LESSON 1.

3 DIFFERENTIATING
VARIABLES AND THEIR USES
WHAT’S IN
THIS IS A TEST OF HOW MUCH YOU
HAVE LEARNED FROM THE
PREVIOUS LESSON. NOW,
ENCIRCLE THE NUMBER/S, WHICH
BEST DESCRIBED THE
IMPORTANCE OF A QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH.
1. MORE RELIABLE AND OBJECTIVE
2. DOES NOT INVOLVE NUMERICAL DATA
3. CAN USE STATISTICS TO GENERALIZE A FINDING

4. COMPLEX PROBLEM IS REDUCED AND

RESTRUCTURED TO A LIMITED NUMBER OF
VARIABLES.
5. THEORIES OR HYPOTHESES ARE TESTED.
6. A SAMPLE IS ASSUMED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
POPULATION.
7. IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY NEED A STATISTICAL
TREATMENT.
 WHAT’S NEW
Activity 1.1.2 Let’s Meet Them Directions: This is about testing your
vocabulary and to see how much do you know about these new words.
You start with examining the words numbered 1— 10 and then look
for the given words enclosed in a box with the same meaning and
write it on the space provided in each number.
1. RELIANT ________
2. VIGOR ___________ Dependent
3. CARRY ___________ Strength
4.CONFIDENCE ________ Belief in oneself
5.AFFLICTED ___________ Distressed
Changing
6.VARYING ____________
Obvious
7.MANIFEST ___________ External
8.SURFACE ____________ independent
9.ATTRIBUTE Extraneous
____________ Feature
10.MEDIATOR __________ Negotiator
Transport
 WHAT IS IT
In research, whether qualitative or quantitative, variables play a very important role. In
a quantitative research, your goal is to examine the relationships between variables.
Variable is made up of the root or base word “vary” which means to undergo changes or
to differ from. A variable is a characteristic or attribute of interest in the research study
that can take on different values and is not constant. Variables are changing qualities or
characteristics of persons or things and may be straightforward and easy to measure
including characteristics such as gender, intelligence, ideas, achievements, confidence,
weight, height, age, size, and time. Other variable may be more complex and more
difficult to measure. Examples of these types of variables may include socioeconomic
status, attitudes, achievement, education level, and performance (Suter, 2013).
LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK OF
QUANTITATIVE VARIABLES WHICH ARE OUR
MAIN CONCERN IN DOING QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH. QUANTITATIVE VARIABLES ARE
THOSE VARIABLES THAT ARE MEASURED IN
TERMS OF NUMBERS. SOME EXAMPLES OF
QUANTITATIVE VARIABLES ARE HEIGHT,
WEIGHT, AND SHOE SIZE.
A. BASIC TYPES OF
VARIABLES
In an experimental research, the independent variable is the condition or treatment
applied to the experimental group that is under the control, direction or
manipulation of the researcher, while the dependent variable is the variable that
changes because of another variable, it is the effect, response or the outcome
variable. For example, to determine the positive effects of one modern grammar
theory called Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) on Intercultural Competence
(IC), these can be applied in many ways as collaborative oral, or written activity. In
this case, the SFG serves as the independent variable and the IC as the dependent
variable.
IN AN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH,

THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE IS THE CONDITION OR

TREATMENT APPLIED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP
THAT IS UNDER THE CONTROL, DIRECTION OR
MANIPULATION OF THE RESEARCHER, WHILE
THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE IS THE VARIABLE THAT
CHANGES BECAUSE OF ANOTHER VARIABLE, IT IS THE
EFFECT, RESPONSE OR THE OUTCOME VARIABLE.
For example,
to determine the positive effects of one modern grammar
theory called Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) on
Intercultural Competence (IC), these can be applied in
many ways as collaborative oral, or written activity.
In this case, the SFG serves as the independent variable
and the IC as the dependent variable.
LISTED BELOW ARE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES FOR
YOU TO FULLY UNDERSTAND ABOUT THESE
VARIABLES.
PLEASE OBSERVE HOW THESE TYPES OF
VARIABLES ARE DETERMINED:

Researches Independent variable Dependent variables

1. A researcher would like to know a K to 12 program implementation. description of how the parents feel/
description of how parents feel about feeling of parents
the K to 12 program implementation.
Researches Independent variable Dependent variables

2. A farmer would like to know the amounts of fertilizer growth of plants.

effect of the different amounts of
fertilizer on the growth of plants.

3. A study on the relationship student’s math aptitude grade in General

between a student’s math test Mathematics
aptitude test and grade in
General Mathematics
 B. OTHER TYPES OF VARIABLES

Extraneous variables are to be controlled by you as researcher or

experimenter. This variable exists as “nuisance variables” whose potency or
influence needs to go down to prevent it from affecting the results
negatively.

Covariate variables included in the research study to create interactions

with the independent and dependent variables.

Continuous variables quantitative in nature and is used in interval or

ratio scale measurement.
 B. Other Types of Variables

Attribute variables characteristics of people intelligence, creativity,

anxiety and learning styles.

Dichotomous variables have two possible results, one or zero.

Latent variables cannot be directly observed like personality traits

(Russell 2013 and Babbie 2013).
 WHAT’S MORE
Activity 1.1.3. Know Me
This is a test of your knowledge and understanding about variables, keeping in mind its meaning in the field of
your research study. Now, check all words in the list below which you think can operate as variables in any
research study.

__ skills ____ attitudes ____ weight ____ height

____ achievement ____ economic status ____ marital ____status
____ academic grades ____ mental pictures ____ family income
____ ghost ____ physical exercise ____ dreams ____ guardian
angel ____ intelligence
____ population ____ financial outcome ____ textbooks
 WHAT HAVE I LEARNED
Activity 1.1.4. This is Me Now
1. Based on the lesson, I have realized that Quantitative research
is ______________________________________________

2. Based on the lesson, I realized that Variables are

________________________________________________________ __________________________________

These variables are of two basic types namely

___________________________and _________________________. I also
noticed that there are also other variables you may encounter in your
research study such as: _______
FURTHERMORE, I LEARNED THAT AMONG THE
VARIABLES; QUANTITATIVE VARIABLES ARE
THOSE
_____________________________________________
_____________________.
 WHAT I CAN DO
Activity 1.1.5. Can You Solve the Problem

1. Since you have mastered the concepts of quantitative research, you

shall now apply the things you have learned. Please read carefully the
details and do what is asked below.
Observe your school, the community or your home. Identify possible
problem that is present in your observation and practice solving the
problem by filling in the blank. Make it more numerical in nature using
the terms frequencies, number of times, how often, etc.
 a. What is the observation
b. What is the problem
c. Provide three
(3) possible solutions to solve the problem
Solution 1:
_________________________________________.
Solution 2:
____________________________________________.
Solution 3: __________________________________.
d. What are the possible results of the three (3) possible
solutions?
Result # 1:
___________________________________________________.
Result # 2:
___________________________________________________.
Result # 3:
____________________________________________________
 e. Which among the solutions has the best result and why

B. Below are titles of researches. Fill in the table with the

correct independent variable/s and dependent variable/s of
the following research study:
Researches Independent variable Dependent variable

1. A researcher would like to

know if Cognitively Focused
Instruction Improve the
Academic Performance of
Low-Achieving Students
2. Studying about the relation
between alcohol abuse or
dependence on academic
performance of first-year
college students