5.8 Methods
5.8.2 Questionnaire
A semi-structured questionnaire was also used to elicit information from a wider coverage of school principals. The reason for this approach emerged from the varied type of data that was necessary in order to address the critical questions. The location of participants, time limitations and scarce funding contributed to the way data was collected. The data that was to be collated and not the methodology informed the research instruments,a process that conforms to a feminist view (Reinharz 1992).
The idea of a questionnaire came as a result of one of the research seminars.As I scanned the field on young women's pregnancy from the perspective of it not being a problem, there was little information available. I needed to establish a few pointers in support of the rationale for the study. The challenge was further compounded as I looked for school experiences of pregnant young women. The group agreed that a survey would be useful
Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana Chapter Five:Methodological Considerations
as a tool for situation analysis. The aim of the survey was to establish whether schools have experiences with pregnant young women. In addition, I wanted to explore what schools did with issues of young women's pregnancy and what informed the decisions they took in cases where they had a pregnant young woman. The questionnaire was constructed in such a way as to elicit qualitative data only. The reason for this choice was that available studies had sufficient statistics to indicate that young women's pregnancy is a reality in schools within the 'Lesotho' context. Though the studies did not investigate school experiences,there are statistics to include the school going young woman in the pregnancy 'crisis' ( Morojele, 1994' ; 'Kimane' et al., 1999 and Mapetla' and 'Tuoane- Nkhasi' ,2003).
The intent of the data I collected in this survey is different from the others; I have effectively supplemented the other data in a way. This study attempts to capture the questions of why and how things happen. It has asked participants to think of what informs their actions. Though the findings of this study are not intended to be statistically generalizable, I sent out a questionnaire to get information that was to be found in the schools of Lesotho. I sent out 150 copies of the questionnaire survey to principals in schools. They were sent to 75 primary schools and 75 secondary and high school principals. The package contained a copy of the questionnaire. In addition there was a self- addressed stamped envelope. I included one letter to explain my request and a copy of the letter from the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education. The questionnaires were given to schoolteachers who had attended a training workshop who originated from all ten districts in Lesotho. The use of this instrument was to strengthen the school experiences of pregnant young women by use of the survey to supplement and complement other approaches (Best,1981).
The use of a highly male constructed tool, such as a survey questionnaire for data collection,has been used in this study.Itis a tool that poses great challenges and frictions for me as a feminist researcher (Singh, 2000). The type of data I am to handle in this study however necessitates that I use a survey. As I reflect back to the choice of a questionnaire I observe many struggles that I was confronted with. Struggles included
how the document should be designed and the VarIOUS possible meanmgs of some questions to some participants. I also wondered about how structured,semi-structured or open-ended or closed-ended the questions should be. Some of the issues have been thoroughly debated in the last chapter. I mention them here to reiterate that even as I get into how I interacted with this tool the challenges had not stopped I used a different questionnaire for the survey in the schools. All the questionnaires were piloted with some of the school principals around Maseru, my colleagues at work and some fellow research students. The questionnaires that I finally used were a joint effort in this manner. All questions were written in English but I could ask questions in either 'Sesotho'or English depending on the preference of the participant.
The questionnaires were finally constructed with a mixture of open-ended and closed- ended questions. Bell (1997),Jegede (1995),Ary,Jacobs and Rasavich (1985) and Cohen and Manion (1997) all reach a consensus about the usefulness of mixing open-ended and closed-ended questions.The closed-ended questions on the other hand assisted me to find out issues that needed a yes or no answer or specific information like age.
Though I sent out the questionnaires, the return rate was slow and in some cases they came in much later than I had expected them, despite my pleas in the letter, which included a proposed deadline.The late response in some incidences caused some concern as the data was to form and reinforce the rationale for this study. The challenge of a lack of control over who responds and timeframes was experienced in this study. The return rate was successful as it was above fifty percent (Singh 2000). I have had my suspicions about the high return rate for the following reasons: Some of the primary school principals were my former students at the teacher training college, I have also met and interacted with secondary and high school principals all over the country in my position as a schools inspector. The return rate has challenged me to propose for further research on what makes participants choose to return or not return questionnaires timorously in the context of Lesotho.
Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana Chapter Five:Methodological Considerations