Public Perception of Social Media as a Tools for Political Participation Processes

(A Case Study of offa Residents)

CHAPTER 1
1. Background of the study

Social media tools have redefined the pattern of human communication around the world. The free
and speedy flow of information, which is the major index of social media technologies, has
promoted liberty and enhanced the actualization of man’s inalienable right to freedom of speech
and of expression. These digital tools have impacted on global commerce, culture, religion and, most
essentially, politics (Ashiekpe&Mojaye, 2017; Okoro&Nwafor, 2013). Through the use of the social
media, many authoritarian and sit-tight political regimes have been ousted and replaced with more
democratic ones as evident in the ‘political tsunami’ that swept through some African countries in
the wake of the 2011/2012 popular Arab spring (Ufuophu-Biri&Ojoboh, 2017). The Arab uprising was
essentially organised on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube which were used to coordinate protests that
ended the protracted reigns of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Libya’s Muammar al-
Gaddafi. Okoro and Nwafor (2013) assert that the social media have actuated a situation where
people can easily ventilate their opinions about government; empowered citizens to perform check
and balancing roles on public officers; made it possible and easy for the ordinary citizens to demand
probity, transparency and accountability in government; and encouraged a higher level of political
participation among users, otherwise called ‘netizens’.

Political participation is a basic principle of democracy that encompasses both the active and passive
involvement of people in the governmental processes affecting their lives (Agu, 2015). Such
involvement manifests in an array of activities performed by the citizens of a country with the
primary purpose of influencing the structures, policies and/or programmes of government
(Castertrione&Pieczka,

2018). The importance of citizens’ involvement in politics cannot be overemphasized given that the
absence of political participation breeds political apathy among citizens and encourages government
failures. The social media provide ample opportunities for citizens to sustain their cadence of
political interest and participation by making their voices heard across space and time. They foster
increased level of political participation between the people and the government (Madueke,
Ogbonna&Anumadu, 2017).

Across the globe, countries, groups and individuals have used the social media to curry the attention
of electorates and stimulate higher levels of political participation from the public. In Nigeria, the
potency of the social media in stimulating and enhancing political involvement has also been well
demonstrated. During general elections, it is common to find politicians, political parties and the
Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) making frantic efforts to connect with Nigerians via their
various social media platforms. Besides their general efficacy for electioneering campaign purposes,
the social media have also been utilized to co-ordinate some of the most impactful social campaigns
against perceived government failures, such as the Occupy Nigeria protest initiated against the
removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government in January 2012, and the #BBOG (Bring back Our
Girls) campaign coordinated on Twitter and other social networking sites to draw public attention to
the seemingly forgotten story of over 200 Chibok Community School girls abducted by Boko Haram
terrorists in Nigeria’s North-east.
good Journalism to shape the society in a beautiful manner. PART IV provides a detailed view of the
Influences of Mass Media on the Society. It basically points out the pros and cons of mass media on
the society. It gives special emphasis on the Negative effects Media exerts on the Society and how
media professionals vulgarize & brutalize the society. Finally, the PART.V of my essay prescribes the
possible steps through which Mass Media can be Optimized for attainment of social welfare. This is
the basis of my essay since I feel that those who are engaged, by profession, to mass media can
definitely lift the Society onto a Higher Level.

0. 1 Evolution of (Social Media)

At first we need to have a clear idea regarding to what is meant by Mass Media. There are many
complex definitions of mass media but the simplest definition is that mass media refers to means of
connecting people from different parts of the globe by sharing information using technology.4 The
technology through which information is shared varies. Broadcast media such as Radio, television,
etc. transmit information electronically while Print Media uses papers in the form of newspapers,
books, magazines, leaflets, etc.

"The history of mass media is complicated and long."

"In the late 20th Century, mass media could be classified into eight mass media industries: books,
newspapers, magazines, recordings, radio, movies, television and the internet."7 With the explosion
of digital communication technology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the question of what
forms of media should be classified as "mass media" has become more prominent. For example, it is
controversial whether to include cell phones, video games and computer games (such as MMORPGs)
in the definition. In the 2000s, a classification called the "seven mass media" became popular. In
order of introduction, they are:

Print (books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the late 15th

century

Recordings (gramophone records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs,

DVDs) from the late 19th century

Cinema from about 1900

Radio from about 1910

Television from about 1950

Internet from about 1990

Mobile phones from about 2000

Television is now the most powerful of the forms of mass media that has acclaimed preferences of
the masses all around the globe. It has become a pioneer in transmitting information and
broadcasting entertainment shows. It has become like "food" and therefore is considered to be a
basic necessity of life for almost all. This shows that the television media has the highest reach to
audience and as a result it possesses the greatest power of "social persuasion."

1.3 Statement of the problem

Despite the abundance of research on politics and social media use, there seems to be limited
empirical studies on public perception of the much touted contributions of social media to
democracy and political participation. Perception is the cognitive process through which individuals
organise, interpret and make appropriate meaning from the information they are exposed to. It does
not only create people’s experience of the world around them, but also allows them to act
appropriately within a predefined environment. Studies indicate that there is an overlapping
relationship between perceptions and technology use (Segard, 2015). Thus, the way a phenomenon
is perceived defines how it is assessed, embraced or rejected. In order to bridge this gap in
knowledge and extend the frontiers of empirical discussions on the interplay between civic
engagement and social media use objectives, the present study was guided by three central
objectives which were to:

I. Determine the level of public exposure to social media political contents;

II. Ascertain public perception of the peculiar nature of social media political contents; and

III. Evaluate public perception of the contributions of social media to political participation
processes.

1.4 Research question

1. What is the level of public exposure to social media political contents

2. What is the public perception of the peculiar nature of social media political contents

3. What is the public perception of the contribution of social medial to political perception
processes in residents of off a community.

1.5 Scope of the study

This study is limited to offa residents. But since the characteristics of offa residents are generally
similar in many ways, the findings of the study would therefore be generalized to include offa kwara.

1.6 Significance of the study

This study will be of great benefit to Nigerian students in the tertiary level in terms of learning
technologically. This study will be of significance to the students because it will them to know the
public perception of social media as a tools for political participation. Furthermore.

1.7 Operational Definition

• Social media: According to this study refers as a tools or the pattern of human
communication around the world.

• Public: Public according to this research is the people as a whole.

• Perception: According to this research is the ability to see hear or become aware of
something through the senses.

• Tools: Tools according to the research is a device or implement, especially one held in hand,
used to carry out a particular function.

• Political participation: According to this research project political participation is a broad

range of activities through which people develop and express their opinions on the world and how it
is governed, and try to take part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
• Political: According to this study Political is of or relating to government, a government, or
the conduct of government. How to use political in a sentence.

• Process: According to this study process to handle (papers, records, etc.) by

systematically organizing them, recording or making notations on them, following up with
appropriate action.
 CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

This chapter reviews the relevant literatures and theories that are pertinent to the topic

of this study, as well as their justification. The review comes under conceptual, empirical and

theoretical review. This study positions itself within the existing research and provides a

framework for understanding the roles of broadcast media in the society.

2.1 Conceptual Review

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share,
and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. The Office of
Communications and Marketing manages the main Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
and YouTube accounts.
The types of social media can be broken down in many ways but are most often divided into
six categories. They include social networking, bookmarking, social news, media sharing,
microblogging, and online forum sites.
Social media marketing is the use of social networks as a sales and marketing tool.
Companies with products to promote can go beyond display advertising to build an online
presence and engage directly with their customers.
Social media marketing has opened up opportunities for local businesses to reach out to
their customers without spending a fortune on ad placement.
A concept review is a process of evaluating different and sometimes competing concepts to
figure out which ones an organization should invest in and build to completion.
Conceptual research is defined as a methodology wherein research is conducted by observing
and analyzing already present information on a given topic. Conceptual research doesn't
involve conducting any practical experiments. It is related to abstract concepts or ideas.
2.1.1 Concept of Social Media

The term Social Media has been defined in different ways by its users, ICT experts,

and authors. Social media as a group of internet-based applications that build on the

ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and
exchange of user-generated content. It includes web-based and mobile based technologies

that are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue among individuals,

organizations, and communities. Typical examples of social media platforms include

websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and the interactive options on these

websites, such as the re-tweeting option on Twitter. These instruments are referred to as

media because they are tools which can also be used for the storage and dissemination of

information, however unlike the traditional media like Television and Radio, most of the

social media tools allow their users to interact as re–twitting on Twitter and comment options

on Facebook illustrate (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010).

Looking at social media from a more practical point of view, (Sweetser and Lariscy

2008) define social media as a read-write Web, where the online audience moves beyond

passive viewing of Web content to actually contributing to the content. One thing that is

common in most definitions of social media is the point that it is based on user-generated

participation. The opportunity to enjoy user-to-user interaction distinguishes social media

from the traditional media which is characterized by top-down news dissemination

arrangement (Clark and Aufderheide, 2009). Another attribute of the social media which

distinguishes it from the traditional media is the choice it accords to its users. Choice enables

people to access the information they like to learn about through the social media, eliminating

the gatekeeper role of traditional media. On one hand, the choice offered by social media

reduces the shared experience that viewers of particular traditional media channels usually

have; on the other hand, it creates a network of individuals with like interests and similar

preferences (Sweetser and Lariscy 2008).

Two primary tools that have enabled people to socialize and connect with each other

online are social networking sites and electronic messaging. More than half of America‘s

teens and young adults send electronic messages and use social networking sites, and more
than one third of all internet users engage in these activities (Jones and Fox 2009). In Nigeria,

over 3 million people have Facebook accounts, while about 60,000 people are on Twitter

(Asuni and Farris, 2011). Most people who use social media tools access them mainly

through computers and mobile devices such as phones and Tablet PCs. Analysts suggest that

majority of phone purchases in the coming years will be more for using online networks

rather than making phone calls. Thus, phone communication is now tending toward one-to-

many sharing rather than the usual one-to-one conversation (Baekdal 2008).

This chapter is a review of related studies on the topic Public perception of social media as a tools
for political participation processes in residents of Offa Community.

In Nigeria, the social media ranks among the commonest platforms for interaction and exchange of
ideas among people, hence they have been described as the newest platforms for experiencing the
products of journalism (Ajayi&Adesote, 2015). About 30.9 million Nigerians are estimated to be
active users of various social media platforms and this figure is projected to rise to 36.8 million in
2023 (Clement, 2019).The pervasiveness and popularity of the social media could be linked to their
unwritten principle of ‘share it and share in it’. Users do not only receive and consume contents on
the social media, but are also empowered to produce and disseminate information they deem fit,
making them ‘prosumers’ in the process. Similarly, the increasing number of Nigerians with access to
the internet is another reason for the geometric growth in the number of active social media users in
Nigeria. For example, about 126,078,999 Nigerians used the internet for various purposes in 2019
(Internet World Stats, 2020).

The use of the social media is usually not restricted. People deploy them for various purposes,
ranging from mundane personal conversations (Ashiekpe&Mojaye, 2017; Akpoghiran&Erubami,
2019) to a more serious discussion on politics and democracy (Abdu et al., 2018). Interestingly, social
media use has been found to be among the significant factors influencing politics and citizens’
political participation (Aleyomi&Ajakaiye, 2014; Ekwueme& Folarin, 2018). As a concept, political
participation has attracted numerous definitions and theorizations. Nonetheless, it incorporates all
activities that people engage in chiefly for the purpose of influencing the structures, policies or
officials of government. These activities could entail the direct or indirect and passive or active
involvement of citizens in the acts that can shape the selection of political representatives and/or
influencing the course of action of public office holders (Nwafor, Odoemelam, Orji-Egwu,
Nwankwo&Nweze, 2013; Madueke et al., 2017). The processes of political participation are
reflective of individuals’ interest and psychological involvement in politics with the purpose of
influencing the actions of government and the political behaviours of other individuals or group
(Castertrione&Pieczka, 2018).

Political participation extends beyond merely voting in elections. Madueke et al. (2017) classify the
concept into four broad categories of direct, indirect, conventional and unconventional forms of
political participation, using the extent of individuals’ involvement and conformity with existing
regulations as the major parameters. In their classification, those activities involving the full physical
of involvement of citizens such as voting in elections or referenda, joining strikes and mass protests,
etc, are direct forms of political participation, while the indirect forms involves participating in
political discussions, tax payment, signing petitions and supporting boycotts. On the other hand,
conventional form of political participation refers to the one in which citizens utilise the instrument
of democracy- such as voting in elections, lawful strike and contributing to town hall meetings-
which are sanctioned by the constitution to make inputs in government, while the unconventional
method of participation defies laid down rules and regulations as in open demonstration, violent
protest march, organised rebellion, feral revolution and deference to government warnings.

The introduction of the social media to politics has influenced the level of public political
participation in diverse ways (Castertrione&Pieczka, 2018). The social media draw their strength
from their speed, ease of use, and universality that make them globally accessible at a relatively low
cost. Unlike the mainstream media, there is virtually no control, code of ethics or gate-keeping on
most social media platforms, thereby opening their use to the intentions and discretions of users
(Ufuophu-Biri&Ojoboh, 2017) This unfettered latitude offered by the social media also seems to
constitute their weakness. Thus, it has been hypothesised that the wrongful deployment of these
digital technologies could result in information overload and spread of half-truth
(Akpoghiran&Erubami, 2019), moral panic, invasion of territorial sovereignty and promotion of
violence (Nwafor et al., 2013). As argued by Chinedu-Okeke and Obi (2016), the unregulated nature
of social media creates openings for mischief-makers to promote campaigns of hate, deceit and
propaganda. An aggregate of these unsavory realities may likely influence the way members of the
public perceive the social media in relation to their contributions to political participation and
democracy.

2.2. Social Media and Political Participation: An Empirical Exploration

Studies on social media and political participation are characterised by contrasting evidence,
resulting in three dominant schools of thought: the optimists, the pessimists and the normalisers
(Casteltrione&Pieczka, 2018). Proponents of the pessimist paradigm present a picture of limited or
malaising influence of the social media on political participation. For instance, while assessing the
contributionsof the social media to the development of social capital, which is a crucial factor for
healthy democracies, Valenzuela and Kee (2009) found a limited effect of Facebook on political
participation among college students across Texas, USA. In the study involving 2,603 respondents
selected through a random web survey, the researchers found a small relationship between intensity
of Facebook use and social capital- students’ life satisfaction, social trust, civic engagement and
political participation-, leading them to conclude that online networks were less effective in
reversing the trend of youth political apathy. Similarly, in an ethnographic study to assess the
potentials of social networking sites for the promotion of either political participation or the politics
of individuation, Fenton and Barassi (2011) concluded that despite the widely acclaimed positive
potentials of the social media, the logic of self-centered participation promoted by these platforms
represents a threat to political mobilisation and participation. They further contended that although
the social media stir up civic consciousness among users, such users are usually so self-absorbed that
they only see the unending possibility of online connectivity “against the banality of the social
order”. Consequently, the political gains emanating from social media use were significantly
undermined by their tendency to “deinstitutionalize politics, fragment communication and
accelerate the pace of the public agenda” (Fenton &Barassi, 2011, pp. 193–194).

As opposed to the pessimists, the optimists argue in favour of the mobilising power of the social
media on political participation. This paradigm was reflected in the work of Xenos, Vromen and
Loader (2014) who found a strong positive relationship between social media use and individual
political engagement among young people in Australia, the USA and the UK. Karamat and Farooq
(2016) also found that online networking sites have become the most effective means of getting
information and providing opportunities for young people to be part of popular political revolts and
democratic activism. This view was further extended by Ahmad, Alvi and Ittefaq (2019) who found
that social media use significantly influenced the respondents’ level of political efficacy, political
awareness and offline political participation as their online political activities created the needed
platform for participation in reallife political events.

However, the normalisers contend that the social media are neither powerless nor extremely
powerful as they are strong enough to reinforce latent pattern of participation among citizens by
offering them more ways to engage in politics, but too weak to change the nature of such latent
pattern of participation. This argument is typified in the work of Yoo and Gil de Zúñiga (2014) who
examined the use of Blog, Facebook and Twitter on the gaps in political knowledge and participation
between the more educated users and their less educated counterparts in the US. The results of
their two wave online survey showed that although Facebook use was positively associated with
education in predicting knowledge of civic and political issues, the platform merely amplified or
reinforced the existing inequality of political engagement as manifest in the wide gap of offline
participation among heavy social media users than among light users. An earlier study by Carlisle and
Patton (2013) had also shown that individual activity on Facebook was less extensive than predicted
in most literatures. The result of their t-test involving 1,014 participants showed that contrary to
belief that online tools enrich political engagement, the existing inequalities in real life are translated
and carried over into online experiences.

In Nigeria however, studies interrogating the interplay between social media and political
participation show much bias for the optimism paradigm. In their analysis of the role of social media
in the enhancement of political participation, Madueke et al. (2017) found that the use of online
political engagements through social media platforms have significantly affected the day-to-day
participation of Nigerians in the country’s political processes. According to them, the salutary
positive political effect of social media use stem from their capacity to connect users to a large,
geographically dispersed audience at a relatively low cost, irrespective of their demographic
compositions and social status. Consequently, these inherent advantages of the social media have
stimulated public interest in politics. Results of the multiple regression analysis in the study by Abdu
et al. (2018) also affirmed democratizing effect of the social media on users as the respondents’
extent of offline participation in politics was positively and significantly associated with their
Facebook use (.827), interactivity with politicians (.789), perceived Facebook information quality
(.725) and political interest (.776).
The use of social media for political purposes was first experimented in Nigeria during the 2011
general elections. Given its novelty, Okoro and Nwafor (2013) examined the drawbacks and lessons
learnt from the experimental deployment of online platforms during the elections, and found
sufficient evidence to conclude that although online media were used to make vital inputs in
Nigeria’s political discourse, the platforms were explored by users to attack perceived political
opponents, spread false rumours, fake news, hate speeches and inciting messages that precipitated
the tension and violence recorded before, during and after the elections in many parts of the
country. Aleyomi and Ajakaiye (2014) also found that the social media had a significant positive
influence on citizens’ mobilisation and participation in the 2011 general elections. They concluded
that online platforms were among the contributory factors that ensured the success of the 2011
general elections which was adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria since the country returned
democracy in 1999.

Chinedu-Okeke and Obi (2016) assert that despite the challenges associated with the use of social
media, the platforms provide ample opportunities for political change and consolidation of
democracy. The result of their cross-sectional survey revealed that majority of the respondents were
exposed to various social networking sites, engaged in political discussions across various online
media platforms and believed that the social media had political mobilisation effects on them.
Ekwueme and Folarin (2018) also found that the social media played key roles in mobilising
electorates, creating the needed awareness on political happenings and engendering a high level of
citizens’ participation in the 2015 electioneering process in Nigeria, although they were also used to
promote hate messages, negative memes and smear opposition political parties/candidates. This
was also affirmed by Apuke and Appollos (2017)

2.3. Theoretical Framework

The study was anchored on the agenda-setting theory as well as Social Responsibility Theory.

Agenda-setting theory suggests that media institutions shape political debates by determining what
issues are most important and featuring them in news broadcasts. It describes the media as the
main entity that selects what news stories to report and prioritise based on what they think people
might care about. Since the media filters and shapes what the audience sees, this can impact how
they perceive cultural, social and political news stories. The media provides access to information
that they consider the most relevant to society and that'll have the most influence over them.

Some media outlets that engage in agenda-setting include newspapers, magazines, social media
channels, television programmes and radio stations. An example of agenda-setting theory is a news
programme that runs a story with the title ‘breaking news.' This asserts that the story is of high
importance and encourages more people to listen in. This also means that individuals are more likely
to remember the story and successfully recall it at a later date, even if the issue doesn't affect them
or register with them.

Social Responsibility Theory:

Social responsibility theory allows free press without any censorship but at the same time the
content of the press should be discussed in public panel and media should accept any
obligation from public interference or professional self regulations or both. The theory lies
between both authoritarian theory and libertarian theory because it gives total media
freedom in one hand but the external controls in other hand. Here, the press ownership is
private.  The social responsibility theory moves beyond the simple “Objective” reporting
(facts reporting) to “Interpretative” reporting (investigative reporting).  The total news is
complete facts and truthful but the commission of the freedom press stated that “No longer
giving facts truthfully rather than give a necessary analysed or interpretative report on facts
with clear explanations”.

The theory helped in creating professionalism in media by setting up a high level of accuracy,
truth, and information. The commission of press council also included some tasks based on
social responsibility of media, which are as follows:

1. Formulate the code of conduct for the press.

2. Improve the standards of journalism.
3. Safeguarding the interests of journalism and journalist.
4. Criticise and make some penalty for violating the code of conduct.

2.4 Summary

This chapter reviewed the public perception of social media as a tools for political participation
processes in residents of Offa Community. Theory (SJT) and the Technological Frame of Reference
theor base on the study. The relevance of the theory was clearly stated.

Empirical evidences regarding the negative influences & effects of mass media suggest that those of
us who professionally uses the mass media can vulgarize & brutalize the society. This is exactly what
is practiced in the modern era since we value our personal benefits only and tend to maximize it at
the expense of the Society's welfare. However there is ample scope for correction of these flaws and
media professionals definitely can lift the society onto a higher level for which mass media has to be
optimized

CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction
 This chapter presents the methodologies employed for this study and this entails a

description of the population, sampling techniques and methods with a view to achieving the

objectives of the research.

: 3.1 Research Design

Quantitative research design is aimed at discovering how many people think, act or feel in a specific
way. Quantitative projects involve large sample size, concentrating on the quantity of responses, as
opposed to gaining the more focused or emotional insight that is the aim of qualitative research.

3.2 Research method -

Research method study is survey method. What is a survey? A survey is a research method used for
collecting data from a predefined group of respondents to gain information and insights into various
topics of interest. They can have multiple purposes, and researchers can conduct it in many ways
depending on the methodology chosen and the study's goal. In the year 2020, research is of extreme
importance, and hence it is essential for us to understand the benefits of social research for a target
population using the right survey tool.

The data is usually obtained through the use of standardized procedures to ensure that each
respondent can answer the questions at a level playing field to avoid biased opinions that could
influence the outcome of the research or study. The process involves asking people for information
through a questionnaire, which can be either online or offline. However, with the arrival of new
technologies, it is common to distribute them using digital media such as social networks, email, QR
codes, or URLs.

Survey The approach involved drawing up a set of questions on various aspects of the subject and a
questionnairewhich wasadministeredtothesample.

Survey The approach involved drawing up a set of questions on various aspects of the subject

and a questionnaire which was administered to the sample.

3.3 Population of the Study

Population refers to an entire group of individuals which are the concern for the study within the
area of the study. The study population for this research is on Offa Youths, Nigeria. The population of
this study is the Youths of Offa kwara state. According to the 2006 population census, Offa had a
total population eighty eight thousand nine hundred and seventy five (88,975). Thus the population
consists of both male and female who are residents of Offa, kwarastate.

3.4 Sampling and Sampling Technique

Sampling is the selection of a (a statistical sample) of individuals from within a statistical population
to estimate characteristic of the whole population (Lance and Hattori, 2016).

Advantages of sampling are lower cost and faster data collection than measuring the entire
population.

3.5 Sampling Size

As a result of the large population, a sample size was used. Sample size is the selection of some
elements that make up a population. It therefore represents the population of study. To have a
definite sample size, the taro Yemane's (1967) sample size formula was applied.

Where

n - Sample Size

N - Element of population

E - Error of sampling in this study was 0.05 proportion

n =88.975 1+ 88,975 (0.05)2

- 88.975

1+ 88,975 (0.0025)2

88.975

1+222 =88.975

223

N=399

3.6 Sampling Technique

The face of a limited financial and time resources as well as shortage of manpower the researcher
resolved the adoption of sampling in his strategy for data sourcing.Sampling: technique is choosing
by the researcher as it is considered as the most appropriate technique for the nature of this
research work.

A multi-staged sampling:- is defined as a sampling method that, divides the population into groups
( or clusters) for conducting research. A multi-staged sampling procedure was employed in this
study.

3.7 Instrument for Data Collection

The instrument used for data collection for this study is questionnaire .A questionnaire is a list of
questions or items used to gather data from respondents about their attitudes, experiences, or
opinions. Questionnaires can be used to collect quantitative and/or qualitative information.

Questionnaires are commonly used in market research as well as in the - social and health sciences.

An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other
provides answers. In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation
between an interviewer and an interviewee.

Questionnaire and interviews were adopted and designed as instruments for data collection. The
questions were made clear and simple so that the respondents can easily understand them. The
questionnaire has two main parts. First, on the bio-data/personal information like gender, age,
occupation and level of education, and the second part, which consist question relating to the issue
under study.

Questionnaire (This is the set of question related to the study at hand prepared and distributed to
the respondents for answering).

The questionnaire was designed in such a way that every questions in the questionnaire was related
to the research questions of the study.

3.7 Validity and reliability of the instruments

The researcher submitted the questionnaire to the supervisor for validity, the supervisor did a face
and contents validation of the instruments and advise on the appropriatenessonthe items. The
supervisor advise and suggestions was therefore incorporated into the final draft of the instruments.
The research observed from the pretested questionnaire that most of the responses on the
questionnaire were consistently, showing the research instrument. The questions in the
questionnaire were designed regarding the issues related to the problem and purpose of the study.
The researcher was convinced that research instrument was valid after pretesting the questionnaire
for the study and the responses on the questionnaire showed that it measured and provided
answers to achieve the purpose of the research study.
3.8 Method of data analysis

The responses gathered through the administered questionnaire were presented in a tabular form
and analyzed by simple percentage method using the formulate;

number of respondents

100 total respondents 1

Results of the analysis were carefully interpreted for meaningful understanding and inferences were
drawn from the responses for each question. -