CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter highlights on the study design and method adopted by examining

the techniques and procedures employed in undertaking the research. The chapter

thus accentuates on the study design, data collection tools and methods, sampling

techniques, study variables as well as the unit of analysis.

Research Design

The research design to be adopted for the study is the descriptive research

design. Descriptive research is used to describe characteristics of a population or

phenomenon being studied. It does not answer questions about how/when/why the

characteristics occurred. Rather it addresses the "what" question (what are the

characteristics of the population or situation being studied?)[1] The characteristics

used to describe the situation or population are usually some kind of categorical

scheme also known as descriptive categories. Descriptive research generally

precedes explanatory research. Hence, it cannot be described what caused a

situation.

Thus, descriptive research cannot be used as the basis of a causal

relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words, descriptive research

can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity.

The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical

calculations. Often the best approach, prior to writing descriptive research, is to

conduct a survey investigation. Qualitative research often has the aim of description
and researchers may follow-up with examinations of why the observations exist and

what the implications of the findings are.

 Respondents and Sampling Procedure

The data needed for the study included the population specifically the

pedestrians and the number of licensed drivers – motorist, tricycle drivers, jeepney

drivers, and others.

Both secondary and primary data sources were used for the study. The

secondary data includes inventory of past road accidents along major roads in Tabuk

City from PNP station, inventory of installed road signs and marking from DPWH,

gathered related literature from journals, publications, investigations and studies.

Table .1 shows the data required and the sources for the research.

Table .1 - Data Requirements and Sources

PRIMARY SOURCE OF DATA

Data Required Source of Data Mode of Collection

Level of understanding/ Licensed Drivers- motorist,

ability of comprehension of tricycle drivers, jeepney Structured Questionnaire
drivers into road signs drivers, other drivers

The role/s of the road

management and safety Structured Institutional
stakeholders in reducing DPWH, LTO, PNP TABUK Questionnaire and
the rate of accidents in Interview Guide
Tabuk City

Perception/s of the public

revealed through road Pedestrians and Part of
public population Structured Questionnaire
signs and markings in
Tabuk City

SECONDARY SOURCE OF DATA

Data Required Source of Data Mode of Collection

 Inventory of past road
Connection/s of “road signs
accidents in Tabuk city
and markings’ condition” Acquisition of available
from PNP and Inventory of
along accident prone areas data/documents through
installed road signs and
in major roads in Tabuk request
markings in Tabuk city from
City
DPWH

Data Gathering Instruments

The data gathering instruments that were used for the study are structured

questionnaires, interview guide, observation and the use of camera and pen drives.

These tools facilitated and enhanced the data collection process and were employed

as and when they were needed.

The structured institutional questionnaires were employed in the collection of

institutional data. Different set of questions were posed to be answered by the offices

of the selected institutions which included the LTO, DPWH, and PNP-Tabuk Police

Station. The collection of data from these institutions created an opportunity for the

review of some secondary data that was made available. Structured questionnaires

were used in the collection of data from selected drivers in the city of Tabuk-

specifically on Tabuk Jeepney Terminal, Dagupan-KSU Jeepney Terminal, Dagupan-

Bulanao MultiCab Terminal, Bulanao Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association

(BTODA).

Structured questionnaires will also be given to pedestrians roaming in the City-

specifically the target respondents are students and a sample of population. Both close

and open ended questions were set and administered targeting the drivers and

pedestrians roaming the Highways in the city.

 With regard to that, the simple random sampling technique was employed and

interested drivers in each of the three purposive sampled jeepney terminals, a number

randomly sampled pedestrians, and a tricycle terminals was interviewed. The

challenge that emanated was that some respondents were reluctant and apathetic

in providing information.

This was overcome as the purpose of the data collection was explained to

them.

Also, observation was used as an instrument as it afforded the researcher the

opportunity to appreciate the behavior and dressing of some of the drivers at their

various terminals.

Again, acquisition of institutional data was facilitated with the use of pen drive.

The pen drive was used to copy already documented information thus reducing the

time spent. The camera was used to take photo of the state or conditions of installed

road signs and markings and conditions of vehicles plying the highways as well as the

conditions of the highways.

Data Gathering Procedure

Selection of Study Population and Area

A population as viewed by Frankel and Wallen (2000), is the group to which the

results of the research are intended to apply. They further stated that population is

usually the individuals who possess certain features or a set of features a study intends

to examine and analyze. It is to this end that Kumekpor (2002) defined population as

the total number of all units of the issue or phenomenon to be investigated into which
is “all possible observations of the same kind”. The study population comprised the

licensed drivers who ply the principal highways linking the city and are registered with

the LTO and specific number of pedestrians.

Also, staff, managers, and employees of DPWH, LTO, and PNP Tabuk were

considered as part of the study population.

Generally, the research was limited in Tabuk City, Province of Kalinga. This

place was selected due to the availability of several highways linking the city to other

municipalities in the Province and considering the alarming number of road accidents

especially on the major highways of the city. Again, Tabuk City was purposively

selected because of proximity and being the only city and the most populated part of

the Province.

Sampling Techniques

The impossibility of surveying the entire population due to financial and time

constraints makes sampling an essential element in research work. The process of

sampling makes it possible to limit a study to a relatively small portion of the population

(Agyedu, 1999). A sample is therefore a representative selection of a population

that is examined to gain statistical information of the whole.

The multi stage sampling method was used for the study. These sampling

techniques included the purposive sampling method and the simple random sampling

technique which fall under non probability and probability sampling techniques

respectively.
 The purposive sampling, which is employed when the sampling units

considered satisfy certain criteria of interest, was used in the selection of the

respondent, which included the three institutions namely DPWH, LTO, PNP Tabuk.

The institutions that have knowledge about the capacity of licensed drivers plying the

highways in Tabuk City were central to the study.

The simple random sampling was employed in the selection and identification

of drivers and pedestrians to be interviewed. Interested driver at each of terminals

were selected and interviewed on their capacity and difficulties with regard to highway

driving, after the determination of the sample size.

Sample Size Determination

The study has a sample frame of 576 as shown in Table 3.2. The study

employed the mathematical approach in the determination of the sample size. The

approach creates room for margin of error and makes sampling scientific. The

mathematical sampling model given by Miller and Brewer (2003) as presented below,

was used to determine the sample.

N
𝑛=
1 + N(𝛼)^2

Where n= sample size

N= Sample frame
α =margin of error

* 95% confidence level and p=0.5 are assumed

The sample frame (N) shows the list of all licensed drivers at the three

selected jeepney terminals, a multicab terminal and a tricycle terminal. For the
 purposes of extrapolation, the sample (n) is calculated out of the sample frame

(N). Employing the above stated formula with a sample frame of N and

the margin of error of 95%, the sample size was calculated as:

n = N
1+N (0.05)^2
Based on the above, the number of licensed drivers interviewed was n .

It must however be stated that the respondents were proportionally sampled from

the different sample units identified. Details of this are shown in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2- Selection of Sample Size of Respondents

Selected terminals Sample Frame Sample Size

Tabuk Jeepney Terminal 43 38

Dagupan-KSU Jeepney
37 34
Terminal
Dagupan-Bulanao Multicab 70 40
Terminal
Bulanao TODA (BTODA) 326 179

Pedestrians 100 80

TOTAL 576 431

Source: Field Survey, January, 2010

In addition, selected institutions – DPWH, LTO and PNP Tabuk were contacted

to respond to the questions pertaining to the operations of the highway drivers

particularly in the area of their capacity.

 Analysis of Data

According to Babbie (2007), unit of analysis refers to the ‘what’ or ‘whom’ is

being studied. He further stated that unit of analysis in a research are usually referred

to as unit of observation. Unit of analysis has also been viewed as the most basic part

of a phenomenon being investigated into. In this research, staff, managers, and

employees from DPWH, LTO, and PNP Tabuk City formed the units of analysis at the

institutional levels. The sampled licensed drivers and pedestrians however formed the

unit of analysis at the local level.

Based on the understanding of key concepts of the research, the data collected

was analyzed. Data gathered was processed by editing to detect and eliminate errors

in the data. The data was further coded and tabulated for analysis. The data was

analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. A qualitative technique

involves descriptive analysis and it was employed to analyze data obtained from the

institutions and the sampled drivers in addition to the presentation of observations

made by the researcher. Tables, charts, proportions among others were employed in

the case of the quantitative technique.

The summary of the data analysis, processing and reporting summarized in

Figure 1, which presents a summary of the key features of the unit of analysis and

reporting.
Figure 1: Data analysis and Reporting Framework

 Drivers
 Institution
 pedestrians

 Data Analysis

 Primary source of data

from interview
 Secondary source of data
from documents

Qualitative: Descriptions in Words and Pictures

Quantitative: Tables and Charts

Source: Culled from Waugh (1995).