Content analysis schedule

Content analysis is a research technique for the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of manifest content of communications, which is useful for analyzing and understanding collections of text (Klaus and Angela, 2008:34). It is any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages in the text and their implications and meanings

(Neuendorf and Kimberly, 2002:10). Content analysis a systematic

procedure for the quantification and objective examination of qualitative data, such as written or oral messages, by the classification and evaluation of terms, themes, or ideas; for example, the measurement of frequency, order, or intensity of occurrence of the words, phrases, or sentences in a communication in order to determine their meaning or effect (Saladana, 2012:28). Content analysis is a research tool focused on the actual content and internal features of media. It is used to determine the presence of certain words, concepts, themes, phrases, characters, or sentences within texts or sets of texts and to quantify this presence in an objective manner. Texts can be defined broadly as books, book chapters, essays, interviews, discussions, newspaper headlines and articles, historical documents, speeches, conversations, advertising, theatre, informal conversation, or any occurrence of communicative language (Ader, 2008:84).

The study used both conceptual analysis and relational analysis (Berelson, 1971:74). Conceptual analysis was used to establish the existence and frequency of concepts most often represented by words of phrases in a text related to NCLSDs. Concept analysis was used to objectively examine the attributes of any NCLSDs concept as they occurred in documents and ordinary usage during teaching formal process and informal sessions in the schools in order to identify the meanings attached to the concept to find whether any message regarding NCLSDs was being used during socialization process in the schools sampled (Saladana, 2012:40). Relational analysis was used to examine the relationships among concepts in a text to find out whether they captured issues and factors that can enable pupils to prevent NCLSDs. Relational analysis enabled the study to explore the meanings of terms and concepts used in the text to establish whether they had any implications that could enable pupils to acquire lifestyles that could reduce likely trends in behaviour that are susceptible to NCLSDs (Krippendorff, 2004:45).

Content analysis was useful in this study because it a sociological strategy that enabled to explore the written content HE and its contributions to socialization processes and their effects to pupils’ lifestyle. This was critical since teachers mainly socialized pupils based

on syllabus content. The approach also enabled the researcher to analyze and interpret text content to achieve the objectives of the study by looking directly at communication in syllabus text and hence get at the central aspect of social interaction among pupils and teachers as they socialized each other using HE content in the official educational documents such as school health policy, the HE syllabus, schemes of work, lesson plans, learning resources, past examination papers and pupils notebooks. The documents analysed were KNSHP, KPSC which was comprise of Kenya Primary School Syllabuses, textbooks used in various subjects, teachers’ professional documents (schemes of work, lesson plans, records of work and learning resources), pupils exercise books, examination papers (school based examinations and KCPE).

A scheme of work is detailed work plan drawn by the teachers showing how s/he intends to implement the syllabus through actual teaching. A scheme of work is a breakdown of the syllabus into teachable bits of work per lesson within a given academic period like a one school term or more (Farrant, 1980:89). A scheme of work shows the schedule of activities and resources that the guides the teacher to ascertain the syllabus is covered.

A lesson plan is one of teaching record that teachers plan on daily basis to guide them during the teaching/socialization process in class. A lesson plan is drawn from a scheme of work. A lesson plan is a professional document detailing step-by-step procedure which a teacher deems appropriate in socializing socializees. It a good practice to have a lesson for every lesson taught (Farrant, 1980:92).

A record of work is one of professional record drawn and used during the teaching process. It shows the details of the topics covered in any class or level of teaching. A record of work is planned to accompany schemes of work to show the actual topics taught in any class and the dates when they were covered (Farrant, 1980:94). The researcher established that the records of work in various subjects do not have any content dealing or related to NCLSDs. This could be due to the fact that records of work are mainly drawn from schemes of work to show what has be taught in any particular class; and since schemes of work do not have any content in NCLSDs then records of work may not have any content on NCLSDs.

Learning resources are materials that enable effective teaching and socialization to enable socializees and socializees learn interactively to acquire action-competence in what they learn. Learning resources can be of various types such as charts, illustrations in the chalkboard, apparatus, real life examples, real objects and resource persons and any other improvisations (Farrant, 1980:66). They are quintessential in the socialization process for effective socialization of socializees.

The researcher extended the content analysis and explored pupils’ science notebooks that contained HE notes and any other related information. The search was also extended to other notebooks where

pupils recorded notes and assignments on daily basis for revision and further practice when preparing for examinations.

The study also analysed the number of lessons and time allocated to practical subjects like PE, games and sports and compared to other subjects since they had health implications to pupils. In fact if more time was spend in PE, games and sports, pupils could be physically active in doing physical exercises, which could have more health benefits leading to less vulnerability to NCLSDs.

The content analysis of the primary school HE content was done in all subjects in the KPSC to find out whether the objectives and contents covered issues in NCLSDs or related subject matter. This enabled the study to establish whether HE content has adequate content to equip learners with effective knowledge and skills to prevent NCLSDs. The content analysis was guided by predesigned checklists of questions, which ensured the analysis was focused to respond to issues raised in research questions and objectives of the study as shown in Appendix V - VIII. The logic of using content analysis in this study was to be able to explore whether the KPSC had any content in HE and then be able to establish its contributions to good health practices that can enable pupils to prevent NCLSDs. The syllabus content in HE was used to socialize socializees to acquire health practices to prevent NCLSDs. By exploring the content of HE, the researcher hoped that content analysis would enable the study to establish the effects of cultural change and different aspects of social behaviour in terms of lifestyles that made pupils to be susceptible to NCLSDs.