CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

This chapter presents the research design utilized, the selected locale from which the

study was conducted, the respondents, the instruments, validation of the instruments, and the

statistical tools used in the treatment of the data. It mainly speaks of the procedure on how the

study was conducted and how the data were collected, collated, and statistically treated.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design is the investigators’ overall strategy for answering the research

question. It is how data will be collected and analyzed in order to answer a specified research

problem. According to Nardi (2006), a common goal of exploratory and almost all kinds of

research is to provide the readers basic information in describing the topic with the cooperation

of the respondents.

This study had utilized the descriptive correlation type of research. Descriptive

Correlation design is a study that deals with the relationship of the independent variable and

dependent variable happening at present without manipulating the independent variable. In this

study, the dependent variable is the level of reluctance and the independent variables are the

selected intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The study determined the relationship of level of

reluctance with the selected factors.

This study was conducted in Angeles University Foundation (AUF) located in Mc-Arthur

Hi-Way, Angeles City. AUF is a non-stock, non-profit educational institution, established on

May 25, 1962 by Mr. Agustin P. Angeles, Dr. Barbara Y. Angeles and family. After only less

than nine years of successful operation, the Institution was granted University status on April 16,

1971 by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. And on February 14, 1978, AUF was

converted into a Catholic University making it the first in Central Luzon. Now on its 48th year of

operation, AUF has a total of 63 academic programs supported by state of- the-art equipment and

facilities, aimed at addressing the growing needs of the global academic community.

Such area was chosen because the results of the study were primarily offered to Angeles

University Foundation – College of Nursing. Knowing how some selected factors affect the

students’ continuation of nursing course despite their reluctance can probably provide the college

with an idea of how well future nurses are founded in terms of the driving force as they tread the

length of their nursing education.

RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY

The respondents of the study were the SANLINGAN and GILAS Nursing Students of

Angeles University Foundation for the Academic Year 2009-2010 because they have both

clinical duty and classroom lecture. The batch SANLINGAN and GILAS are the second year

and third year students enrolled in A.Y. 2009 -2010 respectively. Total enumeration sampling

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was utilized since all of SANLINGAN and GILAS students answered the first questionnaire,

however, only those respondents who qualified in the first questionnaire were part of the sample

size that was used in the study. The first questionnaire was composed of a 10-item statement

which measures the initial level of reluctance upon taking the Nursing Course.

A total of 902 nursing students were surveyed and 250 students were qualified and

became the respondents. However, seven of the respondents were removed because they refused

to answer the second questionnaire, which made 243 respondents. The respondents from second

year and third year were 124 and 119 respectively.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

The instrument is crucial in conducting studies because it measures the variables being

investigated. Though constructing the research instrument is a very complex and time-consuming

task, it should be given more emphasis in order for all the variables to be encompassed.

In the study, the researchers had utilized Likert Scale. Likert Scale is a summated rating

scale that entails a series of items to which respondents were requested to designate their level of

agreement (Boswell & Cannon, 2007).

Likert Scale was used as the questionnaire to determine the level of agreement of the

respondents on every statement. There were 3 questionnaires given which purpose were to know

the initial level of reluctance upon taking the Nursing Course, level of reluctance at present, and

the level of agreement with the selected factors.

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The first and second questionnaire contains ten statements to know the initial level of

reluctance upon taking the Nursing course and at present respectively. On the other hand, the

third questionnaire contains forty-five statements, five statements each intrinsic factor and five

statements each extrinsic factor, which were either positively or negatively stated.

The questionnaire was validated by a Psychometrician; a Psychologist from the Guidance

Office and Counseling and the Clinical Instructors to ensure the appropriateness of the

constructed questions. The said questionnaire was also validated by an English Instructor for

language appropriateness. In addition, it also underwent pilot testing, item analysis and reliability

analysis using Cronbach’s Alpha. Cronbach's alpha is a measure of internal consistency, that is,

how closely related a set of items are as a group.

DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE

This research endeavor was completed through a series of steps:

PHASE I

1. Related Literature and Studies Review

Initially, the researchers have read various literatures like journals, articles and

studies to determine how much are known regarding the topic

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2. Pre-Survey

The researchers had come up with a Pre-survey questionnaire that aided to

identify the factors that were used in the study. Pre- survey questionnaire was

composed of three questions. They were given to registered nurses in Angeles City on

March 22 – 27, 2010. The researchers had only twenty registered nurses who

answered the pre-survey due to repetition of answers on the twentieth respondent.

Answers from the pre-survey were summarized to come up with the common factors.

3. Construction and Validation of the Questionnaire

After the factors were finalized, the questionnaire using likert scale was

constructed and structured. The questionnaire had gone through validation from the

psychometrician, psychologist and English instructor for Face Validation. On the

other hand, for content validation, two Clinical Instructors and one Level Coordinator

validated the questionnaire.

4. Pilot Survey

After the validation of the questionnaire, it was used for the pilot survey. Pilot

Survey was done to the newly nursing graduates, SIKLAB students. It started on May

17, 2010 and ended on March 28, 2010.. There were twenty respondents for the pre-

survey. And after tallying the results of the pilot survey, it had undergone the process of

reliability analysis using Cronbach’s Alpha. Cronbach's alpha is a measure of internal

consistency, that is, how closely related a set of items are as a group.

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PHASE II

1. Data Gathering

The researchers moved on the actual data gathering which initially involved

obtaining permission to conduct the data gathering and the copy of the control lists.

After which, they had given the initial questionnaire to the SANLINGAN and GILAS

students. It started on June 11, 2010 and ended on June 25, 2010. After retrieving the

initial questionnaire, it was computed to identify the respondents for the study. Then the

second questionnaire was given to the identified respondents. It started on June 28, 2010

and ended on July 16, 2010.

2. Tallying, Tabulation and Presentation of Data

After the data collection period, the researchers began to process the information

obtained. Tools were sorted and results were tallied. With the aid of a statistician,

statistical treatment was done. After having this accomplished, the researchers have

made the description of the data collected.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

This part of the study includes the different statistical tools that were used in the

treatment of data. This serves as a guide in order to analyze and interpret the resulting data

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properly. The following were the different statistical formulas that were used in the study as well

as their corresponding purposes:

The data gathered were tallied, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted. The total score of

each respondent on the 10-item test score on level of reluctance was classified as follows:

Interpretation Total Score

Highly Reluctant 3 – 4

Moderately Reluctant 2 – 2.99

Poorly Reluctant 1 – 1.99

The above ranges were based on the Likert Scale used in the study. Since the interval of

the Likert Sale was between one and four. This interval was divided among the three levels of

reluctance wherein the above ranges were established.

To classify the level of agreement as per item on the 45-item questionnaire (which has 5

questions per factor), the following were employed:

Interpretation Total Score

Strongly Agree 3.25 – 4

Agree 2.5 – 3.24

Disagree 1.75 – 2.49

Strongly Disagree 1 – 1.74

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In order to determine the range for the level of agreement, the researchers utilized the

Likert Scale wherein 1-4 has an interval of three. Since there were four classifications, the

interval of the Likert Scale was divided by the four classifications equaling to .75 interval per

classification.

1. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION

Frequency Distribution – is a systematic arrangement of value from lowest to

highest, together with a count of the number of times each value was obtained (Polit & Beck,

2008). In the study, this was used to tabulate the collected data for the factors affecting the

level of reluctance of the respondents.

Percentage Distribution - in which the individual class frequencies are expressed

as a percentage of the total frequency equated to 100 (Polit & Beck, 2008). In the study, this

was used to get the total frequency of each category to aid in the description of each table.

Formula: F

%= n X 100

Where:

% = Percentage Distribution

F = number of frequency for each category

n = total number of respondents and the criteria

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2. WEIGHTED MEAN

Weighted Mean- reveals the overall average of response or perception of the respondents

(Watson et. Al).

WM=TWF
N

Where:

WM = weighted mean

TWF= total weighted frequency

N= means total number of respondents

3. DEPENDENT t-TEST (PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST)

The t-test was used to assess the statistical significance of the difference between

the means of two sets of scores. That is, it helps to address the common research question

of whether the average score for one set of scores differs significantly from the average

score for another set of scores (Coolidge, 2006).

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Where:

t = t-test

x1 = mean of the first score

x2 = mean of the second score

ΣD2 = the sum of the squares of the differences between the first and second

scores

(ΣD) 2 = the square of the sum of the differences between the first score and

second scores

N = the number of pairs of scores

In the study, t-Test was used on determining the difference between the initial

level of reluctance prior taking the Nursing Course and at the present.

4. CHI-SQUARE TEST OF INDEPENDENCE

To determine whether there is significant relationship between the selected

maternal factors and the incidence of prematurity and neonatal factors and its rate of

recovery of pre-term neonates with RDS, Chi-square Test of Independence for contingency

table was used (Coolidge, 2006).

  2 O  E 2
E

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Where: O = observed frequency for a category

E = expected frequency for a category

df= (r-1)(c-1)

All computed statistics are tested at the 0.05 level of significance.

Decision Rule:

Reject Ho if the p-value is less than or equal to the level of significance ().

Reject Ho (Significant): p-value  0.05

Ho is not rejected (not significant): p-value > .05

5.. CONTINGENCY COEFFICIENT

The contingency coefficient is used to measure the extent of association or

relation between two sets of attributes which is between the aforementioned independent

and dependent variables. It was used to determine the strength of relationship between the

independent and dependent variables (Coolidge, 2006).

Formula:

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Where:

C= symbol for contingency coefficient.

= computed chi-square

N = total number of subjects

To interpret the correlation coefficient (contingency coefficient), the following

norms were used.

.01 to negligible correlation

to low correlation; definite but small relationship

to moderate correlation; substantial relationship

to high correlation; marked relationship

to very high correlation; very dependable relationship

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