CHAPTER 2 METHOD This Chapter Describes The

CHAPTER 2
METHOD
This chapter describes the research design, the respondent, instruments that were
utilized in gathering data, the procedure in conducting the research and the tools for
analysis.
Research Design
The research design in this study is both descriptive and relational. It aims to find
out the level of stereotype threat vulnerability, the level of self- efficacy, and the
academic performance of the female engineering students. It also attempts to explore the
relationship of the variables in the study. The researchers used the survey method in
collecting data from the respondents.
Respondents
The following characteristics were considered in selecting our respondents: 1)
female engineering major students at WVCST in Iloilo City; 2) 1st year to 5th year majors
in Electronics & Communication (ECE), Electrical, Mechanical (EE), Marine (MarE) and
Mechanical Engineering (MEAE) as certified by the school; and 3) willing to participate
voluntarily in this research.
Instruments
The following instruments were employed by the researchers: 1) Educational
Profile, 2) Stigma Consciousness Scale, and 3) General Self-Efficacy Scale.
The Educational Profile (See Appendix A). This questionnaire required the
respondents to indicate their age, year level, degree program, marital status, hometown
and grade point average for the last 1st semester 2009-2010. It served to measure their
academic performance and exploring the sample demographics in accordance with the
objectives of the study
Stigma Consciousness Scale (See Appendix B) by Pinel (1999) was used to
measure the level of consciousness of stereotype threat among female engineering
students as well as intended for female adolescents. It is a one-dimensional 10-item, 7-
point likert-type scale wherein responses ranges from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly
Agree”. To compute the score, the responses in each number were summed up, but items
3, 8 and 10 are reverse coded. Lower values on the scale indicate that the person feels
more affected by their stereotype. Higher values on the scale indicate that the person feels
less affected by their stereotype.
General Self-Efficacy Scale (See Appendix C) assesses the general sense of
perceived self-efficacy is mainly administered to general population except children. This
scale has been reliably used internationally. It is also a one-dimensional 10-item self-
efficacy scale in which responses are made on a 4-point scale. Response format ranges
from “Not at all true” to “Exactly true.” Responses to all 10 items are summed up to yield
the final composite score with a range from 10 to 40. Higher scores indicate that the
person has a high self-efficacy while lower score values indicate that the person has a low
self-efficacy.
Procedure
24
The researchers followed well-planned steps so as to gather data in a systematic
way.
Preparatory steps
Formulating the Research Question. The researchers read recent publications in
the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2009) about the stereotype threat
phenomenon where experiments were done to investigate its effects on test performance.
These experiments normally deal with females in male-dominated areas. Since the studies
mostly involved laboratory research, the researchers opted to test the external validity of
these experiments.
Pre-Test. A pre-test was conducted to 10 female students in the John B. Lacson
Foundation Maritime University - a male-dominated school. The researchers tested the
clarity of instructions in the instruments as well as feedback solicited from the
respondents. After the pre-test, the researchers planned how to administer the survey to
the respondents as a group instead individually. Revisions were also made in the
questionnaires’ instructions.
Locating and Selecting Respondents
In preparing for the study proper, a letter of permission (See Appendix D) with
the request for the list of female students was sent to the dean of the College of
Engineering in WVCST. After the request was approved, the researchers computed for
the sample size using the formula of Lynch et al. (1974) with 0.90 reliability. The sample
size computed was 62. Convenience sampling was used for data gathering because of the
rarity of respondents and the researchers have no specific names of female engineering
23
students. They were selected in accordance to the criteria set by the researchers
previously.
Study Proper
The researchers went to different classrooms with the permission of the
instructors to administer the survey. Only female engineering students were given
questionnaires to complete the required sample size. Other pertinent information
regarding the survey were stated and explained to them. In addition, the respondents were
informed that the results of the survey, whatever they would be, will be kept in secret for
the purpose of confidentiality.
Tools for Analysis
For the descriptive aspect of the study, frequency and percentage were computed
for the scores on 1) The Educational Profile, 2) General Self-efficacy Scale, 3) Stigma
Consciousness Scale.
% = 100
f
N
Where:
% = Percentage
f = Frequency of responses (of respondents)
N = Sample size
24
For the correlation aspect of the study using the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences, Pearson’s coefficient was utilized for computing the correlation between
Stigma consciousness scale scores and academic performance, and between General Self-
efficacy scale scores and academic performance.
24

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CHAPTER 2

collecting data from the respondents.

The following characteristics were considered in selecting our respondents: 1)

Mechanical Engineering (MEAE) as certified by the school; and 3) willing to participate

voluntarily in this research.

The following instruments were employed by the researchers: 1) Educational

Profile, 2) Stigma Consciousness Scale, and 3) General Self-Efficacy Scale.

objectives of the study

Stigma Consciousness Scale (See Appendix B) by Pinel (1999) was used to

measure the level of consciousness of stereotype threat among female engineering

students as well as intended for female adolescents. It is a one-dimensional 10-item, 7-

less affected by their stereotype.

General Self-Efficacy Scale (See Appendix C) assesses the general sense of

perceived self-efficacy is mainly administered to general population except children. This

Formulating the Research Question. The researchers read recent publications in

Pre-Test. A pre-test was conducted to 10 female students in the John B. Lacson

Foundation Maritime University - a male-dominated school. The researchers tested the

clarity of instructions in the instruments as well as feedback solicited from the

Locating and Selecting Respondents

The researchers went to different classrooms with the permission of the

questionnaires to complete the required sample size. Other pertinent information

the purpose of confidentiality.

Tools for Analysis

f = Frequency of responses (of respondents)

efficacy scale scores and academic performance.

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