CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

This chapter deals with methodology. It shows how the researcher intends to go about the whole

study. It is presented under the following sub-headings: Research design, the population of the

study, sample and sampling procedure, the research instruments, pre-intervention design

intervention design, implementation, and post-intervention.

3.1 Research Design

The research design adopted was action research, Action research according to Mills (2003), is

any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers to gather information about the ways

their particular school operates, how they teach and how well their students learn.

According to Gay (1992), action research is a formal and systematic application of scientific

methods to the study of a problem.

Therefore, Action research is a process of progressive problem-solving led by individuals

working with others in terms of or as part of a community of practice to improve the way they

address issues and solve problems.

Strength of Action Research.

The strength of action research includes the following;

1. Action research focuses on a local problem and is conducted in a local setting.

2. It helps promote teachers’ professional status, and personal development and bring about

change in their practices.

 3. It provides a sort of in-service training to the people involved.

4. Action research helps to solve the problems that militate against classroom processes.

Weakness of Action Research.

1. It forces the researcher to find a solution to the problem.

2. It is time and other resources-consuming since a solution must be found to the problem.

3. It limits the research to only a problem in a classroom.

4. It can cause tough times and unrest for the researcher in a situation where others who are

to assist the researcher in finding a solution to the problem do not cooperate.

This iterative nature enables researchers to continually refine and improve their practices based

on the research findings.

Action research was used for this study in order to help identify the practical problems of Basic 7

learners’ of JHS Basic ‘B’ in demonstrating rectilinear propagation of light and to find possible

solutions to improve the problem

3.2 Population of the Study

Population refers to the total number of individuals residing in a particular geographic area or

encompassing a specific group. According to the United Nations (1982), Population is the total

number of individuals present in a particular area at a given time.

It consists of the target population and the accessible population. The target population of this

study included all the learners of the Junior High school of Sege Presby No.1 Basic.

The current school population is one hundred and seventy-four (174) learners which comprises
seventy-two (72) boys and one hundred and two girls (102). The accessible population is all

Basic 7 learners of Sege Presby No.1 Basic.

3.3 Sample of the Study

A sample is a sub-group of the targeted population that the researcher plans to study for

generalizations about the target population (Creswell, 2004).

A sample consists of a carefully selected subset of the units that comprise the population.

The study is made up of twenty (20) Basic seven learners of Sege Presby No.1 Basic of which

seven (7) are boys and thirteen (13) are girls.

3.4 Sampling Procedure

The 20 learners were selected by purposive sampling when the pre-test was conducted. This was

because of the extremely low performance observed by such learners. The performance before

the intervention was therefore compared to what was after the intervention.

3.5 Research Instruments

To ensure relevant and verifiable evidence for this study the researcher used the following

research instruments; observation, interviews, and tests.

3.5.1 Interview

According to the Advance Learner's Dictionary, an interview is a meeting with someone whose

views are requested. An interview is a form of question characterized by fact. It deals with verbal

questioning as its main approach to data collection. It includes posing questions to respondents

for answers in a face-to-face situation or by phone. Interviews involve the gathering of data

through direct verbal interaction between individuals (Amedahe & Gyimah,2002)

The researcher designed an interview guide to elicit students’ perception of the use of the

participatory method in demonstrating the concept of rectilinear propagation of light. The

interview guide consists of five (5) items. The items sought information on student’s perception

of the effectiveness, implementation and suggestions on the use of participatory methods in the

intervention lessons. Thirteen (13) learners consisting of five male and eight female students

sampled for the study were interviewed. The interview was semi-structured type. At most 8

minutes were spent on each student. The students’ responses from the interview were organized

and analyzed. The data was used to answer research question 3 and also provided additional

information in answering research questions 1 and 2. A copy of the interview guide is attached as

an Appendix C.

3.5.2 Tests

Test as an effective instrument was applied to measure learners’ level of skills and knowledge of

the concept both before and after the intervention. I conducted a pre-test with a population of

sixty-six (66) learners in the class but the researcher focused on the twenty learners. The pre-test

and post-test were conducted to determine the degree of learners’ problems and assess the

effectiveness of the intervention under close study. The Pre-test and Post-test were used in

collecting both qualitative and quantitative data that helped the researcher with adequate

information in answering research questions 1 and 2. Thus to examine learners’ difficulties in

carrying out rectilinear propagation of light and the impact of using the participatory method of

teaching the concept of rectilinear propagation of light on learners’ achievement. Ten questions

set were on the concept of rectilinear propagation of light and the Science textbook for Basic

Seven Learners was used for the construction of the test items. The tests have equal levels of

difficulty. The test items covered the concept of rectilinear propagation of light. The test items
were based on the Junior High School Curriculum for Basic 7 learners in Ghana. After the

construction of the test, it was assessed by mentor, two mentees and supervisor. All these

measures were put in place to ensure the validity and reliability of the tests. Learners were given

fifty-five minutes to complete each of the tests. Twenty learners took part in the test. A sample of

the tests (pre-test and post-test) marking schemes are presented in Appendix B

3.6 Intervention Process

An intervention process is a set of strategies planned and implemented to solve a specific

problem or reform an educational practice that is located in an immediate situation by the

researcher. It is made up of a step-by-step procedure that is constantly being monitored over

some time. Considering the action research design adopted for this study, the intervention

process comprises pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention.

3.6.1 Pre-Intervention

At this stage of the intervention process, the researcher diagnosed the difficulties learners were

having in learning the concept of rectilinear propagation of light before the actual intervention.

Pre-tests and unstructured interviews were used to diagnose the perceived problem. The

researcher administered the pre-test and also interviewed learners on the difficulties they have in

learning the concept of rectilinear propagation of light. Item analysis of the pre-test and response

of pupils from the unstructured interview revealed learners’ difficulties with the concept of

rectilinear propagation of light. The data obtained from the pre-test are presented in Appendix E.

See Appendix A for a sample of the pre-test. These compelled the researcher to plan an

intervention lesson with learners using the participatory method with the learners. For systematic

and efficient delivery in teaching the concept of rectilinear propagation of light, the researcher

prepared detailed daily lessons.

3.6.2 Intervention Implementation

At this stage, the researcher puts a concrete measure in place to address the problem of learners’

difficulties and inability to have a conceptual understanding of the rectilinear propagation of

light. Teaching and Learning Materials were used at this stage coupled with the participatory

method. The researcher organized a two-week intervention lesson with learners. The researcher

and learners meet thrice a week and each section lasts for an hour. The teaching was learner-

centered and adequate measures were put in place to ensure equity and equality. See Appendix D

for a sample of the lesson plan. The researcher used two (2) weeks to carry out the intervention.

Some of the activities carried out for the sessions are discussed below:

Activity 1: TLM Preparation and Illustration

The table below shows the materials needed for the experiment and their uses

Table 1: Materials and their uses

Material Uses

Cardboard To check the alignment of light rays

Candle As a source of light

Wooden stand As base support for the cardboard

Plywood To serve as a surface for the arrangements of

the three cardboard and the candle.

Activity 2: Procedure in demonstrating rectilinear propagation of light

1. Three pieces of cardboard of the same size are used

2. Guide learners to place the cardboards together and create holes in their centre

3. The cardboards are arranged standing so that the holes appear in a straight line. This is

done by passing a string through the holes and removing it.

4. A lamp or a lighted candle is placed behind the first piece of cardboard, A

5. The lamp is observed from behind the third piece of cardboard, C

6. Guide learners to displace cardboard B slightly out of line with A and C so that the three

holes will not be in a straight line.

7. Guide learners to observe the lamp again.

Diagrams of experimental set-ups

a)

Figure 1: Holes arranged in a straight line

 b)

Figure 2: Holes not arranged in a straight line

Demonstration of rectilinear propagation of light

3.6.3 post-intervention

After implementing the intervention, the researcher assessed the impact of the intervention

lessons on pupils’ achievement and their perception of the use of the participatory method. The

methodology’s appropriateness and the teaching and learning materials’ efficiency. A post-test
was administered after which the twenty learners were sampled and granted interview. The

results and responses are presented and analyzed in chapter four. The learners’ responses from

the interview are presented in Table 4

3.7 Challenges Faced

Designing and Administering Data Collection Instruments: Challenge arises in the design and

administration of data collection instruments. This includes the development of tests and an

interview guide that effectively captures the necessary information. Ensuring the validity and

reliability of the instruments is vital to obtaining accurate and meaningful data.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data: The analysis and interpretation of data was a complex and

time-consuming process. Handling the datasets and selecting appropriate statistical methods pose

challenges, particularly for the researcher with limited statistical knowledge.

3.8 Data Collection Procedure

Pre-test data was collected by administering a short test to ascertain the cause of the problem at

hand. With the problem identified, the intervention phase was introduced. Next was the post-test

data which was also collected by administering a short test. In all, a period of one month was

used for the collection of data.

3.9 Data Analysis Procedure

Results obtained from the pre-test and the post-test were collected and presented in a table using

descriptive statistics and simple percentages. A chart in Microsoft Word was used in the

construction of the pie charts and bar charts.