Lesson 1: Importance of Research

Research is another word for gathering information. The more information we have, the
closer we get to making our own decisions. Research is the result of advancing knowledge
created in the past. There are people from all walks of life that contribute to gathering
information. These are ordinary people and extraordinary people. They include teachers,
students, scientists, professors, scholars, business owners, librarians, bookkeepers, writers,
politicians and many more unknown people out there. These are everyday citizens we
interact with. They all help with the flow of information that people use for self-help.

Research comprises "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the
stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of this
stock knowledge to devise new applications" (OECD, 2002). It is used to establish or confirm
facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, support
theorems, or develop new theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past
work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, experiments, research may
replicate elements of prior projects, or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic
research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, or
the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of
human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary
considerably both within and between humanities and sciences. There are several forms of
research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, marketing, practitioner
research, etc.

Research is designed to solve a particular existing problem so there is a much larger

audience eager to support research that is likely to be profitable or solve problems of
immediate concern. We also must understand how research impacts our decision making.
Most people make decisions without gathering information to back them up; only few do.
The problem is that most people are not patient enough to put in the effort. Research
requires time, effort, and sometimes money to have the evidence you need to make a
sound decision that's why many avoid it. The research we do and the evidence we gather
will have an impact on our future. Be advised, considering the risks or consequences of
making an important decision with inadequate evidence.

In conclusion, research is very vital to our everyday decision making. It arms us from wrong
information and saves time and money. It is important to your success as you take on life's
challenges and career decision making. But be careful though, because too much research
without action on what we learn is not good either. The question is how much information
is enough? How much information can we afford? Information on obesity can be a research
problem. Research plus action will most likely guarantee a successful research.
Lesson 2: Classification, Processes, and Ethics of
Research
Scientific research is a systematic way of gathering data and harnessing curiosity. This
research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of nature and the
properties of the world. It makes practical applications possible. Scientific research is funded
by public authorities, by charitable organizations and by private groups, including many
companies. Scientific research can be subdivided into different classifications according to
their academic and application disciplines. Scientific research is a widely used criterion for
judging the standing of an academic institution, such as business schools, but some argue
that such is an inaccurate assessment of the institution, because the quality of research does
not tell about the quality of teaching (these do not necessarily relate) (Armstrong & Sperry,
1994).

Research in the humanities involves different methods such as for example hermeneutics
and semiotics, and a different, more relativist epistemology. Humanities scholars usually do
not search for the ultimate correct answer to a question but, instead, explore the issues and
details that surround it. Context is always important, and context can be social, historical,
political, cultural, or ethnic. An example of research in the humanities is historical research,
which is embodied in historical method. Historians use primary sources and other evidence
to systematically investigate a topic, and then to write histories in the form of accounts of
the past.

Artistic research, also seen as "practice-based research", can take form when creative works
are considered both the research and the object of research itself. It is the debatable body
of thought which offers an alternative to purely scientific methods in research in its search
for knowledge and truth.

Process of Research

Research is often conducted using the hourglass model structure of research (Trochim,
2006). The hourglass model starts with a broad spectrum for research, focusing on the
required information through the method of the project (like the neck of the hourglass),
then expands the research in the form of discussion and results. Creswell (2008) enumerated
the major steps in conducting research.
The steps generally represent the overall process; however, they should be viewed as an
ever-changing iterative process rather than a fixed set of steps. Most research begins with a
general statement of the problem, or rather, the purpose for engaging in the study. The
literature review identifies flaws or holes in previous research which provides justification for
the study. Often, a literature review is conducted in a given subject area before a research
question is identified. A gap in the current literature, as identified by a researcher, then
engenders a research question. The research question may be parallel to the hypothesis.
The hypothesis is the supposition to be tested. The researcher collects data to test the
hypothesis. The researcher then analyzes and interprets the data via a variety of statistical
methods, engaging in what is known as empirical research. The results of the data analysis
in confirming or failing to reject the Null hypothesis are then reported and evaluated. At the
end, the researcher may discuss avenues for further research. However, some researchers
advocate for the flip approach—starting with articulating findings and discussion of the,.
moving "up" to identification research problems that are emerging in the findings and
literature review introducing the findings. The flip approach is justified by the transactional
nature of the research endeavor where research inquiry, research questions, research
method, relevant research literature, and so on are not fully known until the findings fully
emerge and are interpreted.

Ethics of Research

Ethics is essentially a branch of philosophy that deals with the rightness or wrongness of an
act. It came from the Greek word "ethos" that means "customs". In this case, ethics has
something to do with how things should be done. Analogously, ethics as part of the
philosophical enterprise would like to answer "what ought to be?" Thus, it would like to
know what is right and what is wrong.

Everything in this world has some kind of ethical consideration. Even those who do not
believe in absolute ethics or morality still believe in some kind of right and wrong. It may be
relative but they still consider that there is such a thing as right and wrong. They just
depend on the cultural context of people. In this light, it cannot be denied that research,
being a human activity, also has its ethics. In a similar light, research has some rules that we
must not violate.

In reality, there is no absolute ethics in research. However, there are some general
guidelines that we must consider so that we will not have any problem with how we do our
research endeavor. Here are some of the general rules of research.

Proper Research Structure. When it comes to the structure of research, it follows a certain
pattern. Of course, the usual structure of a research would follow the steps we discussed
earlier. It should begin with the problem and its focus. The next one would tackle the
research design and methodology. Then, theory or the hypothesis will be tested in the
research. The data collection and making sense of this data will follow so that we can
answer the research question. The last part would be making recommendations on how to
utilize or improve the research. Following the structure would make the research become
correct. However, depending on the research, this structure may change especially if we are
going to talk about qualitative research design.

Proper Research Content. The content of the research is as important as its structure.
Apparently, the content of a research should be original. This would mean that the content
should contribute something new to the research enterprise. If ever the research is a
replication (this happens when you want to test your theory and hypothesis), the study
should not be a photocopied version of the original study. There should still be something
new in it (e.g., the data and how it is treated). The content should be factual or truthful.
There should be no attempt to deceive the readers and manufacture data. Apparently, this is
the reason why the findings of a certain research should be verifiable.

Ethics for the Respondents. Basically, the respondents of a research should be given
respect. Since the respondents are usually human beings, they should be treated as human
beings. If it is an experimental research about certain objects, hen, there is not much
problem. For as long as it does not bring about more problems for society, then, it is ethical.
However, it is a different story if we are dealing with human beings. They cannot be
experimented upon or controlled without their consent. Also, deception must not be done
unless it is part of the research. It should be remembered that if ever deception will be used,
it should not hurt the respondents or affect them in any negative manner. Consequently, it
is advised that a debriefing will be done to explain to the respondents why deception was
used. But, in general, deception is not encouraged in the conduct of research. Another
important reminder for researchers who will conduct surveys and interviews, the
respondents should be informed of all the possible information or risks a research may
bring.
Credibility, Reliability, and Honesty. The research should be credible, reliable, and done
with honesty. Essentially, this is the reason why we use other sources to make the research
credible and reliable. We use the work and ideas of other scholars and researchers to
support our arguments in the research. However, it is a mistake to claim their ideas to be
ours. This is known as the crime of plagiarism. Plagiarism is an intellectual dishonesty. This is
probably the worst crime a researcher can commit. Basically, this happens when we claim
the ideas of others as our own. This is the reason why we use citations to recognize our
sources. This allows us to use the ideas of others but, it does not mean that we are claiming
it as our own. Hence by recognizing our sources, we can avoid plagiarism and be honest
with our research enterprise.

All these ethical considerations are all important in our endeavor. We should always
remember them so that we can do research in an appropriate manner. It should be noted,
however, that these ethics of research are just general rules. Just like every rule, there would
be some exceptions especially when it comes to the concept of consent from the
respondents. Moreover, each form of research would have different ethical considerations
since each type of research is done differently. Hence, different forms of research would
entail different ethical considerations.
Lesson 3: Difference between Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Generally, there are two types of research: quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative
research is a form of research that uses statistical data as the main source of knowledge.
Basically, this form of research would like to operationalize reality into numbers that can
easily be analyzed. In this light, it can establish the causal relationships among the different
variables (dependent and independent) it studies. This form of research is often done in the
physical and natural sciences because there is a need for a higher degree of control that can
be done in laboratories. However, the social sciences have also delved into this form of
research due to its explanatory power and its main aim of generalization. For example, when
a survey firm would conduct a survey on who would possibly be the next president of the
Philippines during election time. Survey firms like Social Weathers Station (SWS) and Pulse
Asia would use sampling methods to determine who would be the respondents of the
survey they are conducting. From these samples (since they would not be able to conduct
the survey to the whole population of the Philippines), they would gather their opinion on
whom they will vote for. If done properly, quantitative researchers argue that the result of
the survey is representative of the opinion of the whole population. Thus, they can
generalize the results.

As compared to the previous form, qualitative research relies not on numerical analysis but
on narratives and stories coming from its research participants. It aims to construct a story
and a "thick" description of the object of the study. In this case, this form of research uses
documents, anecdotes, and observations as sources of data. Also, instead of trying to
establish causal relations, the qualitative researcher would like to give a description on what
the respondents really want to say. For example, one form of qualitative research is
ethnography. In a nutshell, an ethnographic study would like to construct culture maps. This
culture map is essentially a thick description of a cultural event or activity. Let us say one
researcher would like to research on the culture of the Igorots in Baguio. The researcher can
do this in two ways. First, the researcher can become a participant in the culture of Igorots
and immerse himself in it (Participatory Research). Second, the researcher can just observe
the culture as a detached observer (Observer Approach). Either way, the aim of the research
is to come up with a vivid and detailed description of the culture of the people. The
researcher can also employ some interviews with the members or leaders of the tribe to
understand them better. Thus, unlike quantitative research, qualitative research does not
aim for objectivity rather it recognizes the fact that there is subjectivity. Moreover, it aims
for a description not a generalization.

These two general types of research are not necessarily mutually exclusive. However, it
should be recognized that the advantages of one are the disadvantages of the other and
vice-versa. For example, quantitative research has the power for generalization due its large
number of samples. Consequently, the data gathered will be more relevant and more
credible than data gathered from a few respondents. But, the data gathered in a
quantitative research are purely numbers. They do not necessarily answer the question of
"why" and "how". In fact, the main criticism against quantitative research is that it is
reductionist—it reduces reality into numbers; thus, it falls under the danger of
oversimplification. On the other hand, qualitative research can make sense of what the
respondents are really saying because they are expressed as the respondents express them.
In effect, qualitative research avoids oversimplifying reality because it avoids reducing
responses into numbers. The only criticism here is that the respondents of qualitative
researchers are too few that they do not necessarily represent a certain population. Thus,
there is a little to no room for generalization.

The Difference between Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Lesson 4: Characteristics, Strengths and Weaknesses,
and Kinds of Qualitative Research
The Key Characteristics of Qualitative Research

1. Studying behavior as it occurs naturally within the setting. A natural setting is

one that the researcher does not manipulate or control. In Schempp's study, the
setting is the physical education classrooms in Hillcrest High School, in Hillcrest, a
small rural community in the Pacific Northwest. The physical education classrooms in
the high school were natural settings because the researcher was studying the
experienced physical education teacher and his ability to acquire knowledge
necessary to teach. The physical education teacher taught in the physical education
classrooms, therefore making them his natural setting and thus where Schempp
could naturally observe his behavior without altering or interfering with his
environment.
2. Direct Data Collection. Narrative data is collected over long periods of time from
observations and interviews and analyzed using interpretive techniques (the
researcher personally collects the data and then interprets what the data means and
why). In Schempp's study, he collected data directly using various techniques,
including nonparticipant observations, artifact and document analysis, stimulated
recall using videotaped classes, and formal and informal interviews. The physical
education teacher was interviewed, as well as other school personnel. Field notes
were recorded during and after observations and a summary statement was made
off site after each day of data collection. Direct data collection is important in
qualitative research studies because by observing naturally occurring behavior over
many hours or days, the researcher hopes to obtain a rich understanding of the
phenomenon being studied. Schempp spent about four months observing the
physical education teacher (daily for the first month and then on average twice a
 week after that); this significant amount of time makes it more likely that his data will
be valid and credible.
3. Having rich narrative descriptions. The reader needs to understand the context of
the study in detail in order to better understand the phenomena being studied. In
Schempp's study, he describes the setting in detail, including the type of community
(rural, small) as well as detailed information regarding the school's history of
educational excellence and to what extent physical education classes are required for
the student's. The study also specifies the content of the physical education teacher's
classes and their specific curriculum (gymnastics, outdoor education, etc.), and his
teaching behavior (well-rehearsed, time-worn rituals). This detail gives the reader an
idea of the participant and the environment in which he interacts and provides in-
depth understanding of contexts and behaviors (can picture it in your head).
4. Process Orientation. Process orientation focuses on why and how behaviors occur.
In Schempp's study, the physical education teacher, from years of contact with many
sources of occupationally useful information, seemed to have a clear sense of both
the expectations others held for him and his own purpose for being in the school.
After years of service, the physical education teacher had a well developed set of
criteria to guide his acquisition of occupational knowledge. These criteria allowed
him to identify gaps in his knowledge and to assess new knowledge in light of its
potential contribution to his teaching. Because the teacher acquired new knowledge
based on his experiences, interests, values, beliefs, and orientations, his professional
knowledge appeared personal and idiosyncratic. In other words, the teacher taught
the way he did because after years of experience, he was set in his ways and
therefore taught the curriculum of his classes according to his knowledge base and
perhaps personal preferences.
5. Inductive Data Analysis. Generalizations induced from synthesizing gathered
information. Once data is collected and summarized, the researcher looks for
relationships among the categories and patterns that suggest generalizations,
models, and conclusions. Based on the data collected, the researcher interprets the
findings. In Schempp's study, he found that the physical education teacher had
constructed a comfortable set of criteria for evaluating and selecting knowledge
necessary for his day-to-day classroom operation. In other words, the teacher
increased his knowledge base based on his interests and what he needed to know in
order to instruct his class. The researcher generalized that the teacher was set in his
ways after many years of teaching and therefore expanded his knowledge base
primarily for his own educational benefit (what he was interested in that also fit into
the class's curriculum requirements). Though the teacher was set in his ways, he did
acquire knowledge necessary to teach. The researcher did find that classroom order
and operation held the highest priority in the teacher's knowledge; subject matter
was chosen based on his personal interests and workplace conditions.
6. Participant Perspectives (focus on participant's understanding and
meaning). Participant perspectives are important because each participant could
 understand things differently and do things differently than another because there
are multiple realities. In order for a researcher to obtain a valid participant
perspective, they must develop a long-term and trusting relationship with the
participants. Schempp collected data from students, teachers, and administrators to
obtain multiple perspectives regarding the physical education teacher's ability to
acquire new knowledge necessary to teach his classes. Schempp also developed a
relationship with the teacher by observing him for a long period of time (one year)
and building an open relationship with him. When a trusting relationship is built, the
participants may be more likely to be "themselves", thereby increasing the validity of
your data and findings.
7. Emergent Research Designs. The research design evolves and changes as the study
takes place. In Schempp's study, the research design changed in the sense that the
researcher observed daily for a month and then only twice a week for the rest of the
study length. Schempp analyzed data during the study, which allowed data collection
techniques to be tailored to gather data that were amenable to testing and
understanding the emerging themes (techniques included triangulation of methods,
member checks, etc.). The overall data collected showed that little changed in the
observable practices of Bob's day-to-day activities as a teacher and he became
predictable in his course of action. The study did state that the students and staff
underestimated how much the teacher screened and reviewed information
pertaining to increasing his knowledge base for the class.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Research

Kind of Qualitative Research

There are a variety of ways of doing qualitative research. As we have already established,
research cannot and must not be done in a monotonous manner. This would mean that
every research study should be done differently since it must jive with the purpose and
significance of the study. Moreover, unlike quantitative research, the conduct of qualitative
research is not rigid. It has a certain flexibility that must be considered. Hence, there is a
need to identify the different forms of qualitative research and how they are done to allow
our teachers and students to be aware of their similarities and differences.

Historical Research aims to investigate the past. It would like to establish how the past has
affected the present and its implications on the future. As Jose Rizal remarked in his essay
entitled "The Philippines a Century Hence:", "in order for us to know the future of a nation,
we should open the book of its past". As an example of a historical work, Rizal's essay
proves how important historical research is in understanding the present so that you can
predict the future. Thus, historical research, although about the past, is still very important
for our country's present and future.

Ethnography is a kind of qualitative study used in the discipline of sociology and

anthropology. This research aims to construct cultural maps. Essentially, it would like to
make thick descriptions of a certain culture or cultural activity. In this light, the
epistemological perspective of interpretivism is usually followed by researchers engaged in
ethnography.

Case Study is a kind of study that can sometimes be confused with an ethnographic study
due to a lot of similarities. However, there is a distinct characteristic that separates a case
study from an ethnographic one. A case study has a very specific focus—it has a specific
time frame, specific group, specific place, and specific problem. Hence, a case study has high
levels of specifications before it can be considered as such. As compared to ethnography, a
case study is narrower.

Phenomenological Study is another type of qualitative research. The concept of

phenomenology came from the philosopher Edmund Husserl. Basically, phenomenology
aims to come up with the very essence of human experience. Consequently, a
phenomenological study might involve a very deep and personal way of exposing the
essence of different human experiences. Moreover, since it recognizes the idea of
subjectivity, it is very important for researchers who delve in this kind of research endeavor
to relate to their respondents. At its very core, even if there is subjectivity, the researcher
would later find out that the essence of an experience is the same with different persons
(although every experience is considered to be different from one person to another). Thus,
it also introduces the concept of intersubjectivity.

Action Research is done frequently in education research. Basically, this kind of research is
done to immediately improve a problematic situation. Hence, this variant provides
immediate solutions to immediate problems. For example, an instructor may conduct action
research to improve the grades of his/her students. Action research perfectly follows the
epistemological perspective of critical theory. In short, it would like to use its findings as
guidance for action.

Qualitative research is really a complex research design. It has many varied types; each one
having its own identity. This would lead us to the idea that if we want to conduct qualitative
research, we should be ready for the richness and challenge that it will present to us.
Lesson 5: Importance of Qualitative Research across Fields
of Inquiry
Qualitative Research is all about exploring issues, understanding phenomena, and
answering questions. While there's a whole industry engaged in its pursuit, qualitative
research also happens in nearly every workplace and study environment, nearly every day.

Qualitative observational research describes and classifies various cultural, racial, and/or
sociological groups by employing interpretive and naturalistic approaches. It is both
observational and narrative in nature and relies less on the experimental elements normally
associated with scientific research (reliability, validity, and generalizability). Connelly and
Clandinin (1990) suggest that qualitative inquiry relies more on apparency, verisimilitude
and transferability. On the other hand, Lincoln and Guba (1965) emphasize the importance
of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability in qualitative studies. Because
the field of qualitative research is still evolving, the criteria and terminology for its
evaluation are not yet agreed upon.

What is agreed upon is that qualitative observational research is a systematic inquiry into
the nature or qualities of observable group behaviors in order to learn what it means to be a
member of that group. The researcher's job, rather than to describe a stable entity, is to give
continually updated accounts of observations on multiple levels of group interactions that
occur on both a temporal and continuous basis simultaneously.

Thus, this type of research attempts to identify and explain complex social structures within
the study group. Typically, qualitative research methodologies are combined with each
other in order to provide comparative results. A triangulation of methods (also called
multiple methods), where three or more methodologies are used and the results compared
against each other, is common and can provide a more complete understanding of the
behavior of the study group.