CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter presented the approaches and techniques the researcher used to collect data and investigate the research problem. The arrangement of the chapter was as follows: research design, study population, sample size, data collection methods, data collection instruments, data quality control, data analysis and measurement of variables.

Research design

The study will use experimental research design. This will include the adoption of Solomon Four Group Design research method that will include the creation of two groups in the schools and the experiment will be carried out.  Solomon four group consists of;

Group A

• Pre-test, treatment, post-test,
• Pre-test, no treatment, post-test,

GROUP B

• Treatment, post-test
• No treatment, post-test (Sorensen & Jacobs, 2012).

Study population

A population is the aggregate or totality of objects or individuals having one or more characteristics in common that are of interest to the researcher and where inferences are to be made, Amin (2005). For Sekeran(2003), it is the abstract of a large group of many cases from which a researcher draws a sample and to which results from a sample are generalized. The study will consist of a population of 66 pupils and these will be from the one schools and this will include only pupils from the lower primary schools.

Sample size

The study was drawn based on a sample size of 97. The sample size was selected based on the sample size table by Krejcie and Morgan (1970 pp. 607-610). Assert that where a total population is 80, a sample size 66 is sufficient.

Sampling procedures and techniques

Simple Random Sampling

The researcher used probability (simple random sampling) because of the nature of study, which required getting particular information from the respondents. Best and Khan (2003) explain that this type of technique ensured that all the elements in the population had equal chances of being selected. Before applying simple random sampling, the researcher constructed a sample frame with all the elements and then randomly select the sample using simple random sampling.

Data Collection Methods

Both primary and secondary data which is both qualitative and quantitative will be obtained for the particular study.

Primary Data

Primary data was got through self-administered questionnaires and interview guides to respondents following systematic and established academic procedures as proposed by Sekaran(2003). There are several ways the researcher collected the primary data. This necessitated use of interview method, and through questionnaires.

Secondary Data

In the secondary analysis of qualitative data, good documentation cannot be underestimated as it provides necessary background and much needed context both of which make re-use a more worthwhile and systematic endeavor. Secondary data was obtained through the use of published and unpublished documents. Various publications, past dissertation and reports, magazines and newspapers reports, historical documents and other sources of published information will be reviewed by the researcher. According to Amin (2005) secondary data can be helpful in the research design of subsequent primary research and can provide a baseline with which the collected primary data results can be compared to other methods.

Data Collection Instruments.

The study was experimental in nature and the researcher used Test Questions to collect data.

The researcher supplied test questions to the pupils to get an insight into study questions. This helped in getting a deeper understanding of the study topic.

Quality control of data collection

Data quality control techniques ensured that data collected is valid and reliable. To ensure validity, the instruments were first tested and after the results were analyzed.

Validity and Reliability

Validity refers to how well a test measures what it is purported to measure (Creswell, 2003). Reliability is the degree to which an assessment tool produces stable and consistent (Creswell, 2003).  To establish validity qualitatively , the instruments will be given to two experts (supervisors) to evaluate the relevance of each item in the instrument to the objectives and rate each item on the scale of very relevant (4), quite relevant (3), somehow relevant (2), and not relevant (1). The purpose of qualitative research is to describe or understand the phenomena of interest from the participant’s eyes, therefore the researcher allowed the participants to legitimately judge the credibility of the results. The researcher documented the procedures for checking and rechecking the data throughout the study. The researcher took a “devil’s advocate” role with respect to the results, and this process was documented. The researcher also actively searched for and describe the negative instances that contradict prior observations. And, after the study, the researcher will conduct a data audit that examines the data collection and analysis procedures and makes judgments about the potential for bias or distortion. Since the idea of dependability, on the other hand, emphasizes the need for the researcher to account for the ever-changing context within which research occurs, the researcher described the changes that occur in the setting and how these changes affect the way the researcher approached the study. And lastly, a pretest of the instrument in a time lapse of 4 weeks was carried out to establish consistence in responses. According to Amin (2005), test-retest reliability can be used to measure the extent to which the instrument can produce consistent scores when the same group of individuals is repeatedly measured under same conditions. The results from the pretest were used to modify the items in the instruments.

For quantitative data, the researcher endeavored to attain validity of coefficients of at least 0.70 or 70%. Creswell (2003) argues that items with validity coefficients to at least 0.70 are accepted as valid and reliable in research.  Validity was determined by using Content Validity Index (C.V.I).C.V.I = items rated 3 or 4 by both judges divided by the total number of items in the questionnaire. After calculating the C.V.I, if the results are above 0.7, the instrument were regarded valid/satisfactory.

Results of the Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Coefficient for Likert-Type Scale test

Source: Primary data (2013)

The results of the Cronbach alpha reliability test are indicated above, the results were reliable given the fact that they will be above 0.7. . Readinghas a validity result of 0.777, Letter formation has a validity result of 0.803 and Ordering of letters has a validity result of 0.783

Data Analysis Techniques

Data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Quantitative Data Analysis

Data was sorted using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) method. The researcher employed univariate analysis techniques in analyzing his data. Univariate analysis is the simplest form of quantitative (statistical) analysis. The analysis is carried out with the description of a single variable in terms of the applicable unit of analysis. Univariate analysis is commonly used in the first, descriptive stages of research, before being supplemented by more advanced, inferential bivariate or multivariate analysis. In addition to frequency distribution, univariate analysis commonly involves reporting measures of central tendency (location). In summary the researcher will apply the Pearson correlation coefficient test (to test the degree of relationship between the study variables. The researcher also analyzed the raw data using regression analysis. The background variable was analyzed using both the two-way and one way analysis of variance.

Qualitative Data Analysis

Qualitative data was analyzed using both thematic analysis and content analysis. Content analysis involved coding the data and later processing it. This is because the two approaches complement each other since the theme emerges from the researcher and the description summaries from the responses.

Measurement of Variables

The study will be experimental in nature therefore the variables will be measured by asking the learners questions.

Ethical Considerations

There are several reasons why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research. First, norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote the truth and avoid error. Second, since research often involves a great deal of cooperation and coordination among many different people in different disciplines and institutions, ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness. In order to promote ethics in the proposed study, respondent’s names were withheld to ensure anonymity and confidentiality in terms of any future prospects. In order to avoid bias, the researcher will interview the respondents one after the other and ensured that she informs them about the nature and extent of her study and on the other hand she gave them reasons as to why is interviewing them.

Limitations of the Study

The researcher encountered the following challenges;

The researcher faced a challenge of organizing the lower primary children to be considered in the study. The cost of acquiring the different computer games was high and this was solved by down loading the computer games by the researcher.