ZQMS-ARC-REC-002
ASSIGNMENT COVER
REGION: MASHONALAND CENTRAL SEMESTER: 2 YEAR: 2022
PROGRAMME: B.Sc. (HONOURS) PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT INTAK E: 25
FULL NAME OF STUDEN T: SARUDZAI MUZA PIN: P1987512F
EMAIL ADDRESS: smuza@psmi.co.zw CONTACT TELEPHONE/CELL: 0772431552
ID. NO.: 63-1094085F-18
COURSE NAME: RESEARCHMETODOLOGIES COURSE CODE: PHES 317
ASSIGNMENT NO. e.g. 1 or 2: 1 STUDENT’S SIGNATURE S.M
DUE DATE: SUBMISSION DATE:
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: 1. In your Chapter 3 (Research Methodology) explain in detail what you
should include under these sub-headings:
i) Research paradigm
ii) Research Design
iii) Population
iv) Sampling techniques
v) Research Instruments
vi) Ethical considerations
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This essay will explain Chapter 3 (Research Methodology). This chapter will cover every step of
the research process, including the Research paradigm, Research design, Population, sampling
techniques, Research instruments and Ethical considerations. Defining the terms "research" and
"methodology" will aid in the composition of this essay.
The process of finding knowledge can be summed up in the simplest words as research. This
information may be fresh or it may confirm an established truth. Research has an educational
goal and is based on gathered and examined data. This exploration takes place in a systematic
manner, where it is either tested or studied to further our understanding. (Skidmore, 2021)
Research is a systematic inquiry process that includes data gathering, documentation of
important information, analysis, and interpretation of that data and information in accordance
with appropriate procedures established by particular academic and professional disciplines.
(hampshire.edu, 2022) In this write up research is defined as a process done to determine the
viability of a theory or an interpretive framework, to compile a body of useful information, and
to share the results in the right contexts. or to bring up enquiries that will lead to more inquiry.
The philosophical framework or underlying assumptions that guide the research are known as the
methodology (Brown, 2006).Methodology in a research, is a description of the steps taken to
conduct a specific type of study. It outlines the methods or processes used to locate and evaluate
data pertaining to a certain research topic. The research methodology, then, concerns how a
researcher plans their study in a way that enables them to get accurate, trustworthy results and
accomplish their research goals. (Sumit, 2021) In this research Research methodology is the
systematic approach used to address a research issue through the collection of data using a
variety of approaches, the provision of an interpretation of the data collected, and the drawing of
inferences from the research findings.
i) Research paradigm
A paradigm, according to Lincoln et al.(1985), consists of four components: epistemology,
ontology, methodology, and axiology. These components make up the fundamental
presumptions, beliefs, norms, and values that each paradigm maintains, hence it is crucial to have
a thorough understanding of them. The concept is that by situating your research proposal within
a particular research paradigm, your study will sustain and be led by the paradigm's assumptions,
beliefs, norms, and values. It is crucial that you prove that you understand what each of these
terms means. (Kivunja, 2017)
Paradigms are thus important because they provide beliefs and dictates, which, for scholars in a
particular discipline, influence what should be studied, how it should be studied, and how the
results of the study should be interpreted. The paradigm defines a researcher’s philosophical
orientation and, as we shall see in the conclusion to this paper, this has significant implications
for every decision made in the research process, including choice of methodology and methods.
And so a paradigm tells us how meaning will be constructed from the data we shall gather, based
on our individual experiences, (i.e. where we are coming from). It is therefore very important,
that when you write your research proposal for HDR, you clearly state the paradigm in which
you are locating your research. (Kivunja, 2017)
ii) Research Design
The research design is the overarching plan you select to integrate the many study components in
a logical and cogent manner, so ensuring you will successfully answer the research topic. It
serves as the guide for data collecting, measurement, and analysis. Keep in mind that the type of
design you can employ is determined by your study challenge. (Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, 2006)
Research designs generally fall into one of three categories: data gathering, measurement, or
analysis. The design will depend on the research issue that an organisation is dealing with. The
tools to employ and how to utilise them are decided upon during the design phase of a study.
Effective research typically reduces data bias and fosters greater confidence in the veracity of the
information gathered. In experimental research, the goal is typically to construct a design with
the smallest possible margin of error. The key components are an accurate purpose statement,
techniques for gathering and interpreting research data, the methodology used to analyse the data
acquired, and potential research objections. Timeline; research study settings; calculation of
analysis. To choose the right model to use for a study, a researcher needs have a thorough
understanding of the various research design types. Your analysis' design can be roughly divided
between quantitative and qualitative approaches (Questionpro.com, 2020)
The main goal of qualitative research is to comprehend a study question from a humanistic or
idealistic perspective. Although the quantitative technique is more trustworthy because it is
based on numerical data and can be replicated by other researchers, it is less flexible. The
qualitative technique is used to comprehend people's attitudes, interactions, behaviours, and
beliefs. It produces data that is not numerical. (Pathak, 2013)
The systematic analysis of phenomena known as quantitative research involves the collection of
measurable data and the application of statistical, mathematical, or computational methods.
Using sample techniques and tools like online surveys, polls, and questionnaires, quantitative
research, for instance, gathers data from current and potential clients. (Questionpro.com, 2020)
Mixed-Methods Approach is a mixed-method technique, as its name implies, mixes qualitative
and quantitative methodologies in order to take use of each methodology's advantages and
produce insightful findings. (Sumit, 2021)
iii) Population
The entire group about whom you want to make conclusions is referred to as a population. A
population in research doesn't usually refer to humans. It can refer to a collection of whatever
you desire to study, including things, occasions, groups, nations, species, and animals. When
your research issue calls for or allows you access to data from every member of the population,
populations are utilized. Data collection from a large population is typically only simple when
the population is small, approachable, and cooperative. (Bhandari., 2020)
The particular group from which you will gather data is known as a sample. The sample size is
always smaller than the population as a whole. You must employ a sample when your population
is sizable, spread geographically, or challenging to reach. Utilizing statistical analysis, you can
estimate or test hypotheses regarding population statistics using sample data. (Bhandari., 2020)
v) Research Instruments
The tools for data collecting are called research instruments and include questionnaires,
interviews, and observations. The characteristics of a good research instrument include being
valid and trustworthy; being founded on a conceptual framework; gathering data appropriate for
and pertinent to the study topic; and gathering data that would test the hypotheses or provide
answers to the research questions. It must give precise instructions on how to complete it and be
free from all bias. It must be submitted with a strong cover letter and, if at all feasible, a
sponsor's letter of recommendation. (Barile, 2022)
Interviews are an example of a research instrument since they involve an oral exchange between
the interviewer and the subject in which the goal is to elicit a verbal answer. Structured
interviews are formal because each respondent is asked a list of questions, known as an interview
questionnaire, and their responses are recorded on a predetermined timetable. Informal Interview
The less formal sort of interview, known as an unstructured interview, allows the interviewer to
freely alter the order of the questions, vary the wording, and occasionally add new questions as
the interview progresses. The Non-Directive Interview, also known as the unguided Interview,
provides the respondent with an overwhelming amount of freedom to express her ideas however
she wishes, Focus interviews, as the name implies, concentrate on the respondent's subjective
opinions and experiences regarding the topic in order to elicit more data. (Barile, 2022)
One of the most crucial techniques for gathering thorough data in qualitative research is
Participant observation, particularly when a combination of oral and visual data is crucial to the
study. In this style of observation, the researcher takes up residence with the study's participants
while observing and recording the characteristics of the subject under investigation. This allows
the researcher to personally experience the phenomenon under investigation. (Barile, 2022)
Non-Participant Observer: In this method, the researcher does not reside with the study's
participants. Without actively participating in the circumstance being studied, the researcher
observes the subjects of his or her research while they are aware of his or her identity as a
researcher. (Barile, 2022)
Questionnaire: This data gathering tool is primarily employed in normative studies. This is a well
crafted form or document that has a series of questions that are intended to elicit replies from
survey respondents or research informants in order to gather data or information. It is a type of
inquiry paper that includes a carefully curated and arranged sequence of questions meant to elicit
data that will shed light on the nature of the problem being researched. (Barile, 2022)
vi) Ethical considerations
Researchers should take ethical conduct's values and guiding principles into account while
planning and carrying out experiments with human subjects. Typically, research ethics
committees (RECs) assess whether research ideas are ethically acceptable. There can be
discrepancies in how researchers and RECs define ethical conduct and how they interpret ethical
standards. The purpose of this study was to investigate how these two groups felt about the
significance of fundamental ethical concerns in the proposal and the informed-consent
procedure. (Kaewkungwal, 2019)
The primary motivation for research is the pursuit of new information and insight, while it may
also have other advantages. For instance, study participants may gain from it (for example,
through better disease/illness treatments); also, research may be advantageous to both specific
groups and society at large. Ethics frameworks have been developed to support research practice
because, among other things, care must be made to guarantee that the benefits outweigh the risk
of damage to study participants. However, ethical frameworks are created within an ever-
changing societal environment that includes the need for research, moral imperatives, ethical
principles, and the law; they are frequently modified. Researchers must make sure they are
knowledgeable about current legal standards and up to date. (WorldMedicalAssociation, 2018)
When gathering data from people, scientists and researchers must always abide by a set of ethical
principles. Understanding real-world occurrences, researching efficient therapies, examining
habits, and enhancing lives in other ways are frequently the objectives of human research. There
are important ethical considerations in both what you chose to research and how you conduct
that research. These factors contribute to safeguarding research participants' rights, improve the
validity of research and maintain the integrity of science Although ethical issues in animal
research are also significant, this article primarily focuses on research ethics in human study.
(Bhandari., 2020)
In conclusion developing the chapter three of the research methodologies, the essay explains the
purpose of research, research method you wish to adopt, the instruments to be used, where you
will collect your data, types of data collection, and how you collected it. This chapter explains
the different methods to be used in the research project.
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https://www.slideshare.net/MhayeBarile1/research-instrument-69813352
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https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/population-vs-sample/
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