STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

BY: MS. EMMA M. MONIEVA

The Statement of the problem can be expressed either generally or specifically. How do we state the problem?
Basically, every research starts with a problem may be a broad one. In this case, one needs to survey and gather related literature. Let us say you have chosen MOTIVATION as one topic. The first step you should take is to define the word motivation. Get the definition from several sources.

Read books, especially those written by both foreign and local authors, including researches from both foregin and local sources, as well. Afterwards, summarize what the authors have said about motivation and focus your attention on the definition which interests you most. What special projects about motivation did you gather? What varibles that are of interest have you identified ?

Are the different kinds of motivation that drive to enroll in computer or maritime courses? What categories can motivation be made to or developed? When a student enrolled in a course, what intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors drive a student to take course?what variables play an important part in research, for they can make research dull or interesting.

At this point, you are undergoing a process of breaking up the topic, delimiting them, and perhaps, has selected your variables, perhaps one or two variables. Together with this, you may already have an insight as to who your respondents would be: elementary, high school, or college students of various courses, among others.

You can now start formulating your problem, thinking and putting together the objectives you have in mind including the variables. C. How to state the statement of the problem? There are two ways of stating a problem:

IN QUESTION FORM Ex. Statement of the problem: The study seeks to answer the following: A. General What are the motivations of college students to enroll in maritime courses? B. Specific 1. What is the profile of college students in terms of: 1.1 age; 1.2 social economic status; and 1.3 parents educational attainment

What is the profile of college students in terms of: 1.1 age; 1.2 socio-economic status; and 1.3 parents educational attainment

2. What are the intrinsic motivation of college students to enroll in maritime courses as to:

2. 1 personal; 2.2 social; or 2.3 economic 3. What are the extrinsic motivation of college students to enroll in maritime courses as regard to: 3.1 popularity of the courses; 3.2 peer influence; 3.3 parents choice 3.4 school factors; and 3.5 teacher factors

4. Are there significant realtionship between: 4.1 personal variables and intrinsic motivation factors 4.2 personal variables and extrinsic motivation factors

IN TOPICAL FORM The statement of the problem can also be expressed in topical form. Ex. Statement of the problem: The study seeks to determine the following:

A. General The motivations of college student to enroll in maritime courses. B. Specific 1. The profile oc college students in terms of: 1.1 age; 1.2 socio economic status; and 1.3 parents educational attainment

2. The intrinsic motivation of college students to enroll the marine courses as to:
2.1 pesonal; 2.2 social; or 2.3 economic

3. The extrinsic motivation of college students to enroll in maritime courses regards to: 3.1 popularity of courses; 3.2 peer influence; 3.3 parents choice; 3.4 school factors; and 3.5 teacher factors

4. Significant relationship between: 4.1 personal variables and intrinsic motivation factors

4.2 personal variables and extrinsic motivation factors

In general, however, different schools in the Philippines prefer the question form for all areas except in business researches, where the topical form is more preffered.

D. More information on the major types of question for statement problem There are other types of factors to have to be considered in the formulation of the statement of the problem and among are these are:

Factors that are Independent Independent factors are intervening variables that act on another variable.

EXAMPLES: What are the leadership skills of middle managers of the National Power Corporation in terms of the skills in theSkill-Mix theory?

What are the emotional quotient dimentions of the faculty in the college of arts and sciences in a certain university? What are the problems faced by engeneering graduates about to take the board?

Factors that lead to analysis of relationships They are factors that are contained in questions that imply the use of relationships.

EXAMPLES: What are the role does leadership skills have in the empowerment of faculty?

What is the relationship between study habits and academic performance of third year students in communication arts? What is the relationship knowledge symmetry of lines and differential calculus? To what extent do the constructs of TQM improve organizational effectiveness in organization?

Factors that answer how of the variables These are the variables that require a lot of explanation and insight on the role of variables and the manipulation of one variable on the other.

EXAMPLES: How will early diagnosis of breast cancer affect the survival of the patient?

How will ChaCha affect the process of legislating laws in Congress? How will thw increase in the amount of sugar affect the taste of salad? How will the increase in the number of class hours in Mathematics influence the span of motivation? How will the change of school schedule from june to september affect enrollment in schools?

Factors that tend to be nominative These are the factors in problem that establish explicit goals or actions. They require development of plans under which the goals may be achieved.

EXAMPLES: What should be done to eliminate postoperative vomiting?

What should be done to improve enrolment in the university? What should be done to improve board performance in accounting? What should be done to prevent absenteeism among personnel in manufacturing company? What should be done to prevent fire accidents due to electrical defects?

THANK YOU!