RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1.
INTRODUCTION
The present study intends to find the efficacy of the course ‘Environmental
Studies’ implemented for undergraduate students. It qualitatively and quantitatively
evaluates and analyzes the input variables, environment variables and output variables
of the course in the arts and science colleges of Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation.
The research has been accomplished by administering questionnaires on students.
Qualitative and statistical analysis of data has been done to draw meaningful
conclusions.
This chapter deals with the methodology adopted for the study. It includes
operational definitions, research design, universe, variables of study, sampling
techniques and tools of data collection used in the study. Means of analysis of data for
drawing meaningful conclusions and limitations of the study is also included in this
chapter.
3.2.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Colleges: The Arts and Science colleges affiliated to Bharathidasan University
at Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation.
Ecoliteracy: The knowledge about environment including environmental
components, ecological concepts, environmental pollution, biodiversity & conservation
of resources, environmental issues & general awareness, natural disasters,
environmental health & management.
56
Environmental Studies Course: The course introduced by UGC since 2004 to
all undergraduate studies in India.
Input Variables: The variables such as colleges, stream of study, gender and
residence that influence the Environmental Studies course.
Environment Variables: The variables such as level of integration, teaching
practices, course content and assessments that influence the Environmental Studies
course.
Output Variable : The variable ecoliteracy including sub dimensions
3.3.
1.
Environmental components and ecological concepts
2.
Environmental pollution
3.
Biodiversity & conservation of resources
4.
Environmental issues & general awareness and
5.
Natural disasters, environmental health & management.
RESEARCH DESIGN
According to C.R.Kothari (2004) descriptive research is description of the state
of affairs as it exists and in-depth approaches to find the association of the variables is
diagnostic research. The current study describes the state of environment education
program implemented at colleges and analyzes the association of ecoliteracy with
independent variables. Hence the research is Descriptive cum Diagnostic Research
Design. This is accomplished by qualitative analysis of environment variables and
quantitative analysis of input and output variables. Hence Qualitative and Quantitative
research approaches have been adopted. Quantitative research is based on the
57
measurement of quantity or amount. It is applicable to phenomena that can be
expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned
with qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind that
investigates the reasons C.R.Kothari (2004).
A comprehensive analysis of literature shows more of quantitative research
rather than qualitative studies. There are supporters and defenders of both methods.
However, Sogunro (2001) emphasizes “the usage of numbers and descriptions, which
anchor both quantitative and qualitative research paradigms, are mutually
complementary, and the strengths of both can produce a research synergy in which
whole collective benefits are greater than obtained from either approach taken alone”.
In this regard the present study adopted the qualitative as well as quantitative research
methods to analyze efficacy of education program.
A thorough education research program should include analysis of three
variables: input (the characters of the subject of study), environment (the conditions in
which the program/activity occur) and output (the effects of the program) named as the
‘I-E-O model’ (Austin, 1991 in Oksana, 2003). Therefore the present study is intended
to find the efficacy of education program by analyzing the factors influencing
ecoliteracy (input variable), the mode of implementation of environmental education
(environment variable) and the ecoliteracy level (output variables) of the environment
education program for undergraduate students.
The universe of the study is I year undergraduate students of Arts and Science
colleges at Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation. The descriptive cum diagnostic
study was accomplished by administering questionnaires and analyzed quantitatively
58
and qualitatively. Data were collected from an Environmental Science teacher selected
randomly from the educational institutes to collect information on mode of
implementation and I year undergraduate students to assess the mode of
implementation, ecoliteracy level as well as factors influencing ecoliteracy level. The
environment variable was analyzed by content analysis method as well as data obtained
from questionnaires. Statistical tests such as mean, median, Student ‘t’-test, Paired
sample T Test, One way analysis of variance, Karl Pearson’s Co-efficient of correlation
and Inter-correlation matrix were applied to interpret the data to draw meaningful
inferences.
3.3.1. UNIVERSE
The universe of the study is Arts and Science colleges at Tiruchirappalli
Municipal Corporation which are affiliated to Bharathidasan University.
Bharathidasan University (BDU) established in1982 is located at 10°40′29″N
78°44′39″E in the city of Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu state, India. It is a
recognized university, supported by the University Grants Commission of India.
The university in all has 14 Schools and 27 departments and 8 centres. It has
affiliated colleges in districts of the state, including Nagapattinam, Perambalur,
Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur other than Tiruchirapalli. The affiliating
jurisdiction is over 138 Arts & Science/Fine Arts/Education Colleges and 18
approved institutions. There are 14 Arts and Science colleges which come under
Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation. These affiliated colleges belong to aided
(government funded) or self financing category and are either autonomous or
non-autonomous. Seven colleges are autonomous while the remaining seven are
non autonomous. There are 9 aided colleges and 7 self financing colleges; 2
59
government and 12 private colleges. During the academic year 2010-2011 about
10,500 students had enrolled for their first year degree course in all these arts
and science colleges. Hence, for the present study, the universe is finite. The
names of the colleges and the numbers of respondents are presented in
Table 3.1.
TABLE 3.1 - DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY COLLEGE
S. No.
College
No. of Respondents (n.420)
1
National College
30
2
Kurinji Arts & Science College
30
3
Srimathi Indira Gandhi College
30
4
St. Joseph College
30
5
Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College
30
6
Cauvery College
30
7
Holy Cross College
30
8
Christu Raj College
30
9
Srimadh Andavar College
30
10
Jamal Mohamed College
30
11
Urumu Dhanalakshmi College
30
12
Government Arts College
30
13
Bishop Heber College
30
14
EVR Periyar College
30
60
3.3.2. SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
To assess the mode of implementation (environment variable) sampling was
done by randomly selecting a faculty who teaches Environmental Studies by
lottery method and thirty first year undergraduate students. To assess the
ecoliteracy level (output variables) and the factors influencing ecoliteracy (input
variables) the respondents were thirty first year undergraduate students from
each college.
Out of 10,500 students who are spread across 14 arts and science colleges, the
researcher selected 420 students using Stratified Disproportionate Random
Sampling Method considering each college as one stratum. Irrespective of the
total number of students in the college, thirty students from the first year
undergraduate studies were chosen using lottery method. The details are as
follows.
3.3.3. PILOT STUDY & PRE TEST
With the objective of gaining practical perspective and to assess the feasibility
of the present study, the researcher went for pilot visit. The discussions with the
different faculty members of the affiliated colleges, subject and field experts
helped the researcher to understand the need and importance of the study based
on which the researcher was able to finalize the methodology and design of the
present research.
A self prepared questionnaire was used as the tool for collecting data for the
present study. Before finalizing the tools of data collection to be used,
discussions were held with teachers, students and environmentalists to decide
61
on the relevant questions. Review of the existing literatures on Environmental
Education as well facilitated to finalize the relevant tools of data collection. A
pilot study was carried out and pre test was done with 30 students by
administering the self prepared questionnaire to evaluate the ecoliteracy. With
further discussions and guidance from experts in the field of environmental
sciences certain corrections were carried over and the improvised questionnaire
was used for the study.
3.3.4. DATA COLLECTION
The instruments and procedures used are essential to the evaluation of any
educational program to assess that program's efficacy. Standardized tests with
validity and reliability, fulfilling another requirement of evaluation usually are
administered for the purpose. However, recent research on student achievement
has focused on problems associated with over-reliance on standardized tests.
Alternative approaches to assess education programs that address many of the
problems associated with standardized tests have been suggested (Rogers,
1989). On that basis questionnaires were prepared and validity and reliability
characteristics established after administering to the sample.
3.3.4.1. INSTRUMENTS
A self prepared questionnaire was used as the tool for collecting data for the
present study. The socio-demographic studies can be grouped around six basic
issues (Dietz et al., 1998) that refer to variables such as age and cohort;
education, political ideology and place of residence; race and ethnic group;
income, social class, occupation and industrial sector; gender; and religion.
62
Hence the first part of the schedule comprised of questions pertaining to
personal information of the respondents. On this basis for the current study the
input variables as college of study, stream of education, gender and place of
residence have been taken into consideration for investigation. The second part
comprised of questions pertaining to environment variables including teaching,
evaluation, students’ and administrators’ attitude that depict the mode of
implementation. The third part comprised of questions to evaluate the
ecoliteracy of the students. (Appendix II : The questionnaire distributed to
faculty representative (Appendix III: The questionnaire distributed to students).
3.3.4.1.1. INDEX ON ECOLITERACY
In order the measure the knowledge on ecoliteracy and its sub dimensions, the
researcher constructed an Index on Ecoliteracy. Face validity and content
validity was established with the experts in the field along with the research
supervisor. The final part through which ecoliteracy was evaluated based on
five sub dimensions on environment including
1.
Environmental components and ecological concepts
2.
Environmental pollution
3.
Biodiversity & conservation of resources
4.
Environmental issues &general awareness
5.
Natural disasters, environmental health & management
Each sub dimension had ten questions each with four options to choose. The
correct option was credited with one score and the wrong ones and unanswered
ones were assigned zero score. The data collected by administering
63
questionnaire were analyzed to make estimates of the precision. Alpha
reliability was established and it was found to be 0.6807.
The mode of implementation of the course was analyzed qualitatively in terms
of level of integration, teaching practices, assessments and course content and
quantitatively evaluated for the influence of non formal environmental
education and impact of asking questions in vernacular language Tamil
(Appendix IV : The questionnaire distributed to students in vernacular language
Tamil) over the second language (English).
3.3.4.2. DATA COLLECTION PROCESS
Data collection was carried during March through May 2012 after the first year
undergraduate students had taken up the Environmental Studies course and later
in June and July 2012 from those who did not take the course. Questionnaires
were administered to one representative of the educational institutes and 30
students of each institute to collect information on mode of implementation.
The sample (representative) was chosen on random sampling basis.
The self prepared questionnaire was used as the tool for collecting data for
evaluating the ecoliteracy. The dependent variables were classified based on
the syllabus framed by the UGC and followed by all the colleges.
Questionnaires were administered to 420 first year undergraduate students in the
Arts and Science colleges at Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation on
disproportionate stratified random sampling basis. The first part of the
questionnaire comprised of independent variables focusing on personal data
focusing on sociodemographic data. The second part consisted of questions on
64
environment variables. The third part focused on output variables classified on
five sub dimensions of ecoliteracy.
3.3.5. ANALYSIS OF DATA
The data collected were carefully processed, analyzed qualitatively and
quantitatively. The environment variables were analyzed qualitatively and
substantiated with quantitative data. The course content was analyzed by
content analysis method. The input variables and output variables were
analyzed by applying the statistical tests such as mean, Student‘t’-test, Paired
sample T Test, One way analysis of variance, Karl Pearson’s Co-efficient of
correlation and Inter-correlation matrix to interpret the data to draw meaningful
inferences.
Framework of the research variables
i.
Independent variables selected for the study
a.
b.
Input variables
1.
Colleges
2.
Stream of study
3.
Gender
4.
Residence
Environment variables
5.
Level of integration
6.
Teaching practices
7.
Course content
8.
Assessments
65
ii.
Dependent variable selected for the study
c.
Output variable
9.
Ecoliteracy
Sub dimensions of ecoliteracy

Environmental components and ecological concepts

Environmental pollution

Biodiversity & conservation of resources

Environmental issues &general awareness

Natural disasters, environmental health & management
TABLE 3.2
Framework of Statistical Analysis
The following tests were applied to find out the relationship among the variables.
Variables
1. Gender
Tests
Study Variables
Student ‘t’ Test
2. Residence
3. Stream
4. Medium of
Questionnaire
1. Environmental components
and ecological concepts
Paired Sample T Test
3. Biodiversity & conservation
of resources
5. Formal Vs Non
formal
4. Environmental issues &
general awareness
6. Env. Studies Vs Non
Env. Studies
7. Colleges
8. Duration of Study
2. Environmental pollution
One-Way Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA)
5. Natural disasters,
environmental health &
management
6. Overall Ecoliteracy
9. No. of Exams
conducted
Karl Pearson’s
Coefficient of
Correlation
Inter Correlation
Matrix
Among Sub-dimensions
of Ecoliteracy
66
3.4.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The course had been introduced throughout India whereas the sample is from
few colleges of one region with a sample size of 420 students in the arts and science
colleges of Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation. Secondly, the present research
investigated the ecoliteracy level of the respondents after they had taken the course.
This research would have been stronger had the same respondents been evaluated for
ecoliteracy before they had taken the course. In other words a pre test and post test
would have demonstrated the efficacy of environment education. These could not be
achieved because of time constraint and difficulties in putting into practice. However
this limitation has been surpassed with a case study on limited students. The other
limitation pertaining to this research is the limited or non-availability of valid research
instruments owing to the complex and varying nature of the environment and the
course Environmental Studies.
67