CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH METHODS

In the previous chapter, have been reviewing literature and in this chapter, l am going to look at
the research methodology. The study sought to explore the effect of social media on students’
academic performance in two selected Secondary Schools in Chiredzi, namely Hippo Valley
High School and Mleme Secondary school. `

Research Paradigm

This is defined as the framework into which the theories and practices of your discipline fit to
create the research plan. This foundation guides all areas of your research plan, including the aim
of the study, research question, instruments or measurements used, and analysis methods,
Peachy, 2023. According to Lather (2017), research paradigms inherently reflect our beliefs
about the world we live in and want to live in. Based on this belief, Guba and Lincoln 2014)
distinguish between positivist, post-positivist and postmodernist enquiry, grouping
postmodernism and post-structuralism within ‘critical theory’. The three major research
paradigms associated with our disciplines are positivism, post positivism and interpretivism. In
this research am going to use interpretive paradigm as it gives the room to interact with
respondents.

Interpretive Paradigm

Interpretivism is a philosophical position and research method that analyses events in society
based on the specific value-system of the society or culture they occur in. It is a qualitative
research method. Data from qualitative research is expressed through words rather than
numerically. It allows researchers to understand phenomena through the meanings that people
assign to them, facilitating a deeper understanding of social life and human experiences. Instead
of limiting the research questions with 'what is', interpretivism approach through qualitative
research, understands the nature of human emotions.

Research Approach
This is defined as the procedure selected by the researcher to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
There are three approaches to research: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. In this
research am going to use qualitative research approach. (Busayo.longe, 2023)

Qualitative Research Approach

It involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions, or

experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for
research. Qualitative research methods are helpful for gaining an in-depth understanding of
human behaviour and the reasons that govern such behaviour. The main goal of qualitative
research is to provide a detailed and comprehensive description of a phenomenon rather than to
test a hypothesis. It allows you to ask questions that cannot be easily put into numbers to
understand human experience.

Research Design

Research design is a blueprint of a scientific study. It includes research methodologies, tools, and
techniques to conduct the research. It helps to identify and address the problem that may rise
during the process of research and analysis. Six common types of qualitative research
are phenomenological, ethnographic, grounded theory, historical, case study, and action research.
(Bless & Higson-Smith, 2018) In this research study am going to use case study.

Case study research design

It is a detailed account, written in the designer's own voice (first person), that examines the
client's problem, the designer's role, the problem-solving process, and the project's outcome.
(Creswell, 2012) A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete,
contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the
key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case. It enables researchers to examine
data at the micro level. In my case study, l got a sample of 120 people.

Study Area

This study is conducted in Chiredzi District and schools which are studied are Hippo Valley High
school and Mleme secondary school. The research scope is social media networks because
Zimbabwe is facing the rapid growth of social media networks. The study involves students from
these two secondary schools located at Chiredzi district where youth are the most users of social
media. Moreover, the topic of the impacts of social media to secondary school students is
researchable at those areas due to the presence of students who are the majority among the youth
using social media.

Population and Sampling procedure

Population

The research population, also known as the target population, refers to the entire group or set of
individuals, objects, or events that possess specific characteristics and are of interest to the
researcher

Targeted population

The target population is a universal set of the study of all members of a real or hypothetical set of
people, events or objects to which an investigator wishes to generalize the result, Saunders, 2018.
Jim Whaley, 2023 defined target population as the entire population, or set, that will be
considered qualified for data analysis. It represents the larger population from which a sample is
drawn. The target population of this study was 50 students from each school to make a total of
100 students, and 10 teachers from each school to make a total of 20. This was done so as to
minimize the possibility of sampling errors. (See the table below)

Table 0.1 Population

Description Students Teachers

Hippo Valley High School 50 10

Mleme Secondary school 50 10

Total 100 20
Sampling
It can be defined as the process through which individuals or sampling units are selected from
the sample frame. The sampling strategy needs to be specified in advance, given that the
sampling method may affect the sample size estimation

Sample size
To determine the sample size of the population used, the Yamani Taro (Cite in Yilmaz, 2018)
formula was used. The sample size is a function of the population of the maximum acceptable
margin of error (also known as the sampling error) and is expressed mathematically thus:

Key: n = Sample size

N = Target population (120)

E = maximum acceptable margin of error (5%)

Sample size n = 120

Table 0.2 sample distribution of respondents

Description Students Teachers

Hippo Valley High School 49 10

Mleme Secondary school 48 10

Total 97 20

The sample size =117 participants

Data collection method
The main techniques for gathering data are observation, interviews, questionnaires, schedules,
and surveys. To collect data on the impact of social media on students’ performance, the
researcher made use of questionnaires and interviews.

3.5.1 Questionnaire
Questionnaires were utilized to collect data from the sample population in this investigation. The
questionnaires were created in accordance with the study goals in order for the researcher to
come to a conclusion and make suggestions based on the information gathered from the
organization. (Adi Bhati, 2023)

All the respondents were given questionnaires to answer on the spot, immediately after being
selected. This was to avoid any outside influences in their answers. For students, the questions
included how many times they accessed social media in a day or a week, how much time they
spent on average on each visit, and how social media has impacted their academic work and
social life (positively or negatively). The questionnaires included a mix of closed-ended and
open-ended questions based on a Likert Scale. The purpose of including more closed-ended
questions on a Likert scale was to guarantee that respondents could comprehend the question due
to its self-explanatory nature. A few open-ended questions were also included in the
questionnaire as a consequence of the intricacy connected with both interpreting and witnessing
the impact of social media on students’ performance, allowing respondents to further describe or
explain any effect that they may deem essential. (Kragh, 2018).

3.5.2 Interviews

In addition to the use of the questionnaire the researcher also employed semi-structured
interviews as a research instrument so as to complement the use of the questionnaire. (Scribbr,
2023). The use of unstructured interviews allowed the sample population elements to react
without being limited to the researcher's possible responses.

3.6.2 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure

An official letter was sent to the sampled schools for permission to be sought. This was
necessary to make sure that the headteachers and the teachers were pre-informed about the data
collection. A follow-up was done to arrange for time and date which was convenient for the data
to be collected as well as to take opportunity to explain to the Headteachers and the teachers
what the study sought to achieve and the need for the study. The date and time were arranged and
data collection commenced. The data was gathered in the classrooms for the two schools for a
period of one week. The researcher proceeded to distribute questionnaires and conduct in-person
interviews. The study was conducted using both primary and secondary data. (Griffth, 2018).

3.7 Validity and Reliability

In this study, the researcher used a descriptive research method since it allowed her to clearly
hear explanations of how social media influences students’ performance from individuals who
are at school, confirming the authenticity of the data collected. (Mahoney, 2020). The target
population elements were selected from diverse students in order to avoid prejudice and to hear
perspectives from other respondents.

Furthermore, the researcher used two research instruments in this study, namely questionnaires
and interviews, to ensure that the data collected would be reliable. This is because, in addition to
questionnaires, senior students, who have unlimited access to social media, would shed more
light during an interview whose questions would not limit them to posing hypothetical questions.
(Ali Saad, 2022).

Data presentation and analysis

Data analysis summarizes collected data. It involves the interpretation of data gathered through
the use of analytical and logical reasoning to determine patterns, relationships or trends,
(Neuman, 2017). In this research l used thematic content approach as it provides in-depth
information – it is a flexible data analysis method, and unexpected results can easily be
identified. Also, it’s useful for summarizing key features of a large data set, as it forces the
researcher to take a well-structured approach to handling data, helping to produce a clear and
organized final report (King, 2017).

3.8 Ethical Issues

Ethical standards were guaranteed since the all the recommended documentations were obtained
that included an approval letter to promise the respondents that the study is for academic. Every
questionnaire bore an introductory letter showing the intended purpose of the study and the
manner in which the respondents were supposed to attend to the questionnaires. Further, none of
the respondents were forcefully made to participate in the study and any information regarding
their personality was not allowed to be provided.

3.9 Summary of the chapter

This chapter concisely explained the research design, the selection of the population sample from
the target population, the research instruments used and why they were used, the proof that the
researcher was satisfied that the research was reliable and valid, and finally how the data
collected would be presented and analysed. The next chapter will be data display and analysis
using tables, pie charts, and graphical displays.