CHAPTER THREE (METHODOLOGY)
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter aims at explaining the details of how the research will be conducted, which
includes; the research design, area of study, sample size selection criteria, the tools to be used in
the research process, data collection criteria and analysis of the findings.
3.2 Study Area
A study is defined as the geographical place/ location where data is collected from that is to be
analyzed in research (Desu, 1990). This study will be conducted in Mzuzu City which is found in
Mzimba and Partly Nkhata-bay districts in the Northern region of Malawi, with the geographical
location of; Latitude:-110 27’ 56.02’’ S and Longitude: 340 01’ 14.56’’ E.
3.3 Study population
A Study population is a group of people taken from a general population with common
characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, geographical location, health/physical status and
others. This study will focus on women that gather or are members of the Malawi Assemblies of
God churches that are found within the city of Mzuzu and have ever or repeatedly attend
religious conferences targeting women.
3.4 Study Design
Generally, this study will utilize the Mixed approach of research to understand impacts of
religious conferences on women’s economic empowerment. Based on this type of study the
qualitative approach will help in bringing a broader and deeper understanding of how various
religious conferences contribute and sharpen women into becoming economically literate and
empowered by using open ended questions for individuals and groups based on the tool being
used. The quantitative approach will help in understanding the statistics element of what the
research will be looking into through closed ended questions.
3.5 Sample Size Selection criteria
Sampling is the process of analyzing a group by determining the characteristics of the significant
percentage of its members chosen either at random or not (Cochran, 1963). This typically
involves selecting a proportion that represents the entire population in order to obtain
information regarding the phenomenon of interest about the population.
This study will select the churches systematically (MAOG churches around the city will be
selected) and women will be randomly selected from those churches.
3.6 Sample Size Calculation
This section involves the calculation of the sample size, to determine the figure of individuals
that will be randomly picked to be interviewed. Since the whole population of women in the
study area is unknown/ the figures are constantly changing we will use the Cochran’s formula to
calculate the sample size of an unknown population.
2
Z pq
n= 2
e
Where n is the sample size, Z is the confidence interval, P is the population proportion, q is 1-p
and e is the error of margin. According to this study the Z value will be 1.96, p is 0.5, q will also
be 0.5 and e will be 0.12
2
Z pq
n= 2
e
1.96 ²(0.5)0.5
n=
0.12²
3.8416(0.25)
n=
0.0144
0.9604
n=
0.0144
n= 66.69 which was equivalent to 67 people
3.6 instrumentation and procedures for data collection
This section involves specific ways and tools that will be used to gather data for the research. In
this study the first tool that will be used is a questionnaire (a set of printed questions with a
choice of answers and sometimes not, that is designed to extract specific information from
respondents) (Kothari, 2004). The questionnaire in this study will have open ended questions so
as to grasp different sets of responses for deeper understanding in qualitative research and closed
ended questions for statistics of the research. Focus group discussions/ interviews will also
compliment the data collected from the questionnaires just to broaden the understanding of the
researched topic.
3.7 Other Data sources
In this research both primary (data collected by the research through questionnaires and
interviews) and Secondary data (from books, journals, articles and other sorts of research on
religious conferences or Moves or Women Economic Empowerment) will be used to discuss and
analyze findings and parameters about Women economic Empowerment from a religious impact
point of view.
3.9 Data analysis and interpretation
This is the process of extracting meaning out of the collected data, transforming it into
information and it this will be done using a computer software to analyze quantitative data from
the closed ended questions and also be done manually or using the thematic approach to analyze
the qualitative data from open ended responses. For this study, the researcher will use SPSS and
Excel to analyze the quantitative data collected and as already mentioned, Thematic approach for
open responses or discussions in focus groups.
3.10 Ethical Issues
Reason and Bradbury (2001) defined ethics as a code of behavior considered correct. As a
researcher, it is important to put research ethics into consideration (the researcher has to know
their responsibilities and the subjects should also be aware of their rights such as informed
consent, among others). Therefore, the ethical considerations in this research are; informed
consent, right to anonymity and confidentiality, right to privacy, justice, beneficence and respect
for all respondents involved in the research.
Furthermore, permission from the Mzuzu University and Churches that will be involved in data
collection will be requested for authorization of data collection and for student evidence
purposes a letter will help in approval by all significant individuals.