Research Problem

DEFINING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

            The most difficult phase of any research project is the choice of a suitable problem. The first and fore most step in research process is selecting and defining the research problem.

“ A research problem in general refers to some difficulty which the researcher experiences in the context of either a theoretical or practical solution and wants to obtain the solution for the same.”

 COMPONENTS OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

1.   There must be an individual or a group, which has some difficulty or the problem.

2.   There must be some objectives to be attained.

3.   There must be an alternative means for attaining the objectives.

4.   There must be some doubt in the mind of a researcher with regard to the selection of the alternatives.

5.   There must be some environment to which the difficulty pertains.

SOURCES FOR RESEARCH PROBLEM

            The problems lie everywhere around us. They even lie at our doorstep and in our backyards in order to locate and recognize them one should develop problem awareness or problem consciousness.

1. Classroom, school, home, community and other agencies of education.           Daily contacts with pupils who are the most important individuals in education furnish a rich source for identification of problems. An investigator should keep his mind open in order to identify and select problem from the realms of home environment, peer influences, mass media etc.,

2. Study of related literature. 

      Extensive critical reading in a field makes the investigator familiar with the accumulated facts in the field and serves as the guide for not selecting the problem that has already been investigated. It also sensitizes the new possibilities in research

3. Educational innovations and social developments.

             Innovations such as semester patterns of courses, internal assessment and grades or marks, correspondence courses, programmed learning material, e learning needed to be evaluated through research process. Unemployment of educated and all around corruption are some social factors which are upsetting the steady programmes of education.

4. Professional contacts

    Excitement in research is contagious. Attending meetings of research association, symposium  seminars and informal discussions serve as useful source for identifying problems.

5. Consultations

              Consultations with experts, research supervisor, and research guide will help to develop a manageable research problem.

6. Questioning attitude

            A questioning attitude towards prevailing practices and research oriented academic experience will effectively promote problem awareness.

7. Inference from theories

       Learning theories, personality theories, theories of intelligence, theories of motivation, sociological theories provide rich sources of topics for research in classroom situation.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE PROBLEM

1.  Novelty: The problem should be sufficiently original so that it does not involve objectionable duplication.

2.   Interesting: A major reason for encouraging an investigator select his own research problem is that the results should prove better in terms of the growth of the investigator and the quality of his work. His interest should be purely intrinsic in nature.

3.  Significance: It should be significant enough and involve an important principle or practice. No research project should be undertaken unless its consequences give promise of improving an important educational practice.

4.  Feasibility: It may be a very good problem yet it should be good for the investigator. He should be able to carry it through a successful conclusion. He should be competent enough to carryout the project and should possess a sound grounding in the research techniques and procedures.

5.  Availability of Data: The research worker should ensure the availability of valid and reliable data gathering devices.

6.  Availability of cooperation and guidance: The investigator must make sure that necessary permission and cooperation will be readily available. He should also look for the availability of an adequately qualified faculty who would be ready to guide his research work.

7.   Nature of the problem: Controversial subject should not become the choice of an average researcher. Too narrow or too vague problems should be avoided.

8. Experience and creativity: Good research problems stem from a clear understanding of the theoretical empirical and practical aspects of the subject. Lack of unfamiliarity with the subject is almost sure to result in a poor choice. Another major contributor to the wise choice of problem is creativity.

9.   Level of research: Levels like Master’s degree, M.Phil. degree and Ph.D. is another criterion which helps in the selection of the problem. It may simply be an action research or a research to produce a research paper or an experimental project.

10. Courage and confidence: The research should have the courage and determination to pursue the study in spite of the difficulties and social hazards that may be involved.

11. Availability of other facilities: The investigator should be able to meet the expenses involved in data gathering equipment, printing test material, travel, computation, clerical help, postage, preparation of the report.

12. Immediate application: The result should help in solving an immediate problem.

HOW TO SELECT A RESEARCH PROBLEM

            The problem should be carefully selected. Help may be taken from a research guide. Research problem cannot be borrowed. A problem must spring from the researcher’s mind .

Points to be noted by a researcher:

1. He should select his field of specialization and become scholar in that field.
2. He should develop a concern for the field.
3. He should study the available research literature on his field of specialization.
4. He should prepare a record of problems already studied in his field.
5. Subjects, which are overdone, should not be selected.
6. Controversial topics should not be selected.
7. Too narrow and too vague subject should not be selected.
8. The subject selected for research should be familiar.
9. In order to get a definite idea the researcher could contact experts.
10. He may read articles published in current literature available in the subject.
11. He may discuss with others.
12. The importance of the subject, the qualification and the training of the researcher, the cost    involved, the time factor are few other criteria that must also be considered in selecting the problem.

 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

            After the problem has been selected, it must be definitely formulated and stated. A good statement of the problem must clarify exactly what is to be determined or solved. It must restrict the scope of the study to specific and workable research questions. In stating the problem, the researcher should see that it is neither stated in so general terms as to become vague nor specified so narrowly as to become trivial and insignificant.  The type of statement to be employed depends on the preference of the researcher and the nature of the problem. There are two different ways for stating the problem they are:

§        Posing question / questions

o  Is participation in high competitive athletics detrimental to academic achievement?

o     How do academic motivation influences academic achievement?

§        Declarative statement / statements

o     Academic achievement and self-concept of IX standard students.

o     Job satisfaction of primary school teachers in TamilNadu.

One may choose any of these two ways remembering that question form has an advantage of sharpening and focusing the issue but the declarative form is perhaps more common.

 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM

            Defining a research problem properly and clearly is a crucial part of a research study and must in no case be accomplished hurriedly. The research problem should be defined in a systematic manner giving due weightage to all relating points.

Steps in defining a problem

1.      Statement of the problem in a general way

2.      Understanding the nature of the problem

3.      Surveying the available literature

4.      Developing the ideas through discussions

5.      Rephrasing the research problem into working proposition

Points to be observed while defining a research problem

a)      Technical terms and words or phrases with special meanings used in the statement of the problem should be clearly defined.

b)     Basic assumptions or postulates (if any) related to the research problem should be clearly defined.

c)     A straight forward statement of the value of the investigation should be provided. (i.e criteria for selecting the problem)

d)     Suitability of the time period and the sources of data available must also be considered by the researcher in defining the problem.

e)     The scope of investigation or the limits within which the problem is to be studied must be mentioned explicitly in defining the research problem.

 DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE STUDY

A problem may be a good one from the point of view of the three criteria namely

·        Is the problem new?

·        Is the problem researchable?

·        Is the problem significant?

     Yet it may not be feasible in view of some of the personal aspects of a researcher they are:

1.      Research Competencies: The problem should be in an area in which the researcher is qualified and competent. He must be familiar with the existing theories concepts and laws in order to identify a worthwhile problem. He must also possess the necessary skills and competencies that may be needed to develop administer and interpret the necessary data gathering tools. He also needs to consider whether he has the necessary knowledge of research design and statistical procedure to complete his research work.

2.      Interest and Enthusiasm: The problem should be one in which the researcher is genuinely interested and about which he is truly enthusiastic. It should be meaningful and arouse real curiosity of the researcher.

3.      Financial considerations: The problem should be the one, which is financially feasible. The researcher should ascertain whether he has the necessary financial resources to carryon the investigation of the selected problem. He must have an estimate of the expenditure involved in data gathering equipment, printing test materials, travel and clerical assistance. If the research project is too expensive, the researcher may determine the possibility of getting financial assistance from organization like UGC, NCERT ICSSR etc.,

4.      Time requirements: The problem should be the one that can be studied and completed in the allotted time. The researcher should select a problem that can be investigated with little expenditure of time or energy. It is worthwhile to plan for the time that will be needed for the development and administration of tools, processing and analysis of data and writing of research report.

5.      Administrative considerations: In addition to personal, financial and time requirements, the researcher should consider the kinds of data, equipment, specialized personnel and administrative facilities needed to complete the study successfully. He must also check whether the authorities permit him to contact the students, administer the necessary tools or conduct necessary experiments, interview the teachers or have access to important records and documents.

TEACHER EDUCATION

Meaning of Teacher Education

            According to Monroe’s Encyclopedia of Educational Research, “Teacher Education refers to the total educative experiences which contribute to the preparation of a person for teaching profession.

According to Goods Dictionary of Education Teacher education means, ―all the formal and non-formal activities and experiences that help to qualify a person to assume responsibilities as a member of the educational profession or to discharge his responsibilities more effectively.

Teacher education encompasses teaching skills, sound pedagogical theory and professional skills.

Teacher Education = Teaching Skills + Pedagogical theory + Professional skills.

Teaching skills would include providing training and practice in the different techniques, approaches and strategies that would help the teachers to plan and impart instruction, provide appropriate reinforcement and conduct effective assessment. Pedagogical theory includes the philosophical, sociological and psychological considerations that would enable the teachers to have a sound basis for practicing the teaching skills in the classroom. Professional skills include the techniques, strategies and approaches that would help teachers to grow in their profession.

Nature of Teacher Education

1)      Teacher education is a continuous process and its pre-service and in-service components are complimentary to each other.

2)      Teacher education is based on the theory that ―Teachers are made, not born in contrary to the assumption, ―”Teachers are born, not made.

3)      Teacher education is broad and comprehensive. Besides pre-service and in-service programmes for teachers, it consists of various community programmes and extension activities

4)      It is ever-evolving and dynamic. In order to prepare teachers who are competent to face the challenges of the dynamic society, Teacher education has to keep abreast of recent developments and trends.

5)      Teacher Education curriculum has a knowledge base and comprises meaningful, conceptual blending of theoretical understanding available in several related disciplines.

Need of Teacher Education

The American Commission on Teacher Education rightly observes, “The quality of a nation depends upon the quality of its citizens. The quality of its citizens depends not exclusively, but in critical measure upon the quality of their education, the quality of their education depends more than upon any single factor, upon the quality of their teachers.”

1)      To impart thorough knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of the subject which a teacher has to teach.

2)      To impart knowledge of child psychology and enable them to understand the process of child’s growth and development.

3)      To acquaint the child with the aims and purposes of education.

4)      To impart the knowledge of adjustment process which would help a teacher to understand the problems of students and help them in making better adjustments.

5)      To enable the teachers to plan and use a number of teaching devices, instructional materials and audio-visual aids.

6)      To enable the teachers to organize and supervise extra curricular activities in the school.

7)      To train the teachers to plan their lessons effectively.

8)      To impart the knowledge of evaluation methods.

9)      To make the teachers provide guidance and counseling to students effectively.

Characteristics and demands of teaching profession

            Teaching is the most vital and strategic profession for national development. This is so because teaching is an important activity which makes possible the acquisition of knowledge and skills that brings about the mark of an educated and useful person in the society. The characteristics and demands of teaching profession are as follows:

1. Professional knowledge: Professional knowledge is vast in scope, begins with the pre-service aspect of a teacher preparation program, and expands with experience. Examples of experiential knowledge include an awareness of the climate, issues that affect the role of teaching, a passion for teaching, an ongoing curiosity about the world, the confidence to become a risk-taker and change agent, and a belief that all students can learn.
2. Instructional Effectiveness: An effective teacher should teach well.  This demands again a very high level of flexibility and a wide range of expertise from the teacher. Teachers should construct new knowledge on the basis of their experiences, observations and reflections and encourages their students to do the same.
3. Good communicator: Teachers need to be highly skilled in the art of communication involving listening and speaking as well as reading and writing to excel in their profession. Proficient communicators make excellent teachers because they are able to transmit knowledge, skills and values at the same time they communicate their caring for their students.
4. Critical Thinking: Teachers must practice critical thinking in all content areas; they must be able to ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions. Additionally, the teacher should teach the process of critical thinking and inspire students to be responsible citizens who contribute to society.
5. Interpersonal Skills: Effective interpersonal skills are also essential in the act of teaching. The capacity for empathy, a belief that every child can learn, attention to individual needs, sensitivity to home and community issues, ability to be at ease in the presence of children or young adults, and the ability to provide a positive, caring atmosphere for learning are examples of these skills. The teacher also must possess interpersonal skills that foster peer collaboration.
6. Integration of Discipline: Knowing content is important for a teacher; however, broadening the context and applicability of content through integration of disciplines provides students with a richer academic experience. Integration fosters ongoing reinforcement of skills learned in one area of study and utilized in other areas.
7. Technology Integration: Integrating technology into classroom instruction means the usage of technology to engage students and facilitate their thinking and construction of knowledge.
8. Organization and Classroom Management: This requires effective skills and supportive affective relationships. The teacher should adopt a proactive organizational and managerial style that involves interventions and strategies designed to include positive expectations, self-evaluation, and growth.
9. True Compassion for Students: Teachers should have a sixth sense when a student needs extra attention. They should not expect their students to leave the thoughts of the outside world at the doors of the classroom. They should take time to discuss subjects outside their teaching and understand that sometimes lessons can be taught without following the textbooks. Teachers should be well-versed in providing guidance and counseling to students and help them to solve their problems.

 Qualities of a Good Teacher

            Good teaching is one of the best ways to create and develop critical thinking among students. Enthusiastic, intelligent and well educated teachers inspire and prepare students for the technological world. A teacher should first and foremost possess the following basic qualities:

            T – Truthfulness / Tolerance

            E – Enthusiasm

A- Accuracy / Aptitude

C – Confidence / Commitment

H – Honesty / Hard work / Humour

E – Empathy

R – Rational Thinking

The common important qualities of a good teacher are:

E     Empathy: Teachers should have the ability to bond with students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. They should be able to communicate on their level and be compassionate with them when they are down and celebrate with them when they are up.

E     Positive mental attitude: A good teacher should think more on the positive and little less on the negative. When things get tough, they should be able to keep a smile on their face and see the bright side of things. They should strive io seek positives in every negative situation.

E     Open to change: Teachers should be aware that the only real constant in life is change. They should know that there is a place for tradition but there is also a place for new ways, new ideas, new systems and new approaches. They should be open and willing to listen to others’ ideas.

E     Creative: Good teachers should motivate students by using creative and inspirational methods of teaching. They should follow innovative pedagogical practices that make them stand out from the crowd.

E     Sense of Humour: Great sense of humour reduces barriers and lightens the atmosphere. Good teachers should be able to make the students laugh which gains them respect and increases their popularity.

E     Presentation skills: Body language is the main communicator so a good teacher should keep it positive at all times. Teachers should create presentation styles for visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.

E     Calmness: Teachers should be able to control their emotions when they come across students with negative attitude and aggressive behaviour. They should help their students to distress.

E     Respectful: Teachers should know that everyone has a place in the world. They should respect their peers and students.

E     Inspirational: Good teachers can change their students life helping them to realize their potential and help them grow and find their talents, skills and abilities.

E     Sound Mental Health and Personality: The teachers’ entire personality and mental health is a reflection on the minds of the students. So they should have sound mental health and pleasing personality.

Professional Ethics

Professional ethics refers to the basic values and conceptions of good practice that constitute guidelines for professional conduct. It refers to the principles, guidelines or norms of morality, which a teacher has to follow in teaching profession while dealing with students, parents, community and higher authorities.

a. Ethical Conduct towards Students

v           The teacher should treat their students kindly and impartially and help them to resolve problems.

v           The teacher should not intentionally expose the student to criticism.

v           The teacher should not reveal confidential information concerning students, unless required by law.

v           The teacher should make a constructive effort to protect the students from conditions harmful to learning, health, or safety.

v           The teacher should endeavor to present facts without distortion, bias, or personal prejudice.

 b. Ethical Conduct towards Practices and Performance

v           The teacher should maintain sound mental health, and physical stamina to perform the duties of any professional assignment.

v           The teacher should continue professional growth.

v           The teacher should not intentionally misrepresent official policies of the school and clearly distinguishes those views from his or her own personal opinions.

v           The teacher should honestly account for all funds committed to his or her charge.

v           The teacher should not use institutional or professional privileges for personal advantage.

 c. Ethical Conduct towards Professional Colleagues

v           The teacher should not reveal confidential information concerning colleagues unless required by law.

v           The teacher should not willfully make false statements about a colleague or the school system.

v           The teacher should not interfere with a colleague's freedom of choice, and works.

 d. Ethical Conduct towards Parents and Community

The professional teacher recognizes that quality education is the common goal of the public, boards of education, and teachers, and that a cooperative effort is essential among these groups to attain that goal.

v           The teacher should make concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be revealed in the interest of the student.

v           The teacher should endeavor to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in his or her classroom.

v           The teacher should manifest a positive and active role in school/community relations.

e. Ethical Conduct towards managing resources

Teachers are placed in positions of trust.  They manage school resources. They have access to school information and they make decisions that affect staff and students. The teachers exercise efficiency and effectiveness in the use of school resources by:

1.            Avoiding waste and extravagance in using school resources

2.            Using school property and resources appropriately