Chapter 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter presented the method and design that was used in the

study. Likewise, this portion showed the key informants and how they were

chosen. Added to these are the data gathering instrument and techniques

that were used in order to further interpret the data that are to be gathered.

Research Method

This study employed descriptive research approach specifically

using the case study method.1This method suits the researcher’s purpose

of exploring the bullying experiences of some students in Moreno Integrated

School. Moreover, the rendered cases of bullying were known together with

the factors that brought about bullying cases in the above mentioned

school. This also determined the nature and extent to which bullying can be

found and experienced in Moreno Integrated School.

This study had the major objective of proposing a Personal Safety

Lesson addressing bullying in schools. Likewise, this study proposed a

School Students’ Disciplinary Program embodying means by which bullying

can be tackled and addressed.

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Sources of Data

Key Informants.The key informants of this study were students who

were enrolled at MIS for the past three school years. They were also be

victims of bullying. The list or the identities of these bullying victims were

taken from the Guidance office through the guidance counselor’s record.

Those who were frequently reported to the office in terms of offenses made

were taken into consideration. Their identities however, were concealed so

that their honor and identity were protected. Likewise, as there are some

bullying cases which were not reported to the Guidance Office but rather to

their class adviser, therefore records of class advisers were taken into

consideration to finally determine who was the specific key informants of

this study.

Added to this, the researcher interviewed some of the students who

belong to a “pull-out” section in the third year level. The students for this

“pull-out” section came from the different Third year classes and were

considered by the advisers to be having behavioral problems. Some of the

key informants were known to the researcher as victims of bullying for they

sometimes disclosed their experiences to the researcher herself. Matrix 1

on the next page presents the distribution of key informants of this study as

well as their profile.

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Matrix 1

Key Informants of the Study and their Profile

Key Informants Profile

1 Female, 15 years old, 10th among 12 siblings, old parents

are farmers, financial problem in the family, attempted
suicide

2 Female, 16 years old, with weak personality, financial

problems, a rape victim, mother is a beautician.
VICTIMS

3 Female, 15 years old, 3rd among 4 siblings, father is a

bus driver, frequent quarrel in the family

4 Male, 15 years old, eldest among 2 siblings, very timid,

mother is nurse and the father is a traffic enforcer.

1 Male, 18 years old, repeater, separated parents, living

with homosexual uncle, youngest among 5 siblings, a
victim of bullying

BULLY 2 Male, 16 years old, young parents, 6 siblings, father is

strict and unemployed, poor family

3 Male, 15 years old, eldest among 2 siblings, parents

frequently quarrel, in-charge of the house

4 Male, 17 years old, youngest among 9 siblings, financial

problems, supported by their old mother for their living.
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Documents. Documents consisted of Guidance Office records,

Report to the Principal and Class Advisers report were used as secondary

source of data. These records gave information to the researcher as to who

will be the key informants in this study Likewise, the nature and extent of

bullying were determined through the above mentioned record.

Research Instrument

This study utilized the following instruments as its data gathering

tool:

Questionnaire. As cited by Rito2, a questionnaire is a research

instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the

purpose of gathering information from respondents. In this study, a

questionnaire was prepared which required the key informants to give their

experiences in being bullied or being a victim of bullying.

Documentary Analysis. Documents coming from the Guidance

Office and Reports to the Office of the Principal as well as of the class

adviserswere used in order to further analyze the data to be gathered most

specifically about cases of bullying in the school

Open-Ended Interview Guide.Open-ended guide questions are

those questions that solicit additional information from the inquirer which is

designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own

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knowledge and/or feelings about a particular topic.3In this study, the

interview guide contained items that are not revealed in the questionnaire.

This guide was also utilized in the Focus Group Discussion for

veracity checking of the quantified and qualified responses of the key

informants and other stakeholders. The Focus Group Discussion was one

of the supporting techniques that were used to illuminate the relevant

analysis of the present study. To facilitate the gathering of data from

interviews, mechanical recording was used.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher undertook steps in gathering the necessary data.

Before the study was conducted, the researcher secured a permit from the

Schools Division Superintendent to conduct the said study. The prepared

questionnaire and the interview guide were validated by selected teachers.

After this validation, the interview guide was given to the key informants to

elicit the data needed in this study. Responses to the questionnaire and

interview guide were treated using triangulation methodology. The treated

data was analyzed thoroughly in order to interpret the findings. Further

conversations with the key-informants were likewise conducted to clarify

some data which is unknown to the researcher and for the purpose of

verifying results of the study.

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Data Treatment

To answer problem number 1, an interview guide was given to the

key informants in order to know their experiences of bullying and being its

victim. Problems 2 and 3 were reckoned through documentary analysis of

records derived from the Guidance office, Principal’s office and from the

class adviser of the informants. Focus group discussion was employed to

check the veracity of the key informants’ responses to the guide questions.

The treatment system was identified and illustrated in Figure 3, under

Analytical Framework.

Analytical Framework

An analytical framework was used to guide the researcher in

analyzing the data gathered. Figure 3 on the next page presented the

analytical paradigm of the study.

The analytical framework started from the main topic, that is, The

Case of Bullying in Moreno Integrated School as Basis for PSL and

School’s Student Disciplinary Program. An arrow from the main topic leads

to the variables of the study – Bullying Experiences of the Key Informants

which will be analyzed through interview guide; Factors that contribute to

the bullying cases in the school which will be analyzed through the key

informants responses to the interview guide or questionnaire; and the

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The Case of Bullying in Moreno Integrated School: Basis

for Personal Safety Lesson and School’s Student
Disciplinary program

Bullying Key Interview

Experiences informants Guide

Factors
Key Interview
contributory
to Bullying
Informants Guide

Cases, Documentary
Nature and Key
Analysis
Extent of Informants
Documents Interview
Bullying
Guide

LESSONS IN PSLSCHOOL’S STUDENT

DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM

Figure 3

ANALYTICAL PARADIGM
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Rendered Cases, Nature and Extent of Bullying, using a documentary

analysis.

At the bottom of the framework is the expected outcome of the study

which is proposing an intervention for Personal Safety Lesson and School’s

Student Disciplinary Program that can be used to minimize if not stop the

bullying cases in Moreno Integrated School.

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NOTES

1Jose F. Calderon, Methods of Research and Thesis Writing

(Mandaluyong City: National Book Store, 2008).
2Glenda N. Rito, “Best Practices Of Secondary School Faculty-
Coaches For Student Competitions In Science” (Unpublished Master’s
Thesis, Mabini Colleges, Daet, Camarines Norte, 2012).