CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter covers the methods and procedure to be used in the conduct of the study. These
include research design, research environment, research respondents, research instrument and the
statistical treatment of data.
Research Design
This study used the survey approach of conducting a research. Specifically, it employed the
descriptive survey and correlation procedures. The researcher’s determination in this research is
to provide data which will help determine the difference concerning the attitude of the STEM
students towards Science and to prove the correlation of the variables; attitude and science
process skills of the selected students. According to Ethridge (2014), Descriptive studies are
characterized as the attempt to determine, define or identify what is. As what Busk (2015) said; a
correlational study is a particular type of a descriptive research where the researchers are
concerned of the relationships between two variables. Moreover, there is no attempt to
manipulate the variables. (Siegle, 2015).
Research Environment
The survey was conducted at the University of Cebu-Pri Campus which is located in Sambag I, J.
Alcantara St., Cebu City. The campus serves as an extension of the Main Campus where it is
composed of only two grade levels; grade 11 and grade 12. The campus also offers different
tracks like Arts and Design, Technical Vocational Livelihood and Academic Track. In the
Technical Vocational Livelihood, it comprises with Cookery, Computer Systems Servicing and
Travel Service. As for the Academic Track, it compiles with General Academic Strand,
Humanities and Social Sciences, next is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
and lastly, the Accountancy, Business and Management. The school’s mission is to offer quality
Senior High School Education services in an enabling and supportive learning environment.
Research Respondents
The researchers chose STEM Grade 12 from the afternoon session as the respondents of the
study with a population of 502; thus, the method that was used to determine the sample size is
the Calmorin’s formula with a sampling error of 0.02 which results the sample size as 130
respondents.
After finding out the needed sample size, it was settled to use the cluster sampling method.
Cluster sampling is used in statistics when natural groups are present in a population. The whole
population is subdivided into clusters, or groups, and random samples are then collected from
each group (Glen, 2013). First, the researchers selects groups or clusters, specifically the
sections; Providence, Wisdom, Brilliance, Fortitude, Zeal, Adroitness, Dynamism, Benevolence,
Resilience, Optimism and Joy, then from every cluster, the researchers selects the individual
subjects by systematic random sampling; where they select every 5th element of the population.
After, the researchers selected 5 sections through the systematic random sampling.
Research Instrument
The instruments used in the study consist of two parts: Science Process Skills Test (SPST) and
the Attitudes toward Science Questionnaire (ATSQ).
Part I. Science Process Skills Test
This instrument is adopted by (Zeidan, 2015). This test is composed of 18 items that examines
basic and integrated science process skills. There are 10 items that tests the basic science process
skills such as the observation, measuring, classifying, predicting and communicating. As for the
integrated science process skills, there are 8 items specifically, controlling variables,
hypothesizing and experimentation. This test was used in order to determine the level of mastery
in science process skills of the selected students. As for the validation of this instrument, a study
of Zeidan (2015) was pilot tested with a group of 25 first secondary Grade students similar of its
target population to ensure their comprehensibility, validity, and reliability.
Part II. Attitude towards Science Questionnaire (ATSQ)
This test was adopted by Zeidan (2015) as the instrument to identify the selected students’ level
of attitude towards science. It is composed of 25 items which indicates whether the student
agrees or disagrees using the Likert-type, a 5-point response scale (5 = strongly agree, 4 = agree,
3 = neutral, 2 = disagree & 1 = strongly disagree). A study conducted by Zeidan (2015) states
that the results of the instrument were used in order to explore its structural validity and found
out that the total amount of variance for the 25 items was 47.06%, the eigenvalue was 11.77, and
all items loaded on the anticipated factor has a loading weight greater than 0.60 which means
that the claim for structural validity strongly supported the said instrument.
Research Procedure
The researchers blank the test and survey questionnaire; Science Process Skills (SPST) and
Attitude towards Science. Then, then the preparing and validating of the approval form to
perform surveys on the selected students blank. After, the researchers requested the respondents
to answer the instruments provided. Lastly, they analyzed the information’s gathered based on
the aforenamed instruments. The obtained information’s from the respondents would remain
confidential and private.
Statistical Treatment of Data
All collected data were collated for analyses. Appropriate statistical measures were used and
employed to quantify the data and to answer the problem set for the study.
Descriptive statistics such as frequency count and percent distribution, mean and standard
deviation were used to describe the respondents’ profile.
Frequency count determines the number of respondents who were subjected to the assessment of
science process skills.
Arithmetic Mean was used to assess students’ mastery of basic process skills and performance in
science.
Mean Percentage Score was used to determine the average score in the Science Process Skill
Test and in the Achievement Test.
Standard Deviation was used to get the average of how distant the individual scores or
perception are from the mean of the tests.
Weighted Mean was computed to determine the level of students’ attitude toward science.
Inferential Statistics of Pearson Product-Moment-Correlation Coefficient was employed to
determine the relationship of Scientific Attitude and mastery in basic process skills to
performance in Science and their significance.