HYPOTHESIS

                                                                                            

            When a research observes known facts and takes up a problem for analysis, he first has to start somewhere and this point of start is the hypothesis. In other words, one has to process to formulate tentative solutions as soon as the problem to be tackled is finalised.

These proposed solutions or explanations constitute the hypothesis which the researcher proceeds to test on the basis of facts already known.

Definition of Hypothesis

“A hypothesis is a shrewd guess or interference that is formulated and provisionally adopted to explain observed facts or conditions and to guide in further investigations”

                                                                                                            - Carter V. Good

 Characteristics of a good hypothesis

            To serve its intended purpose and to be up the mark in view of its great importance, the hypothesis must process a number of characteristics.

            1. A good hypothesis is reasonable. i.e. logically consistent.

            2. A good hypothesis is in agreement with observed facts and established laws.

            3. A good hypothesis permits the application of deductive reasoning. It should be verifiable and testable. A hypothesis cannot be verified until deductions can be made from it which are capable of empirical verifications. It should be capable of being proved or refused.

            4. A good hypothesis is stated in as simple and unambiguous terms as possible.

            5. It should be so designed that its testing will provide an answer to the original problem which forms the primary purpose of the investigation.

            6. It should be comprehensive enough to accommodate all observed facts.

            7. It should be stated up final form early in the experiment before any attempt at verification is made.

            8. A good hypothesis is expert. It is stated in a scientific and research like language and is not an ordinary statement.

Importance of hypothesis

Hypothesis has great importance in research. The aimless collection of data is not likely to lead the researcher anywhere. The importance of hypothesis can be more specially stated as under:

1. It provides direction to research.

            It defines what is relevant and thus it prevents the review of irrelevant literature and the collection of useless or excess data. It not only prevents wastage on the collection of data but also ensures the collection of data necessary to answer the question posed in the statement of the problem.

2. It sensitises the researcher to certain aspects of the situation which are relevant from the stand point of the problem at hand. It spells the difference between precision and haphazardness, between fruitful and fruitless research.

3. It focuses research.

4. It is a guide to thinking process of discovery. It helps to design our tools for data collection and select the appropriate statistical techniques to analyse the collected data.

5. It places a specific goal before use.

6. It serves the function of linking together related facts and information and organising them into one compressible whole.

7. It provides the platform of known facts from which we try to peep into the unknown.

8. It serves as a frame work for drawing conclusions.

Sources of hypothesis:

            A good investigator must have not only an alert mind capable of deriving relevant hypothesis, but also a critical mind capable of rejecting faulty hypothesis.

The specific sources of hypothesis are:

1. General culture:

In the investigations of solving problems of Indian Education, our hypothesis cannot lost sight of the broad general culture to which we belong to. While formulating such hypothesis, we cannot ignore religious and moral bias in Indian Education, typical role of family, play interests of Indian Children, our prejudices against women’s education, compulsory education or co-education.

2. Scientific theory:

            There are various scientific laws or theories which are transferable to the field of educational researches.

3. Personal experience

4. Analogies

5. Using the review of related literature as the background to formulate hypothesis.

The discovery of Hypothesis:

One of the most important aspects of any investigation is that of securing sound ideas about the facts, condition and relationship involved in the phenomenon. The process of securing sound ideas stands for the discovery of hypothesis which can be made successfully through the following steps,

            1. The investigator should be well-read and well informed about the problem.

            2. He should examine with care the common features of objects observed.

            3. He should see beyond the superficial aspects of objects.

            4. He should note the possible patterns of connections between events.

            5. He should recognise the importance of appropriate analogy in the formation of hypothesis.

  

TYPES OF HYPOTHESES

Hypotheses are three types.

            1. Research hypothesis

            2. Null hypothesis

            3. Question form hypothesis

I. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

            A Research hypothesis is usually stated in a declarative form postulating the attributes of a phenomenon, the relationship between two variables or explaining the cause and effect relationship among the variables.

 a)  Attributive Hypothesis or Descriptive Hypothesis

            They are propositions that typically state the existence size, form or distribution of some variables.

Eg:

1. There is no living organism in the moon.

2. There is dropout of students in high schools.

b) Associative Hypothesis

            These type hypothesis talks about relationship between the variables. The relationship may be expressed in two forms:

   1) Association or Correlation

            Eg: I.Q and achievement are positively related.

   2) Difference Form

Eg. Girls achieve better than boys in verbal tests.

c) Causal Hypothesis

            These are relational propositions which strongly imply or state the existence of  or a change in one variable or leads to an effect on another variable. The first variable is typically called the independent variable and the latter the dependent variable.

Eg: 1. Reducing class size increases students achievement.

      2. Silent reading increases reading scores.

II) NULL HYPOTHESIS

            A non-directional hypothesis which states that no significant difference or no relationship exists is called null hypothesis.

Eg. There is no significant relationship between intelligence and academic achievement.

III) QUESTION FORM HYPOTHESIS

            Whenever we are not sure of the relationship exists between the variables. To tackle the problem is to pose the hypothesis in the form of a question.

Eg: Does intelligence affect academic achievement?