The Major 4 Steps to Generate a Study Background

In any field, to prove to your supervisor that your study is to address a given problem, you have to structure out the background of that particular issue that you wish your study to address and this is where this subchapter comes in. The background of the study sets the stage for your research, providing essential context and explaining why your research is important. In this article, we are going to take you through a step by step guide about how you can structure out a compelling background of the study.

Step 1. Context and Setting: The first step is to formulate the context and setting provide the broader environment in which your research takes place. This includes historical, cultural, social, or economic contexts relevant to your study. So below is what you should include in this first step.

Historical Context: Any historical events or trends that relate to your topic.
Cultural Context: Cultural factors or norms that influence your research area.
Social Context: Social issues or dynamics that are relevant to your study.
Economic Context: Economic conditions or factors that impact your research.

For example: If your research is about the impact of school gardening programs on students’ nutrition knowledge:

Historical Context: “Over the past decade, there has been a growing trend towards integrating hands-on learning activities, such as gardening, into school curriculums to enhance student engagement and learning.”
Cultural Context: “In many urban areas, there is a cultural shift towards sustainable living and organic food consumption, which has influenced the adoption of school gardening programs.”
Social Context: “Childhood obesity and poor dietary habits are significant social issues, prompting schools to seek innovative ways to promote healthy eating among students.”
Economic Context: “Many urban schools face budget constraints, making it crucial to find cost-effective educational programs that can also provide health benefits to students.”

Step 2. Problem Statement: Still in the background, the problem statement should be included that clearly defines the issue your research will address. It explains why this problem is significant and needs to be studied. DO NOT mistake this with the real subchapter of “problem statement”

Therefore, this is what you should include:

Description of the Problem: What exactly is the issue or problem?
Significance of the Problem: Why is this problem important and worth investigating?
Scope of the Problem: Who or what is affected by this problem?

For example;

Description of the Problem: “Despite the increasing implementation of school gardening programs, there is limited research on their effectiveness in improving students’ nutrition knowledge and dietary habits.”
Significance of the Problem: “Understanding the impact of these programs is crucial for schools to justify their continued use and to optimize their design for maximum benefit.”
Scope of the Problem: “This issue affects urban elementary schools where alternative methods to traditional classroom teaching are being explored to address poor dietary habits among children.”

Step 3. Existing Research: In this step, summarize what previous studies have found about your topic. Highlight any gaps or limitations in the existing research that your study aims to address such as;

Summary of Key Studies: Briefly describe major findings from previous research.
Gaps in Research: Identify what has not been studied or where previous studies have fallen short.
Limitations of Previous Studies: Point out any limitations in the methods or scope of existing research.

An example;

Summary of Key Studies: “Previous studies have shown that hands-on learning activities, such as gardening, can enhance student engagement and retention of information.”
Gaps in Research: “However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining the direct impact of school gardening programs on students’ nutrition knowledge and dietary habits.”
Limitations of Previous Studies: “Many existing studies have small sample sizes or are limited to short-term effects, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the long-term benefits of these programs.”

Step 4. Relevance: Discuss the importance of your study in the context of the field. Explain how it will contribute to existing knowledge or practice. Below is what should be included in this step:

Importance to the Field: How will your study add to the current body of knowledge?
Practical Implications: How will your findings be useful in real-world settings?
Theoretical Contributions: How might your research influence existing theories or frameworks?
Policy Implications: How could your research impact policy or practice?

Example:

Importance to the Field: “This study will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of school gardening programs, contributing to the growing body of research on innovative educational strategies.”
Practical Implications: “The findings could help schools design more effective gardening programs that not only engage students but also improve their nutrition knowledge and dietary habits.”
Theoretical Contributions: “By examining the long-term impacts of gardening programs, this study could challenge or support existing theories on experiential learning and health education.”
Policy Implications: “The results could inform educational policies and funding decisions, advocating for the inclusion of gardening programs as a standard part of the curriculum in urban elementary schools.”

Now that we have learnt the steps, Let us join our examples listed above and come up with our background of the study.

Background of the Study: Over the past decade, there has been a growing trend towards integrating hands-on learning activities, such as gardening, into school curriculums to enhance student engagement and learning. In many urban areas, there is a cultural shift towards sustainable living and organic food consumption, which has influenced the adoption of school gardening programs. Childhood obesity and poor dietary habits are significant social issues, prompting schools to seek innovative ways to promote healthy eating among students. Many urban schools face budget constraints, making it crucial to find cost-effective educational programs that can also provide health benefits to students.

Despite the increasing implementation of school gardening programs, there is limited research on their effectiveness in improving students’ nutrition knowledge and dietary habits. Understanding the impact of these programs is crucial for schools to justify their continued use and to optimize their design for maximum benefit. This issue affects urban elementary schools where alternative methods to traditional classroom teaching are being explored to address poor dietary habits among children.

Previous studies have shown that hands-on learning activities, such as gardening, can enhance student engagement and retention of information. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining the direct impact of school gardening programs on students’ nutrition knowledge and dietary habits. Many existing studies have small sample sizes or are limited to short-term effects, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the long-term benefits of these programs.

This study will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of school gardening programs, contributing to the growing body of research on innovative educational strategies. The findings could help schools design more effective gardening programs that not only engage students but also improve their nutrition knowledge and dietary habits. By examining the long-term impacts of gardening programs, this study could challenge or support existing theories on experiential learning and health education. The results could inform educational policies and funding decisions, advocating for the inclusion of gardening programs as a standard part of the curriculum in urban elementary schools.