CLUSTER SAMPLING

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Cluster sampling
It is a sampling process in which groups, not individuals, are randomly
selected. All the members of selected groups have similar
characteristics. It is a result from a two-stage process in which the
population is divided into clusters and a subset of the clusters is
randomly selected. Clusters are commonly based on geographic areas
or districts. For example, the sample for a household survey taken in a
city may be selected by using city blocks as clusters; a random sample
of city blocks is selected, and all households within the selected city
blocks are surveyed.
Steps in Cluster Sampling
1. Identify and define the population.
2. Determine the desired sample size.
3. Identify and define a logical cluster.
4. Estimate the average number of population members per clusters.
5. List all clusters (or obtain a list) the comprise the population.
Steps in Cluster Sampling
6. Determine the number of clusters needed by dividing the sample
side by the estimated size of a cluster.
7. Randomly select the needed number of clusters (using a table of
random numbers).
8. Included in your study all population members in each selected
cluster.
 Cluster sampling can be done in stages, involving selection of
clusters within clusters. This process is called multi-stage sampling. For
example, schools can be randomly selected and then classrooms within
each selected school can be randomly selected.
Example of Cluster Sampling
Let us see how our superintendent would get a sample of teachers if cluster
sampling were used. The steps are as following:
1. The population is all 5 000 teachers is the superintendents school system.
2. The desired sample size is 500.
3. A logical cluster is a school
4. The superintendent has a list of all the schools in the district there are 100
schools.
5. Although the schools vary in the number of teachers per school, there is an
average of 50 teachers per school.
Example of Cluster Sampling
6. The number of clusters (schools) needed equals the desired sample
size, 500 divided by the average size of a cluster, 50. Thus, the number
of schools needed is 500 + 10.
7. Therefore, 10 of the 100 schools are randomly selected.
8. All the teachers in each of the 10 schools are in the sample (10
schools, 50 teachers per school, equals the desired sample size).