Problem Definition

Review

• What is research?

• Characteristics of research?

• Applied vs Basic research?

• Inductive vs Deductive?

Problem definition

Problem definition

Lesson objectives

• Define research problem

• Write problem statement

• Describe quantitative and qualitative research

The broad problem area

• The entire situation where one sees a possible need for research or problem solving– Examples??

Background survey

• Justifying your choice of the area in research– What is there a need to do this research

• Need backing up– Government policies– Institutional reports/ strategic plans– Research reports– Press report/ speeches

Let’s search for ‘back-ups’

Narrowing your research

• Narrow it down to specific issues

• Broad, general area• Begin with broad questions• Narrow down, focus to

operationalize

• Observe

• Analyse data

• Reach conclusions• Generalize back to questions

Problem definition

• Defining a problem– Not necessarily something that is seriously

wrong– Can be an issues of interest

• Find answers to improve existing situation

– A situation where a gap exist between actual and desired state

Problem definition

• Could be– An issue/ matter you want to understand– Existing educational problems that you are

seeking to solve– Situations that you want to improve– Areas where some conceptual clarity is

needed– Situations in which the researcher is trying to

answer a research question empirically

Problem definition

• Essential to define your research problem very carefully,– Ask why you’ve chosen it , why not another problem

• Helps you to choose a suitable method of researching it

• Prevent you from reading rather indiscriminately– you don’t know quite what you’re looking for– make more notes than you need.

Formulating and stating the research problem

The research problem is..

• a set of conditions needing discussion, a solution, and information.

• implies the possibility of empirical investigation, that is, of data collection and analysis

The research problem is not..

• how to do something;

• a vague or too broad a proposition;

• a value question.

Try this..

• The purpose of the study is to determine:– whether the suspension policy should be changed.– the truth of the proposition that Malaysian education

has encouraged exam oriented learners who aim at getting a string of As

– how housewives can be more business minded

– if there is a difference in the mean gain scores in achievement between students taught using a blended learning mode and those taught using traditional lecture.

Try one ..

• Community engagement among the Faculty of Education students– What is the research problem?– What is the background?

• Government policies• Institutional reports/ strategic plans• Research reports

• Press report/ speeches

– What to read in order to justify?– What to research?

Research problem

• Be as deductive as you can• Relate your research problem to a theory

– A theory is an explanation of events or phenomena or behaviour– Phenomena in education - theories from cognitive psychology,

sociology, psycholinguistics, management, computer science.

• Example: Finding out whether university students benefit from community engagement

– Theory?

Let’s find a research problem

Academic connectedness of Postgraduate part time students

Questions

– What is the research problem?– What is the background?– What to read in order to justify?– What to research?

• Purpose• Context• Scope

Differentiate

• A research topic is the broad subject matter being addressed in a study.

• A research problem is an educational issue or problem in the study

• A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study.

Problem Tree

Drawing a problem tree

• Identify core problems

• Identify effects

• Identify causes

• Identify all possible causes and effects

Withdrawal, Deferment of studies, Dropout

Failure to achieve meaningful experience

Complaints Poor grades

Anxiety FrustrationDissatisfaction

Learning outcomes not achieved

Distance Learners not able to learn effectively

Effects

CORE PROBLEMCauses

Epistemological problems (course structure, difficulty level and so forth)

Learners cannot manage their learning environment

Learners cannot manage their learning activities

Institutional / Administrative Problems

Learners’ personal problems and characteristics

Lack of learning skills/ StrategiesAmbiguous instructions and other pedagogical issuesInability to sustain

motivation

Lack of self-regulation

ProcrastinationPoor time management

Inability to maintain strong attention to goals sought

Lack of discipline

Logistic/Infrastructure problems

Isolation

Lack of support and feedback

Poorly designed learning materials

Travel problemsCommunication problems

Anxiety, fear of technology & technology failure

Minimal F2F sessions

Role conflictsFamily problemsFinancial problemsLearning style / approach does not fitLow academic self-concept

Learner problems

Unsure of new learning modeLack readinessLack self-direction Lack of

structure and direction

Lack technical ability

Example

Let’s try one

There are incompetent teachers teaching in schools

Effects

CORE PROBLEM

Causes

Your problem?

Academic connectedness

Effects

CORE PROBLEM

Causes

Stating a research problem

Let’s look at your research problem

• The area of your research• State whether

– Existing educational problems that you are seeking to solve

– Situations that you want to improve– Areas where some conceptual clarity is

needed– Situations in which the researcher is trying to

answer a research question empirically

• Why do you choose this ‘problem?

Problem statement

• Problem statement– A clear, precise and succinct statement of the

question/issue that is to be investigated

• How ?– no one "right" way to state one

• American vs. British

Problem statement

• Introduces the reader to the importance of the problem (the concern). The reader is oriented to the significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow. – You could relate your problem to the findings of prior

research ( corroborated)• Places the problem in a context • Provides the framework for reporting the results.

Indicate what is probably necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.

Flow of Ideas in a Problem Statement

Topic

Evidence for the Issue

Deficiencies in the Evidence

Remedyingthe deficiencies For whom? SelectAudiences

FLOW OF IDEAS

SubjectArea

EducationalIssue

• A Concern• A Problem• Something

that needs a solution

• Evidence from the literature

• Evidence from practical

• experiences

• In this body of evidence, what is missing?

• What do we need to know more about?

How will addressingwhat we need toknow help: researchers– educators– policy-makers– individuals like those in the study

Look at one..

Topic

Evidence for the Issue

Deficiencies in the Evidence

Remedyingthe deficiencies For whom? SelectAudiences

EducationalIssue

Concern ? Corroborated? Context ?

Documenting/ Reporting

• Visualize the statement of the problem as paragraphs– Background – general info on the issue– research problem – provide context– justification – supporting literature, reports etc– deficiencies – provide the gap in research– relate the above to your purpose

Example 1

Example 2

Exercise

• Read the article – http://www.eric-adler.com/en/social-competence/

• Find a research problem

• Draw a problem tree

Take a break

Next: Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Quantitative vs. QualitativeSee handout

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Let’s look at one example

Let’s look at one example• Research problem

– Since the Malaysian Prime Minister launched 1 Malaysia, there has been a number of government projects initiated to disseminate the concept. Private organizations and NGOs are also conducting events to provide information and exposure to the public; Media and television programs are also portraying the concept in advertisements and documentaries. With such huge spending on IT, it is interesting to find out if the people actually understand and are aware of 1 Malaysia

Develop an idea for quantitative research

• TOPIC:

• Sample: ___

Develop an idea for qualitative research

• TOPIC:

• Sample: ___

Statistics anyone?

• Statistical analysis is helpful when there is a need to determine certain facts, or correlations between facts. – Helpful when doing research on a broader

scale– Generally, it provides an answer to ‘what?’

question– ‘How’ question is better answered by

qualitative researching

Qualitative Problem statement

• Qualitative research problem statement – The problem should be stated clearly and

unambiguously – The problem should express what is it that

you want to explore , to understand• What is the meaning of A? • How does A exist ? • Why A happens?

Quantitative Problem statement

• Quantitative research problem statement – The problem should be stated clearly and

unambiguously – The problem should express a relation between two

or more variables• Is A related to B? • How are A and B related? • How is A related to B under condition C?• Is there a difference between A and B in terms of C?

– Implies possibilities of empirical testing

Tasks

• Write your problem statement– Conduct background reading– Decide on qualitative or quantitative approach

• Post your problem statement online– Let there be concern, corroboration and

context– Ask yourself –

• Will data be accessible?• Where and from whom will you get the data?

Next

Writing research questions

Differences

• A research topic is the broad subject matter being addressed in a study.

• A research problem is an educational issue or problem in the study

• A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study.

• Research questions are questions the researcher would like answered or addressed in the study.

• Survey questions??