptions. 3. They serve as bases for determining the relevance of data. 4. They serve as bases for the explanation or discussion about the data gathered. 5. They help or guide the researcher in consolidating his findings and in formulating his conclusions. Generally, findings and conclusions are answers to the hypotheses or specific questions raised at the start of the investigation. REFERENCES: Aquino, Guadencio V., Essentials of Research and Thesis Writing. Quezon City: Alemars-Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 1974 Babble, Earl. The Practice of Social Research. Fourth Edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. 1986 Berelson, Bernard. Content Analysis in Communication Research. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1952 Good, Carter V. Introduction to Educational Research. New York: Meredith Publishing Company, Inc.,1963. Good, Carter V. and Douglas E. Scates. Methods of Research: Educational, Psychological, Sociological. Manila: Appleton-Century-Croft, Inc., 1972. (Reprinted by National Book Store). Treece, Eleonor Walters and James William Treece, Jr. The Elements of Research in Nursing. Saint Louis: C.V. Mosby Company, Inc., 1973. (Reprinted by Phoenix Press, Inc.) Treece, Eleonor Walters and James William Treece, Jr. The Elements of Research in Nursing. Second Edition. Saint Louis: C.V. Mosby Company, Inc., 1977. (Reprinted by Phoenix Press, Inc.) Sanchez, Custodiosa A. Methods and Techniques of Research, Manila:Rex Book Store Inc., 1980.