The document provides guidance on writing the introduction chapter of a research proposal. The introduction should present the research problem and provide necessary background context. It begins with a general statement of the problem area and a specific research problem. The rationale and justification for the proposed study are also presented. Guidelines are provided for writing the introduction, statement of the problem, assumptions, hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and delimitations, limitations, conceptual framework, and definition of terms.

1. HOW TO WRITE
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND
ITS SETTING

2. THE INTRODUCTION
• The main purpose of the introduction is to
provide the necessary background or context for
your research problem. How to frame the
research problem is perhaps the biggest problem
in proposal writing.
• The introduction typically begins with a general
statement of the problem area, with a focus on a
specific research problem, to be followed by the
rational or justification for the proposed study.

3. Guidelines in writing the
introduction
1. Presentation of the Problem
2. The existence of an unsatisfactory condition, a felt
problem that needs solution.
3. Rationale of the study
4. Historical background of the problem
5. A desire to have deeper and cleared understanding of a
situation, circumstances, or phenomena
6. A desire to find a better way of doing something or of
improving a product
7. A desire to discover something
8. Geographical conditions of the study locale
9. A link between the introduction and the statement of the
problem

4. Statement of the Problem
The statement problem will contain
a definition of the general need for
the study, and the specific problem
that will be addressed.

5. Guidelines in formulating the general problem
and the specific sub-problems or specific
questions1. The general statement of the problem and the
specific subproblems or questions should be
formulated first before conducting the research.
2. It is customary to state specific sub-problems in the
interrogative form. Hence, sub-problems are called
specific questions.
3. Each Specific question must be clear and
unequivocal, that is, it has only one meaning. It
must not have dual meanings.
4. Each Specific question is researchable apart from
the other questions, that is, answers each specific
question can be found even without considering the
other questions.

6. 5. Each specific question must be based upon known
facts and phenomena. Besides, data from such
facts and phenomena must be accessible to make
the specific question researchable.
6. Answer to each specific question can be interpreted
apart from the answer to the other specific
questions.
7. Answers to each specific question must contribute
to the development of the whole research problem
or topic.
8. Summing up the answers to all the specific
questions will give a complete development of the
entire study.

7. 9. The number of specific questions should be
enough to cover the development of the whole
research problem or study.
a) Qualification of the teachers especially educational
b) Methods and strategies of teaching used and their level of effectiveness
c) Facilities available, instructional & non-instructional and their adequacy
d) Adequacy of supervisory assistance extended to teachers;
e) Comparison between the perceptions of the teacher & those of the
students concerning their different aspects;
f) Problems encountered by the teachers in teaching science;
g) Proposal to solve or help solve the problems; &
h) Implication of the study to the teaching of science.
10. Generally, there should be a general statement of
the problem and then this should be broken up into
as many subproblems or specific questions as
necessary.

8. ASSUMPTIONS
Assumptions are self-evident truths. In a
qualitative study, it may be assumed that
participants be highly qualified in the study
is about administrators. It can be assumed
that participants will answer truthfully and
accurately to the interview questions based
on their personal experience, and that
participants will respond honestly and to the
best of their individual abilities.

9. Assumptions are statements of facts related
to the research problems that are presumed
to be true on the basis of observations and
experience although not actually verified.
They are stated so as to provide foundation
from which the study will proceed, and an
additional basis for validation of variables
of interest. As the term suggests,
assumptions do not require testing or
confirmation.

10. Guidelines in the use of basic assumptions
1. You cannot assume the value of your study. Such an
argument should have been made under the section,
significance of the study.
2. You cannot assume the reliability of the instruments
you propose to use in your research. Such rationale
and defense should be made under methodology.
3. You cannot assume the validity of the basic data.
Validity is established under methodology.
4. You cannot assume that your population is typical.
This point is to be made under methodology.
5. An assumption is not tested, neither is it defended
nor argued.

11. HYPOTHESES
A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion or
answer to a specific question raised at the
beginning of the investigation. It is an
educated guess about the answer to a
specific question.
It is a suggested answer to the problem. It
may be defined as an expectation about
events based on generalizations of the
assumed relationship between variables or
difference between groups (Aquino, 1992).

12. Two types of hypothesis
1. Alternative Hypothesis – affirms the existence
of a phenomenon, acceptance of the attribute
of relationship, effects and differences.

13. Two types of hypothesis
2. Null Hypothesis - a denial of attribute,
an existence, a difference or an effect or
relationship expressed in negative
statement.

14. Guidelines in the formulation of explicit
hypotheses
1. In experimental investigations, hypotheses have to be
explicit, they have to be expressed. They have to be expressed
also in comparative and correlational studies.
2. In descriptive and historical investigations, hypotheses are
seldom expressed if not entirely absent. The subproblems or
specific questions raised before the start of the investigation
and stated under the statement of the problem serve as the
hypotheses.
3. Hypotheses are usually stated in the null form because
testing a null hypotheses is easier than a hypotheses in the
operational form. Testing a hypothesis simply means
gathering data to answer it.
4. Hypotheses are formulated from the specific questions upon
which they are based

15. Significance of the Study
The significance is a statement of why it is
important to determine the answer to the gap in
the knowledge, and is related to improving the
human condition. The contribution to the body of
knowledge is described, and summarizes who will
be able to use the knowledge to make better
decisions, improve policy, advance science, or
other uses of the new information. The “new” data
is the information used to fill the gap in the
knowledge.

16. Significance of a study should consider why their
work is important and what its implications are.
They should consider how the study might fill in
knowledge gaps in their field, develop better
theoretical models or point the way toward further
study. Researchers should also examine what
impact the study might have not just on the
academic or scientific community but also on the
general public. They should present practical
benefits, such as how the work might inform policy,
improve some aspect of people's lives, help people
save money, make a process more efficient or help
the environment.

17. Guidelines in explaining the importance
of the study
1. The rationale, timeless and/or relevance of the
study.
2. Possible solutions to existing problems or
improvement to unsatisfactory conditions.
3. Who are to be benefited and how they are going
to be benefited.
4. Possible contribution to the fund of knowledge.
5. Possible implications

18. Scope - is the extent of the study and
contains measurements. In a qualitative study
this would include the number of participants,
the geographical location, and other pertinent
numerical data. In a quantitative study the
size of the elements of the experiment are
cited. The generalizability of the study may be
cited. The word generalizability, which is not
in the Word 2007 dictionary, means the extent
to which the data are applicable in places
other than where the study took place, or
under what conditions the study took place.

19. Delimitations are limitations on the
research design imposed deliberately
by the researcher. Delimitations in a
social sciences study would be such
things as the specific school district
where a study took place, or in a
scientific study, the number of
repetitions.

20. Guidelines in writing the scope and
delimitations
1. A brief statement of the general purpose of the study.
2. The subject matter and topics studied and discussed.
3. The locale of the study, where the data were gathered
or the entity to which the data belong.
4. The population or universe from which the
respondents were selected. This must be large
enough to make generalizations significant.
5. The period of the study. This is the time, either
months or years , during which the data were
gathered.

21. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Limitations of a study are those things over
which the research has no control. Evident
limitations are potential weaknesses of a
study. Researcher biases and perceptual
misrepresentations are potential limitations
in a qualitative study; in a quantitative
study, a limitation may be the capability of
an instrument to accurately record data.

22. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Conceptual framework consists of the
investigator’s own position on a problem after
his exposure to various theories that have
bearing on the problem. It is the researcher’s
new model which has its roots on the previous
models which the researcher had studied
(Sanchez,pp14-15). The conceptual framework
becomes the central theme, the focus, the main
thrust of the study. It serves as a guide in
conducting investigation.

23. Paradigm
A paradigm is a diagrammatic representation
of a conceptual framework. It depicts in a
more vivid way what the conceptual
framework wants to convey.

24. Definition of Terms
The definition of terms is written for
knowledgeable peers, not people from
other disciplines as such, it is not the
place to fill pages with definitions that
knowledgeable peers would know the
glance. Instead, define terms that may
have more than one meaning among
knowledgeable peers.

25. Guidelines in Defining terms
1. Only terms, words, or phrase which have special or unique
meanings in the study are defined.
2. Terms should be defined operationally, that is how they are
used in the study.
3. The researcher may develop his own definition from the
characteristics of the term defined.
4. Definitions may be taken from encyclopedia, books,
magazines, and newspaper articles, dictionaries, and other
publications but researcher must acknowledge his sources.
5. Definitions should a/be brief, clear, and unequivocal as
possible.
6. Acronyms should always be spelled out fully especially if it
is not commonly known or if it is used for the first time.

26. Thank You!!!