CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the methodology that would be used to investigate the effects of drug
abuse on secondary school students in Baringo County, Kenya. It describes the research design,
study area, target population, sampling procedures, sample size, data collection instruments,
pilot testing, validity and reliability, data collection procedures, data analysis techniques, and
ethical considerations.
3.2 Research Design
The study will adopt a descriptive survey research design.
A descriptive survey design is appropriate because it enables the researcher to collect
information from a selected group of respondents and describe the existing situation regarding
drug abuse among secondary school students. The design is suitable for this study because it
will help in identifying the common drugs abused by students, the causes of drug abuse, and
the effects of drug abuse on academic performance, discipline, health, and social behaviour in
secondary schools in Baringo County.
The design is also useful because it allows the researcher to gather data from a relatively large
number of respondents within a short time and to analyze attitudes, opinions, behaviours and
experiences related to the study problem.
3.3 Study Area
The study will be carried out in Baringo County, Kenya.
Baringo County is located in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It has both rural and semi-urban
settlements, and it contains public and private secondary schools distributed across different
sub-counties. The county was selected because there is concern about drug and substance
abuse among adolescents and school-going youth, yet there is limited localized research
specifically focusing on the effects of drug abuse on secondary school students in the county.
The county provides an appropriate setting for the study because students in the area may be
exposed to substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, miraa, inhalants and prescription
drugs through home environments, peers, trading centres and surrounding communities.
3.4 Target Population
The target population refers to the entire group of individuals from whom the researcher
intends to collect data.
The target population for this study will consist of:
Secondary school students
Guidance and counselling teachers
Class teachers / teachers
Deputy principals or principals of selected secondary schools in Baringo County
The study will focus mainly on students because they are the primary group affected by drug
abuse. Teachers and school administrators will also be included because they are directly
involved in students’ academic progress, discipline management and counselling.
For example, if the study is conducted in 10 selected secondary schools, the target population
may include:
All students in the selected schools
Guidance and counselling teachers in the selected schools
Principals/deputy principals in the selected schools
You can later replace this with the actual population figures from the schools you will sample.
3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
3.5.1 Sample Size
A sample is a smaller group selected from the target population to represent the whole
population.
For the purpose of this study, a sample may be drawn from selected secondary schools in
Baringo County. Since the exact number of schools and students may vary, the researcher may
decide to sample a manageable number of respondents from the selected schools.
For example, the study may use a sample such as:
200 students
10 guidance and counselling teachers
10 class teachers
10 principals/deputy principals
This would give a total sample size of 230 respondents.
Important: If your supervisor gave you a specific number of schools or respondents, I can adjust
this section to fit it exactly.
3.5.2 Sampling Techniques
The study will use a combination of purposive sampling, stratified sampling and simple random
sampling.
(a) Purposive Sampling
Purposive sampling will be used to select:
Secondary schools to participate in the study
Guidance and counselling teachers
Principals or deputy principals
This technique is appropriate because these respondents are expected to have relevant
information about student behaviour, discipline, counselling and drug abuse cases in schools.
(b) Stratified Sampling
Students may be grouped into strata such as;
Grade 10
Form 3
Form 4
This ensures that all classes are represented in the study.
(c) Simple Random Sampling
After grouping students into strata, simple random sampling will be used to select the required
number of student respondents from each class. This gives every student an equal chance of
being selected and helps reduce bias.
3.6 Research Instruments
The study will use questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data.
3.6.1 Questionnaires
Questionnaires will be administered to:
Students
Teachers
The questionnaire is suitable because it can collect information from many respondents within
a short time. It also gives respondents time to think about their answers and may encourage
honesty, especially where the topic is sensitive.
The student questionnaire may contain sections on:
Background information
Common drugs abused by students
Causes of drug abuse
Effects of drug abuse on academic performance
Effects on discipline, health and social behaviour
Suggested solutions to drug abuse
The teacher questionnaire may contain questions on:
Cases of drug abuse observed in school
Common drugs abused by students
Effects on class performance and discipline
Measures used by the school to control drug abuse
3.6.2 Interview Schedule
Interview schedules will be used for:
Principals / deputy principals
Guidance and counselling teachers
Interviews will help the researcher collect deeper information on school experiences with drug
abuse, disciplinary trends, counselling interventions and possible solutions.
3.7 Pilot Study
A pilot study will be carried out in one or two secondary schools in Baringo County that will not
be included in the final study sample.
The purpose of the pilot study will be to:
Test whether the research instruments are clear and understandable
Identify ambiguous or difficult questions
Determine the time needed to fill the questionnaire
Test the reliability and validity of the instruments
Improve the quality of the final instruments before actual data collection
3.8 Validity of Research Instruments
Validity refers to the extent to which the research instruments measure what they are intended
to measure.
To ensure validity:
The researcher will prepare the questionnaires and interview schedules based on the objectives
of the study.
The instruments will then be presented to the supervisor or research experts for review.
Corrections and suggestions from the supervisor will be used to improve the content, wording
and structure of the instruments.
This will help ensure content validity.
3.9 Reliability of Research Instruments
Reliability refers to the consistency of the research instruments in producing dependable
results.
Reliability will be tested through the pilot study. Responses from the pilot study may be
analyzed using the test-retest method or Cronbach’s alpha to determine the consistency of the
questionnaire items.
If the reliability coefficient is acceptable (for example 0.7 and above), the instrument will be
considered reliable for the study.
3.10 Data Collection Procedure
Before collecting data, the researcher will seek permission from the relevant authorities.
The procedure will involve the following steps:
The researcher will obtain an introduction letter from the university.
The researcher will seek permission from relevant education authorities and school
administrations.
The researcher will visit the selected secondary schools in Baringo County.
The purpose of the study will be explained to respondents.
Consent will be sought from the school administration and respondents.
Questionnaires will be distributed to students and teachers.
Interviews will be conducted with principals, deputy principals and guidance/counselling
teachers.
Completed questionnaires will be collected, checked and prepared for analysis.
3.11 Data Analysis
After data collection, the questionnaires will be checked for completeness, coded and
organized for analysis.
3.11.1 Quantitative Data Analysis
Quantitative data from questionnaires will be analyzed using descriptive statistics such as:
Frequencies
Percentages
Means
Tables
Bar charts and pie charts where necessary
This will help summarize findings on:
Common drugs abused
Causes of drug abuse
Effects on academic performance
Effects on discipline, health and social behaviour
3.11.2 Qualitative Data Analysis
Qualitative data from interviews and open-ended questions will be analyzed using thematic
analysis. Responses will be grouped into themes based on the objectives of the study and then
interpreted in narrative form.
3.12 Ethical Considerations
Because the study involves students and a sensitive topic, the researcher will observe ethical
principles during the study.
The following ethical considerations will be observed:
Informed consent – respondents will be informed about the purpose of the study before
participating.
Voluntary participation – respondents will not be forced to participate.
Confidentiality – information given by respondents will be kept private and used only for
academic purposes.
Anonymity – respondents will not be required to write their names on the questionnaires
unless necessary.
Respect for respondents – the researcher will use polite and respectful language during data
collection.
Permission from relevant authorities – the researcher will obtain approval from the university
and permission from school administrations before conducting the study.
3.13 Chapter Summary
This chapter has presented the methodology that will be used in the study. It has described the
research design, study area, target population, sample size, sampling procedures, data
collection instruments, pilot study, validity, reliability, data collection procedure, data analysis
methods and ethical considerations. The next chapter will present the data analysis, findings
and interpretation of the study.