RESEARCH POPULATION

The research population is a huge collection of individuals that is of interest to the researcher, and is the main focus of a scientific study (Burns & Grove, 2005). A population refers to all members of a group with shared characteristics (Creswell, 2009).

4.4.1 Sample Population

The sample of the study consisted of the Grade 12 learners in the seven secondary schools in Ga-Rankuwa. The size of the sample was categorised relative to the administration of the two questionnaires. When administering the CDQ the total sample was 755 and for the self- structured questionnaire the sample was 573. The learners’ ages ranged from 16 to 22.

77

Table 4.2: The actual population of the study

NAME OF SCHOOL GRADE 12

H.L. Setlalentoa Secondary School 111

L.G. Holele Secondary School 99

Mapenane Secondary School 74

Modiri Secondary School 191

NM Tsuene Secondary School 71

Rantailane Secondary School 128

Tebogwana Secondary School 185

Total Participants 859

As the researcher employed the census method, it would have been ideal for information to be gathered from every member of the population. The setting of the study was the school setting, and although the researcher would have preferred to follow the research plan and get the participation of all Grade 12 learners from all the secondary schools in Ga-Rankuwa, this proved to be difficult. Babbie (1990) refers to the refusal to participate in the study as non- response. Non-response can have a negative effect for the study. One effect of non-response is that it reduces the sample size (Tomaskovic-Devey, Leiter & Thompson, 1994). This can be problematic; as the statistical result are affected. This also contributes to an increased sampling variance, because the size of the population is reduced from the one that was originally sought, causing bias of estimates (Fowler, 1993).

The reduced sample size might not lead to inconclusive results, but the precision of estimates might be smaller and the margin of error larger (Tomaskovic-Devey et al., 1994). A more serious consequence for non-response is that the findings derived from the selected sample; that is, specific groups might be under-or-over represented, causing estimates to be biased. Different factors lead to non-response: For example when the researcher is not physically accessible during the research, or does not have contact with the study population. Non response can also arise when the researcher cannot make contact with the units selected in the survey (Babbie, 1990). Secondly, when the testees’ are unable to participate in the study due to, for example, illness or family commitment, and when participants refuse to participate, due to parental non-consent, or they simply have no interest in participating in the study (Groves, 2006). The researcher in the current study could not reach the population as she has intended,

78

because some participants refused to participate in the study. Some did not want to give consent to participate in the study, and when asked for reasons, they indicated that their parents did not give them permission to participate, or that the study would not assist them personally, so they had no reason to participate. The researcher had to respect their rights and continue with the study.

Therefore, some learners were absent on the day the researcher went to administer the CDQ and were not able to participate in the study, due to unforeseen circumstances. This was the case for all the schools. The schools were notified of the date and time well in advance, but still, some learners were absent from school on the day the researcher was coming to administer the questionnaires. What the researcher could not establish was whether their reasons were valid or not. As explained earlier, this had a bearing on the number of participants the researcher had intended to use for the study. Another challenge was that the researcher could not complete the two questionnaires at once, due to the fact that the learners became tired, and the researcher was concerned about their concentration levels. The questionnaires were administered on two separate days. A suggestion was made to the effect that the structured questionnaire be administered after school, but it was clear that this was not a viable option, as learners were picked up by, busses and other modes of transport, at specific times.

The researcher then arranged with the teachers in charge that the second round of questionnaires be given to leaners as homework, as the schools could not afford time to the researcher to administer the second set of questionnaires during school hours. The school administrators argued that giving more time to the researcher could cause learning disruptions and cause delays in the completion of the school curriculum as planned. The researcher had no choice but to give the structured questionnaires to all learners as homework. As indicated earlier, lack of contact with the participants can lead to non-response, as participants can choose not to return the questionnaires, misplace them, and not handle them with a sense of urgency that they deserve. Thus, the researcher was not available to make contact with the participants, or administer the structured questionnaires by herself; hence, some participants did not respond. To ensure that learners have an understanding of the instructions to complete the questionnaire, information on the questionnaire was first explained to the LO teacher, who then explained the instructions from the questionnaire by going through all the sections with the learners. With regards to the administration of the CDQ, arrangements were done with the principals of the seven schools that the researcher will use the LO double classes to administer

79

the questionnaire. It took an hour, fifteen minutes to explain the instructions and forty five minutes for the learners to complete of the questionnaire.

As mentioned earlier, the administration of the two questionnaires was done on different occasions, and as a result, the response rate was better when the researcher administered the CDQ personally, and not so good when the structured questionnaire was given as home work. The total number of participants differs according to the two questionnaires. The total number of participants who completed the CDQ is 755, whereas the number of participants who completed the Self-structured questionnaire is 573. The margin of error caused by non-response in the study is acceptable

4.5 DATA COLLECTION

4.5.1 Data Collection Instruments

The researcher administered two questionnaires to collect the data for the study. A questionnaire is a device used to collect and record information on an occurrence of particular interest to him/her (Oppenheim, 1992). It comprises of a list of questions with clear instructions. It has a section where participants are asked open or closed-ended questions. Most importantly, a questionnaire should always have a definite purpose that is in line with the research objectives (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010).

4.5.1.1 Career Development Questionnaire

The CDQ was one of the instruments that the researcher used to collect the data. The CDQ was developed by Langley (1990) – the primary purpose of the questionnaire is to determine the level of readiness of adolescents and young adults in making career decisions. The questionnaire is also used to determine the level of career development of individuals (Langley, Nolan, Nolan, Norman & Provost, 1996). The aim of administering a questionnaire is also to help the researcher to establish areas where learners are experiencing problems as far as making a career choice – with the aim of taking corrective actions. Although the questionnaire as a data collection tool was developed in 1990, it is still relevant, and is currently used by many researchers to investigate career maturity levels of learners from historically-disadvantaged

80

communities in South Africa (Barendse, 2015; Grossen, Grobler &Lacante, 2017; Hoorn, 2013; Miles, 2017).

The questionnaire examines five dimensions of career development – namely Self-Information, Decision-Making, Career Information, Integration of Information on the self with career information, and Career Planning (Langley, 1990). The questionnaire consisted of 100 items that represent the five dimensions mentioned above. An individuals’ response to the statements presented on the CDQ is a choice between True and False. Administering questionnaires is easy and forthright, and requires a certain level of proficiency in English to interpret the instruction and statements that are being made.

The CDQ is a psychometric assessment – A psychometric assessment is used to measure psychological characteristics such as personality attributes, behavioural approach, intellectual abilities and motivations (Foxcroft, 1997). The assessment will generally use a questionnaire- format, asking the test testees to rate their agreement levels with certain statements, or indicate their predominant mood (Foxcroft, 1997). The psychometric questionnaire is done by a Psychologist or a Psychometrist, registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The CDQ can be administered within 20-30 minutes (Langley, 1990); but can take longer in some instances, more than 30 minutes. Some participants ponder on one statement for a long time, which can be time-consuming.

Table 4.3: CDQ SCALES