The MA students will be able to identify a research problem 

The MA students will have the ability to raise a research question/ research problem


4.1. What is a research problem?

A research problem is exactly that—a problem that someone would like to research. A problem can be anything that a person finds unsatisfactory or unsettling, a difficulty of some sort, a state of affairs that needs to be changed, anything that is not working as well as it might. Problems involve areas of concern to researchers, conditions they want to improve, difficulties they want to eliminate, questions for which they seek answers.

 

For researchers and students alike, research problems are usually identified from several sources including (a) the research literature—see detailed discussion in Chapter 3 on the role of the literature review in formulating research questions; (b) problems in practice or work-related contexts; and (c) personal biography or history (such as current or past personal experiences or identities, race, ethnicity, gender, class background, family customs, religion, and so forth).

 

4.2. Research Question

Usually a research problem is initially posed as a question, which serves as the focus of the researcher’s investigation. In our view, the research question should dictate the research type and paradigm (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) used to conduct the study rather than the other way around, that is, the methodology determining the question. The following examples of initial research questions in education are not sufficiently developed for actual use in a research project but would be suitable during the early stage of formulating a research question. An appropriate

methodology and research paradigm (in parentheses) are provided for each question. Although there are other possible methodologies that might be used, we consider those given here as particularly suitable.

 

1.  Does client-centered therapy produces more satisfaction in clients than traditional therapy? (experimental research; quantitative)

 2-   What goes on in after-school programs during an Average week? (ethnographic research; qualitative)

3-  Does behavior modification reduce aggression in autistic children? (single-subject experimental research; quantitative)

4-  Do teachers behave differently toward students of different genders? (causal-comparative research; quantitative or mixed methods)

5- How can we predict which students might have trouble learning certain kinds of subject matter? (correlational research; quantitative)

6- How do parents feel about the school counseling program? (survey research; quantitative)

7- Why do first-generation college students have a lower graduation rate at San Simeon University? (case study; mixed methods)

8- How can principals improve faculty morale at low performing middle schools? (interview research; qualitative)

What all these questions have in common is that we can collect data of some sort to answer them (at least in part). That’s what makes them researchable. For example, a researcher can measure the satisfaction levels of clients who receive different methods of therapy. Or researchers can observe and interview to describe the functioning of an elementary school classroom. To repeat, then, what makes these questions researchable is that some sort of information can be collected to answer them.

 

Other kinds of questions, however, cannot be answered by collecting and analyzing data. Here are two examples:

A- Should philosophy be included in the high school curriculum?

B-  What is the meaning of life?

Why can’t these questions be researched? What about them prevents us from collecting information to answer them? The reason is both simple and straightforward: There is no way to collect information to answer either question. Both questions are, in the final analysis, not researchable.

Here are more ideas for research questions. Which ones (if any) do you think are researchable?

1-  Is God good?

2- Are children more engaged when taught by a teacher of the same gender?

3-  Does high school achievement influence the academic achievement of university students?

4-  What is the best way to teach grammar?

5-  What would schools be like today if World War II had not occurred?

 

The first question is a question of value—it implies notions of right and wrong, proper and improper—and therefore does not have any empirical (or observable) referents. There is no way to deal, empirically, with the verb should. How can we empirically determine whether

or not something “should” be done? What data could we collect? There is no way for us to proceed. However, if the question is changed to “Do people think philosophy should be included in the high school curriculum?” it becomes researchable. Why? Because now we can collect data to help us answer the question.

 The second question is metaphysical in nature—that is, transcendental, beyond the physical. Answers to this sort of question lie beyond the accumulation of information.

We hope you identified questions 2 and 3 as the two that are researchable. Questions 1, 4, and 5, as stated, cannot be researched. Question 1 is another metaphysical question and, as such, does not lend itself to empirical research (we could ask people if they believe God is good, but that would be another question). Question 4 asks for the “best” way to do something. Think about this one for a moment. Is there any way we can determine the best way to do anything? To be able to determine this, we must examine every possible alternative, and a moment’s reflection brings us to the realization that this can never be accomplished. How would we ever be sure that all possible alternatives have been examined? Question 5 requires the creation of impossible conditions. We can, of course, investigate what people think schools would be like.





Last modified: Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 7:30 AM