The document provides guidance on writing Chapter 1 of a thesis, which includes the introduction, framework, statement of the problem, significance of the study, delimitations, and definition of terms. It outlines the content and structure for each section and provides tips for writing them effectively and cohesively. Key recommendations include clearly stating the research problem and objectives, justifying the importance and relevance of the study, limiting the scope appropriately, and using authoritative sources for definitions. The overall aim is to interest the reader and lay the foundation for the research to be undertaken.

1. Some Points to Consider in
Writing a Thesis from
Preliminaries to Chapter 1
Dr. Estela C. Itaas &
Dr. Sol G. Simbulan

2. PRELIMINARIES
1. Use 8”x11” substance 20 bond paper
2. Margins: 1 inch for top, bottom and right
margins; 1.5 inches for left margin
3. Use Times New Roman 12 or Courier
New 12 or Bookman Old style 12
4. Chapter title is at the center heading. Not
all capital letters. Only the beginning of
the word is capitalized, and use the
numeral. e.g. Chapter 1

3. 5. Use 3 single spaces after encoding
Chapter 1, then encode the next title
heading: The Problem. This should NOT
be all capital letters; not written in bold; not
underlined. This is still at the center
6. Use 4 single spaces after encoding: The
Problem
7. Type: Introduction - at the left margin. This
is italicized; not bold, not all caps.

4. 8. All subsequent side subheadings are
italicized, e.g. Framework, Assumptions,
Statement of the Problem, Hypotheses, etc.
9. Use double space all throughout the
manuscript
10. For BSU thesis: Right justified

5. 11. Pagination: Except for the Chapter
page, where no pagination is done,
the rest have page number at the
upper right hand portion.
12. As much as possible, the ink in
your computer should produce a clear
print-out.

6. What are the contents of Chapter 1?
1. Title heading: Chapter 1 The
Problem
2. Introduction
3. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
4. Assumptions (Optional)

7. 5. Statement of the Problem
6. Hypothesis/Hypotheses
7. Significance of the Study
8. Delimitation of the Study
9. Definition of Terms

8. Students Guide in Writing the
Introduction
Based from the title,
• Give a brief general overview of the study
in one paragraph.
• Example: If your title is on Instructional
Practices of Teachers in Combination
Classes: Bases for Policy Guidelines.

9. • Introduce what is Instructional practices
all about in one paragraph; and what is a
combination class on the 2nd paragraph.
• Cite the problems related to instructional
practices in combination classes. These
problems are true to your locale, the place
where the study has to be conducted.

10. • Get a baseline data from what you have
observed; from interviews with teachers;
from some readings. Support this with
some statistical baseline data to have
evidences.
• You can give scenarios, examples, etc to
solidify your claim about the problem.

11. • For instance, you can state the problem
by saying: As observed, there are many
instructional practices of teachers in
combination classes where teachers
encountered some problems. Some of
these problems are….. These could run
from 3 to 4 paragraphs with logical ideas.

12. • Give the importance or rationale of the
study. Why are you studying this? What
makes this study relevant or important:
to your degree program;
to your institution or place of work;
to the local, regional, national concerns
(even global);
to you as the researcher; etc.?
• This could be 1 or 2 paragraphs.

13. • Make a concluding paragraph to cite the
relevance of your study
• Remember, you should make your
introduction interesting so that the reader
will continue to read your paper. Sustain
the interest of your reader.

14. Tips for writing Introduction
• 1. Give a brief general overview to introduce the
topic
• 2. Give the background of the problem
• 3. Cite baseline data; information; observations;
situation to illustrate the problem
• 4. Give strong rationale/justification of the study
• 5. Make a concluding paragraph

15. FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY
(Conceptual or Theoretical)
 Cite where your study is anchored. What is
the framework of your study. Where did you
base your study.
 If you have several sources, you have to
cite them. You can get their ideas but do
not copy them verbatim.
 Should you copy verbatim, this should be
indented and single spaced. However, it is
not advisable to have a long verbatim
citation.

16. The discussion of the anchorage of the
study could be 1 to 4 paragraphs.
Introduce your schema/framework.
See to it that the variables are described
and discussed.
The discussion should be coherent and
interrelated.
Do not discuss in isolation, as if you are
defining terminologies.

17.  You could to represent your framework
• as a relationship (cause-effect, that is, one factor
influences/affects/causes the other);
• as an input-process-output schema;
• as a developmental process (e.g. pre-
development, development, post-development);
• as a variable with several determinants;
• as a flow of the concepts interfacing the main
concept, etc.
 Remember: Concentrate on the focus of your
study.

18. FRAMEWORK
• FRAMEWORK provides the base where
concepts/theories are anchored, focusing
the attention of the research on certain
features of the phenomenon under
investigation and provides a language
system for describing and interpreting the
evidence gathered during the study.

19. • Embedded within the frameworks are
general ideas concerning what and who
will be investigated.
• These provide a point of view and a
language system for describing the
features of the phenomenon and their
relationships.

20. 3 types of conceptual system
(a)paradigms and research
programs,
(b)theories, and
(c)models

21. THEORY
• A set of interrelated constructs/concepts,
definitions and propositions that present a
systematic view of phenomena by
specifying relations among variables with
the purpose of explaining and predicting
the phenomena.

22. PARADIGM
• Ways of thinking or models, patterns,
schemata for research that when carried
out, can lead to the development of theory.
They often represent variables and their
relationships in some graphic or outline
form (Gage, 1985)

23. MODELS
• Models are well developed descriptive
analogies used to help visualize, often in
simplified or imitative way, phenomena
that cannot easily or directly observed.
Each model is thus a projection of a
possible system of relationships among
phenomena, realized in verbal, material or
symbolic terms

24. Tips to write the Framework
1. Use a stronger anchorage or bases for
your study.
2. Get an authority to back you up.
3. Study the history/origin of the concept.
Who is the proponent?
4. Get the variables/indicators for the
concepts

25. 5. Draw the schema to conceptualize the
study
6. Schema should jibe with title and
problems
7. Discuss the schema; interconnect the
variables that you mentioned
8. Discuss the variables of the study such
that you relate them to the present
study.

26. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
• Introduce the problem with a general
statement.(Deductive approach – General
to specific) Example: This study will
examine the instructional practices of
teachers in combination classes in
_______ during the SY _____ to provide
bases for policy guidelines

27. • Give the specific problems. As much as
possible you should have the appropriate
instrument to answer the problems raised.
• Example:
• Specifically, it seeks to answer the
following problems:
(cite the problems)

28. Tips for writing the Statement of
the problem
1. Give a brief into to contain the answer to “who,
what, when, where, how”
2. State problems clearly. These should be
researchable
3. Problems should jibe with appropriate
instrument
4. As much as possible use instrument that will
yield empirical data not just perceptions
5. Problems should be relevant to answer the need
of the study

29. Significance of the study
• Give a brief introductory statement, like:
The result of this study will benefit the
following:
• Cite the beneficiaries of the study from the
most benefited to the least benefited. Give
the benefits that could be derived from the
result of the study. Example.

30. • The teachers will be most benefited
because knowing their instructional
practices, they could improve on their
weaknesses. They could continue to
practice their strengths. They could check
on which practices would need to be
replaced…. Give 4-6 sentences. Continue
with another paragraph for the next
beneficiary.

31. • Cite only those who will be benefited and
how they will be benefited
• The benefits should be realistic and
doable, and relevant
• Example: The teacher, the pupils, the
administrators;
• Do not number the beneficiaries.
• Use paragraph form.
Tips for writing the Significance
of the Study

32. Delimitation of the study
• Give a brief introductory paragraph,
indicating what the study is about, when it
is conducted; where it is conducted; This
could give the reader the physical/
geographical delimitation of the study.
Example: This study is delimited to the
instructional practices of teachers in _____
during the school year ____

33. • Indicate how limited is the content; the
variables used; the instrument
delimitation (Content delimitation).
• Example: The variables utilized in this
study is delimited to classroom
organization; classroom management;
classroom teaching; and classroom
activities

34. • Indicate how limited is the procedure
(Procedural delimitation).
• Example: The instruments utilized in the
study will be the researcher-developed
questionnaire with interview guide
questions which will be conducted to
some of the selected respondents.

35. Remember: Indicate the delimitation that is
true to the particular study. You can use
the word only or delimited.
Delimitations are not weaknesses, but those
which you limit because you would only
need these parameters. You could have
included the variables to your study but
you opt not to include these.

36. Tips for writing the delimitation
1. Consider the following delimitation
• a) physical/geographical delimitation
• b) content delimitation
• c) subject delimitation
• d) theoretical delimitation
• e) procedural delimitation

37. 2. As much as possible state your sentences
a delimitation and not as methodology
3. You don’t have to be extensive; Be brief
and concise.
4. Write the delimitation in paragraph form

38. Definition of Terms Used
• Give a brief introductory paragraph,
Example: The following terms are defined
theoretically and/or operationally as used
in the study:

39. • Get only the important key words. You can
get these from the title and the variables
used in the problem. Example:
instructional practices, combination
classes, policy guidelines, etc.
Accordingly, define only the new
terminologies.
• Remember: Get the author and year for
the theoretical definition and see to it that
your operational definition is what you
meant in your study.

40. Tips for writing the Definition of
Terms
1. Define only the important
terminologies/key concepts
2. Use both theoretical and operational
definition
3. Authorities should be taken from primary
sources. Avoid using the dictionary
4. Other terms could be discussed in the
conceptual framework

41. Tips for citing references
1. Use APA format. Author’s name are not all
capitals
2. List references cited in the text
3. Check if sources are related and relevant to the
topic
4. Use internet sources especially from journals,
ISI journals, pdf materials…those with authors
only.
Do not use the wikipedia because these are still
unedited and could change.

42. Work Activity
1. Prepare Chapter 1 of your Research study
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Framework of the study
1.3 Statement of problem
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Delimitation of the Study
1.6 Definition of Terms Used
2. Submit this next week