Learning Materials

1. Senior High School
Practical Research II
Quarter 1 – Module 4.3
Background of the Research Study

2. COPYRIGHT 2020
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Practical Research II
Quarter 1 – Module 4.3
Background of the Research Study
Senior High School

4. ii
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to the Practical Research II Self-Learning Module on Background of
the Research Study.
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by
educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or
facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum
while overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims
to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body
of the module:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:
Welcome to the Practical Research II Self-Learning Module on Background of
the Research Study.
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled
to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
Notes to the Teacher
This contains helpful tips or strategies that will help
you in guiding the learners.

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This module has the following parts:
Activity : This will bring understanding to what you already know
and experience to what you should learn further.
Analysis : In this phase, you will process and classify what is valid
and not for a more in-depth understanding.
Abstraction : This part leads you in reinforcing what you know and
should know more. Exercises are presented for
independent practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic.
Application : This stage brings you to a more practical way that you are
going to use what you have learned and think new ways
on how it can be improved further.

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CONTENTS OF THE MODULE
Page
Content Standard 1
Performance Standard 1
Learning Competency 1
Learning Objectives 1
LEARNING TASKS
Day Learning Task
1 Introduction 1-2
Review of the Previous Module
Presentation of the New Module
2 Activity 3
3 Analysis 4
4 Abstraction 5-8
5 Application 9-12
Reflect
Post-Test
References 13

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Background of the Research Study
CONTENT STANDARD
The learners demonstrate understanding of the range of research topics in the
area of inquiry, the value of research in the area of interest, and the specificity and
feasibility of the problem posed.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learners should be able to formulate clearly the statement of the problem.
LEARNING COMPETENCY
Describe the background of the research (CS_RS12-Id-e-3)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the module, you are expected to:
1. discuss the background of the research;
2. explain how the statement of the problem relates to the
background of the study; and
3. create a comprehensive, substantial, and relevant background of
the study
INTRODUCTION
Several reasons are behind your choice of a particular topic to research on.
Your curiosity or familiarity about an animate creature or inanimate object and its
functionality inspire you to discover more about such a person or thing. Whatever
experience or background knowledge you have about your chosen topic becomes
valuable and believable only as regards your acts of proving the validity or truthfulness
of your claims about your topic, if these ideas of yours are related to what the world or
other people already know or have already discovered or done about your chosen
topic. Aligning your thinking with other people’s ideas displayed legally and
professionally in varied literary works lends credibility to whatever ideas you have
about your research study.
This self-paced module is aimed at students in the ‘new normal’ educational
setting as prescribed by the Department of Education. It addresses a broad range of
learning objectives designed to enrich learners’ knowledge and fun-filled learning
experience in Practical Research 2. With its authentic and real world activities, you
acquire competence through gaining insights and understanding of the nature of
quantitative research and its types for deeper appreciation.

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The module promotes independent learning of the target themes, concepts, and
competencies that will develop your 21st century real life-based skills. This module
provides you with meaningful tasks to develop your skills for academic success and
the world of work. It is anchored on the general principles, goals, and objectives of the
K to 12 Basic Education program for Grade 12 that will enable you to become a self-
actualizing, productive and effective participant of the society and the world at large.
REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS MODULE
Directions: What do you think are the attributes of a good research title? Explain why.
___________________________________________________________________
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PRESENTATION OF THE NEW MODULE
While the findings of your study form the foreground of your research, it is
equally important to establish the background of your study. A well-written background
will provide your study with a context and prompt the readers to read the rest of your
paper.
However, most authors struggle with writing the background of the study.
Another common problem authors encounter is distinguishing between the
background and the literature review, which is the critical aspect of any research
paper. The two terms are often used interchangeably; however, they have clearly
defined roles.
This new module contains exercises to hone your skills in analyzing problems
and finding solutions based on factual information and data. Tasks and activities are
designed to improve your Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) which will enable you
to employ analytic listening skills.
In this module, you will come across passages and statements from literature
and other sources and identify these statements as to their substance and meaning.
By being analytical and creative, you will organize your thoughts and ideas using
graphic organizers and other assessment tools aptly designed for independent
learning.

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ACTIVITY
Directions: Answer the following questions based on your understanding.
1. Explain what the background of the research study is.
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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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2. How is the background of the study different from the introduction?
___________________________________________________________________
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3. How is the background of the study different from the literature review?
___________________________________________________________________
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“I know you can do it. Now it’s time for you to EXPLORE the mystery behind
the picture. You’re doing great!

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ANALYSIS
Directions: In the diagram below, state based on your understanding in the previous
activity about the things to consider in formulating the background of the study.
Good job! I told you, you can do better! It is time to read on.
BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY

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ABSTRACTION
What is Background in a Research Paper?
While there are many elements to a good research article, one of the most
important elements for your readers is the background of your study. The background
of your study will provide context to the information discussed throughout the research
paper. Background information may include both important and relevant studies. This
is particularly important if a study either supports or refutes your thesis.
In addition, the background of the study will discuss your problem statement,
rationale, and research questions. It links introduction to your research topic and
ensures a logical flow of ideas. Thus, it helps readers understand your reasons for
conducting the study.
The background of the study establishes the context of the research. This
section explains why this particular research topic is important and essential to
understanding the main aspects of the study. Usually, the background forms the first
section of a research article/thesis and justifies the need for conducting the study and
summarizes what the study aims to achieve.
Providing Background Information
The reader should be able to understand your topic and its importance. The
length and detail of your background also depend on the degree to which you need to
demonstrate your understanding of the topic. Paying close attention to the following
questions will help you in writing the background information in your research paper:
● Are there any theories, concepts, terms, and ideas that may be unfamiliar
to the target audience and will require you to provide any additional
explanation?
● Any historical data that need to be shared in order to provide context on why
the current issue emerged?
● Are there any concepts that may have been borrowed from other disciplines
that may be unfamiliar to the reader and need an explanation?
● Is the research study unique for which additional explanation is needed?
What Makes the Introduction Different from the Background of the Study?
Your introduction is different from your background in a number of ways. First,
the introduction contains preliminary data about your topic that the reader will most
likely read. Secondly, the background of your study discusses in depth about the topic,
whereas the introduction only gives an overview. Lastly, your introduction should end

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with your research questions, aims, and objectives, whereas your background should
not (except in some cases where your background is integrated into your introduction).
What Makes the Literature Review Different from the Background of the Study?
A background of the study and a literature review are essential parts of a
research paper. However, it is easy to get confused between them while writing your
manuscript. What makes it so difficult to distinguish between the two? Well, both
sections talk about the existing scientific knowledge in a research area and highlight
gaps that need to be addressed.
Many authors find it difficult to discern the difference between the literature
review and the study background. The literature review section should follow the
background section, as the second section of your manuscript/thesis. This section
basically supports the background section by providing evidence for the proposed
hypothesis. This section should be more comprehensive and thoroughly describe all
the studies that you have mentioned in the background section. It should also
elaborate on all studies that form evidence for the present study and discuss the
current trends.
To write this section, you will need to do a thorough literature search on different
studies that relate to the broad topic of your research. This will introduce the readers
to the area of your research. Following this, you should present a more focused survey
of the specific studies that are associated with the precise objective of your study. It
would be ideal to organize them thematically and discuss them chronologically so that
readers are aware of the evolution and progress in the field. In other words, separate
themes should be discussed chronologically to highlight how research in those fields
has progressed over time. This will highlight what has been done and what are the
future directions that need to be worked upon.
So how can you effectively write each section without getting confused? This
infographic lists 6 differences to help you distinguish between the background of a
study and a literature review.

13. 7
Source: https://www.editage.com/insights/6-differences-between-a-study-background-and-a-literature-review
How to make the background engaging
As the background includes a lot of information, it can become a long drag,
causing the readers to lose interest. To ensure that your background is engaging, you
should try to build a story around the central theme of your research.
Ensure that the story adheres to the core idea and does not digress into a broad
literature review. Each idea should lead to the next so that readers are able to grasp
the story and themselves identify the gaps that your study is going to address.
How to avoid common mistakes in writing the background
While writing an effective background, you ought to steer clear of some mistakes. The
most common mistakes in writing the background include the following:
● Don’t write a background that is too long or too short. Focus on including all
the important details but write concisely.

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● Don’t be ambiguous. Writing in a way that does not convey the message to
the readers defeats the purpose of the background, so express yourself
keeping in mind that the reader does not know your research intimately.
● Don’t discuss unrelated themes. Try and center your discussion around the
pivotal aspects of your research topic i.e. highlight the gaps in the literature,
state the novelty of the study, and the need to conduct the study.
● Don’t be disorganized. Not discussing the themes in a chronological manner
can confuse the reader about the progress in the field, so try and organize
your writing carefully.
Points to Note
Your background should begin with defining a topic and audience. It is
important that you identify which topic you need to review and what your audience
already knows about the topic. You should proceed by searching and researching the
relevant literature. In this case, it is advisable to keep track of the search terms you
used and the articles that you downloaded. Next, it is helpful to take notes while
reading. Be careful when copying quotes verbatim and make sure to put them in
quotation marks and cite the sources. In addition, you should keep your background
focused but balanced enough so that it is relevant to a broader audience. Aside from
these, your background should be critical, consistent, and logically structured.
Writing the background of your study should not be an overly daunting task.
Many guides that can help you organize your thoughts as you write the background.
The background of the study is the key to introduce your audience to your research
topic and should be done with strong knowledge and thoughtful writing.

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APPLICATION
Directions: In the research title you have formulated in the previous module
(application part), try to search relevant articles and make a short but concise
background of the study. Take note of the things to consider in making this part of the
research. Use separate paper if necessary.
“That was excellent! Keep it up!
REFLECT
You did it well! Congratulations on finishing the supplementary learning module!
You have just had an amazing learning journey and for sure, you will also do the same
in the succeeding modules.
For the last time, share your final insights by completing the following sentence
prompts. It was such a wonderful learning experience with you.
3 Things I learned today…
2 Things I found interesting…
1 1 Question I still have…

16. 10
POST-TEST
Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the correct letter that best describes the question
or completes the statement. Write your answer before the number.
_____ 1. Which of the following is a good research question?
A. To produce a report on student job searching behaviors
B. To identify the relationship between self-efficacy and student job
searching behaviors
C. Students with higher levels of self-efficacy will demonstrate more
active job searching behaviors
D. Do students with high levels of self-efficacy demonstrate more active
job searching behaviors?
____ 2. A reasoning where we start with certain particular statements and conclude
with a universal statement is called
A. Abnormal Reasoning
B. Deductive Reasoning
C. Inductive Reasoning
D. Transcendental Reasoning
____ 3. Which of the following is the first step in starting the research process?
A. Identification of problem
B. Survey of related literature
C. Searching for solutions to the problem
D. Searching sources of information to locate problems.
____4. Preparing your mind how to find answers to your research questions is
_______________.
A. asking research questions
B. controlling your emotions
C. designing your research
D. deciding on your research topic
____5. Mr. Cruz identified his research topic as "classroom assessment." He
recognized very quickly his topic was far too broad. Which of the following is
likely to have led to that conclusion?
A. There was far too much written on the topic to understand it all.
B. It was difficult to organize the material he was collecting in an
effective manner.
C. The potential problems he began thinking about would be next to
impossible to study.
D. All of the above

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____6. A background of a study prior to formulating research questions allows the
researcher to:
A. Guide the development of research questions
B. Present the kinds of research methodologies used in previous
studies
C. Provide an up-to-date understanding of the subject, its significance,
and structure
D. All of the above
____ 7. Why is it important to have well formulated research questions?
A. It leads to more focused research.
B. It provides more structure to my work.
C. It gives greater clarity to the research process and what you wish to
research.
D. All of the above
____ 8. Which of the following is a criterion for a good research question?
A. Questions should be long and use complex terms
B. Questions should show where my research biases are.
C. Questions should sound contemporary.
D. Questions should connect with established theory and research.
____ 9. Designing a research is thinking _______________.
A. Critically
B. Imaginatively
C. Literally
D. Skilfully
_____ 10. The essential qualities of a researcher are
A. Spirit of free inquiry
B. Reliance on observation and evidence
C. Systematization or theorizing of knowledge
D. All the above
_____ 11. Researcher designs an experiment to test how variables interact to
influence job-seeking behaviors. The main purpose of the study was:
A. Description
B. Explanation
C. Exploration
D. Prediction

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____ 12. The feasibility of a research study should be considered in light of:
A. Cost and time required to conduct the study
B. Access to gatekeepers and respondents
C. Potential ethical concerns
D. All of the above
____13. What quantitative research measures?
A. Feelings and opinions
B. Numbers and figures
C. Numbers and feelings
D. All of the above
____ 14. Which of the following should not be a criterion for a good research project?
A. Develops the skills of the researcher
B. Demonstrates the abilities of the researcher
C. Is dependent on the completion of other projects
D. Demonstrates the integration of different fields of knowledge
____ 15. Which of the following is NOT a legitimate research problem as stated?
A. What is the relationship between the number of books a child has
read and their reading scores?
B. Should competitive games be banned from elementary schools?
C. What does it mean to be a special needs child "included" in Ms.
Pierre's fourth-grade class?
D. What are the major legal principles applied to educational cases
decided by the U.S. Supreme Court under the last Chief Justice?
“Hey, I would like to send my congratulations to you! You’re so amazing.
I hope you got a perfect score by this time. But if you still have some errors, you
may read the module again and do some additional research.

19. 13
REFERENCES
Babbie, E. 2014. The basics of social research. 6th ed. USA: Wadsworth
Cengage Learning.
Bernard, R. 2013. Social research method: Qualitative and quantitative
approach. Los Angeles: Sage.
Prieto, N., et al. (2017). Practical research 2 for senior high school. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc. pp.32-33..
Online Resources
https://study.sagepub.com/grayresearchbusiness2/student-resources/multiple-
choice-quizzes
http://www.netugc.com/multiple-choice-type-questions-and-answers-201-250
https://wps.prenhall.com/chet_airasian_edresearch_7/5/1488/380982.cw/index.html
https://global.oup.com/uk/orc/xedition/brymanbrm4exe/student/mcqs/ch02/
https://www.enago.com/academy/what-is-background-in-a-research-paper/
https://education.seattlepi.com/stepbystep-background-study-thesis-1626.html
https://www.enago.com/academy/what-is-background-in-a-research-paper/
https://www.editage.com/insights/6-differences-between-a-study-background-and-a-
literature-review
https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-write-the-background-of-your-study

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Schools Division of Surigao del Norte
Peñaranda St., Surigao City
Surigao del Norte, Philippines 8400
Tel. No: (086) 826-8216
Email Address: surigao.delnorte@deped.gov.ph