APP 006: Practical Research 2

Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Lesson title: Nature of Inquiry and Research Materials:

Learning Targets: SAS,

At the end of the module, students will be able to: References:

1. Identifying Types of Research Design, and the 1. Castillo, Fely S. Introduction to Research
Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses of Education. Booklore Publishing Corp. 2005
Quantitative Research 2. Prieto, Nelia G. et al. Practical Research 2.
Lorimar Publishing.2017
2. Introducing Kinds of Quantitative Research Design 3. Fraenkel and Wallen, How to Design and
3. Identifying Kinds of Variables and their Uses Evaluate Research in Education.
1.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Introduction

Hello, PHINMA Ed students! Welcome to APP 006: Practical Research 2. In today’s session you will be
entering in more detailed discussion about the Nature and Inquiry of research. So, let’s explore and have fun
while we are learning through this module.

B. MAIN LESSON

Content and Skill-Building l

Let us define the following terms first, RESEARCH. What is research? Re is a prefix and search is “to
look for something”. Combine these words, it means to look for something again. So, what is to
look for research? We, search for new Ideas, improve certain processes, create something useful of
something old, explain a series of observation and to look for something using different perspective.

In other words, Research is a systematic and organized processing of collecting, organizing, analyzing
and interpreting data to find answers to people’s queries.

Research is an organized method of finding novel or relatively new ideas from existing body of
knowledge with the help of useful tools for the purpose of improving the quality of life.

By using these ideas resulting from research, most of the society's major problems are resolved, needs
are satisfied, and demands are met.

These new ideas also paved ways in creating innovative technologies for a more comfortable and
convenient life.

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 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

AIMS OF RESEARCH

1. VERIFICATION OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

Verifying or proving the veracity of existing theories or knowledge. This may lead to development of
new ideas, strengthening a current knowledge, or debunking a theory.

2. ACQUISITION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE

Research brings forth new ideas regarding a theory or even create a totally new theory.

3. APPLICATION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE

Once new ideas or innovations are proven true, they are then utilized and translated to something
useful to humankind. It is only through utilizing the results of research that one can truly fulfill the
ultimate purpose of research, that is, to alleviate people's quality of life.

4. ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCHER'S EXPERTISE

FUNCTIONS OF RESEARCH

1. Exploration Research is also known as Exploratory investigation. It seeks to find more information
about a topic and a broader perspective or additional knowledge to what is currently known.

2. Description Descriptive Research, to give additional information on newly discovered ideas that are
results of exploration.

3. Explanation Explanatory research, looking at how things are connected and how they interact. It
aims to explain relationships existing between variables, quantitatively or qualitatively.

CHARACTERISTIC OF RESEARCH

1. Realistic Research is a realistic undertaking that must result to empirical data. Empirical data are those
derived from actual observations of a [phenomenon, interviews of people who have witnessed an
incident, analysis of first-hand documents sources, excavation of artifacts and other actions that yield
valid evidences of one's investigations.

2. Logical - Research follows valid, definite principles, frameworks and procedures. There are proper
logical and ethical approaches to search for answers to a specific research question. Failure to follow
these procedures correctly may yield invalid and unreliable outcomes.

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 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

3. Cyclical Research is cyclical. It starts with a problem and ends with another. As soon as a research
question is answered, other questions may arise. This process continues until such time that a purified
body of knowledge is attained.

4. Analytical - After employing strictly and correctly the predetermined procedure and gathering empirical
data, the latter must be analyzed to elicit the desired meaning from the obtained information. It is only
through this process that research results become relevant not only to the people who participated in the
investigation but also to those who share similar characteristics. Proper analysis of the data should be
done before making final conclusions.

5. Objective - Objectivity is defined as the lack of bias or prejudice. Analysis and interpretation of data, and
drawing out implications from research data must be free from bias and alterations to favor a certain
hypothesis, a personality, or an organization.

6. Critical - The research is said to be critical when the researcher is careful and precise in processing
ideas and judgements.

7. Replicable - Research procedures must be written clearly and chronologically for it to be replicable; such
that other researchers can redo or repeat the investigation with the intent of verifying the generated
information.

A research design is an approach you can use to solve a research problem. Did you know that there are three
types of research designs? In this module, we will focus on the three main research designs: qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed methods. The table below shows some of the characteristics of the three designs.

TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGNS

Qualitative Quantitative Mixed

Exploring and Testing objective An approach to inquiry

understanding the theories by examining that combines both
meaning individuals or the relationship among qualitative and
groups ascribe to a social variable. quantitative forms.
or human problem.

Quantitative research design uses numbers in stating generalizations about a given problem or inquiry in contrast
to qualitative research that hardly uses statistical treatment in stating generalizations. Below is a table comparing
the two on some standards (Muijs 2011; Sharp 2012).

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 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

The next concepts will be concentrated on the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of
quantitative research. If you are ready to get to know them, then let us continue.

Quantitative research makes you focus your mind on specific things by means of statistics that involve
collection and study of numerical data. Thus, to give the basic meaning of quantitative research is to
say that research is a way of making any phenomenon or any sensory experience clearer or more
meaningful by gathering and examining facts and information about such person, thing, place, or event
appealing to your senses. You use mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, division, and
multiplication to study and express relationships between quantities or magnitudes shown by
numbers or symbols. Involving measurements and amounts, quantitative research seeks to find
answers to questions starting with how many, how much, how long, to what extent, and the like.
Answers to these questions come in numerals, percentages, and fractions, among others. (Suter
2012; Russell 2013)

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 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Characteristics of Quantitative Research

• Methods or procedures of data gathering include items like age, gender, educational status,
among others, that call for measurable characteristics of the population.
• Standardized instruments guide data collection; thus, ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and
validity of data.
• Figures, tables or graphs showcase summarized data collected in order to show trends,
relationships or differences among variables. In sum, the charts and tables allow you to see the
evidence collected.
• A large population yields more reliable data, but principles of random sampling must be strictly
followed to prevent researcher’s bias.
• Quantitative methods can be repeated to verify findings in another setting, thus, reinforcing validity
of findings.
• Quantitative research puts emphasis on proof, rather than discovery.

Just like qualitative research, quantitative research has its own set of strengths, as well as weaknesses.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Research

Strengths
• Quantitative research design is the most reliable and valid way of concluding results, giving way
to a new hypothesis or to disproving it.
• Because of bigger number of the sample from a population, the results or generalizations are
more reliable and valid.
• Quantitative experiments filter out external factors, if properly designed. Thus, the results gained
can be seen, as real and unbiased.
• Quantitative experiments are useful for testing the results gained by a series of qualitative
experiments, leading to more reliable results.

Weaknesses
• Quantitative research can be costly, difficult, and time-consuming. It may be quite difficult for
some since not all researchers are statisticians.
• Quantitative studies require extensive statistical treatment requiring strict standards. These
protocols must be followed strictly in order to confirm the results. When ambiguities in some
findings surface, retesting and refinement of the design call for another investment in time and
resources to polish the results.
• Quantitative methods also tend to turn out only proved or unproven results, leaving little room for
uncertainty, or grey areas. For the social sciences, education, anthropology and psychology,
human nature is a lot more complex than just a simple yes or no response.
(https://explorable.com/quantitative-research-design.)

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 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Check for Understanding

Exercise 1. Identify what is being asked in the following statements below. Write your answers on the space
provided. Check your answers against the Key to Corrections found at the end of this SAS.

___________ 1. It is a systematic and organized processing of collecting, organizing, analyzing and interpreting
data to find answers to people’s queries.
___________ 2. It is also known as Exploratory investigation.
___________3. It aims to explain relationships existing between variables, quantitatively or qualitatively.
___________4. The research is said to be _______ when the researcher is careful and precise in processing
ideas and judgements.

Exercise 2. In this activity we will see how well did you learn in this lesson by enumerating the functions of
research.

RESEARCH FUNCTIONS OF RESEARCH

1.

2.

3.

C. LESSON WRAP-UP
Summary / Frequently Asked Questions

How important it is to know the nature of Inquiry and Research?

It is very important because we can determine the nature of Inquiry and research, which on to
focus on, what goals to achieve, to have a direction in establishing good research by following its
processes and procedure in making the research.

Thinking about Learning

Should you have any questions about the lesson, what are these that you want to clarify?

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 APP 006: Practical Research 2
Student Activity Sheet Module #1

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION