CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURE

This chapter presents the methods and procedures to be employed in

undertaking the study. It includes the description of the research design,

respondents of the study data gathering instrument, data gathering procedure and

statistical treatment of data.

Research Design

This study utilized the descriptive method in conducting a research

regarding the modes of Batangas City Police Station (BCPS) personnel in

handling children in conflict with the law (CICL).This method was used because it

is deals with gathering, classifying, presenting data and collecting the summarize

values to describe characteristics of data.

As defined by Jackson (2009), descriptive research is concerned with the

collection of relevant data for the purposes of describing and interpreting existing

conditions, prevailing practices, opinions, beliefs, attitudes etc. It focuses on a

given population in an attempt to explain the issues that will lead to whatever the

education problem identified for such population.

The researchers used descriptive research because this type of research

method focuses on describing the nature of a demographic segment, without

focusing on “why” a certain phenomenon occurs. In other words, it “describes” the

subject of the research, without covering “why” it happens. In relation to the topic

at hand, the present study specifically aimed to provide a vivid description of the
modes applied by the chosen respondents in processing children in conflict with

the law (CICL).

Respondents of the Study

The main source of data for this study came from the selected police

personnel of the Batangas City Police Station (BCPS). In particular, the

researcher considered the personnel of the Investigation Section and Patrol Section

of the mentioned city police station. The personnel of the Patrol Section were

selected because they usually occupied the position of having the initial contact

with the children in conflict with the law (CICL). The other set of respondents

came from the Investigation Section which includes the personnel of the Women

and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of the subject police station. They were

likewise considered because they usually determined the next actions to be

undertaken once the CICL were taken into the custody of the investigating police

station. Using convenience sampling, this study included 51 personnel from the

two (2) mentioned units of BCPS.

Considering their actual experience in processing CICL, the researcher

believed that these police personnel can impart important insights and

justifications to the results and findings generated in this study. Lastly, the

expertise of the chosen personnel in handling CICL can better assist the researcher

in proposing an output that can improve the capability of police personnel in

managing the cases of children in conflict with the law.

Data Gathering Instrument

In connection with the descriptive method, the researchers made a

researcher-constructed questionnaire as its significant tool in gathering the data

that will satisfy the objectives of this study.

Self-constructed Questionnaire. The data gathering instrument employed

by the researcher is composed of two (2) major parts. The first part determined the

personal and demographic profile of the respondents such as the age, sex, civil

status, educational attainment, rank, length of service, and section assigned.

The second part of the instrument was constructed to determine the modes

of BCPS personnel in processing CICL. In particular, the items in the

questionnaire are further divided into three (3) parts in order to identify how the

respondent police personnel process CICL during their initial contact with them,

during interview, and during their turn over to other concerned government

agencies.

In order to construct the data gathering instrument, the researcher gathered

relevant data and information that can be the bases of the items included in the

self-constructed questionnaire. Several drafts of questionnaire were constructed by

the researcher before it was totally approved by the research instructor and

research adviser. Upon the approval of the two (2) mentioned mentors, the

researcher subjected the instrument into content validation among the three (3)

experts, known to be knowledgeable to the topic under investigation. The experts

provided the researcher with important suggestions that will further improve the
quality of their data gathering instrument. After integrating these suggestions and

getting the approval of the experts, the researcher also subjected the questionnaire

into a dry run to measure statistically the reliability of constructed data gathering

instrument. The researcher conducted the said process among the 20 personnel of

Taysan Municipal Police Station who likewise conduct inquests or investigations

of CICL. The responses of these police personnel were meticulously collected,

tallied and submitted to a statistician for reliability test. The result of the test

yielded a reliability coefficient of .90, which means that the data gathering

instrument of the researcher is reliable and comprehensive enough to fulfill the

intentions of the study.

Taking into consideration the result of the reliability test, the researcher

administered and disseminated the final questionnaire to the intended respondents.

The objectives of the study were explained to chosen police personnel of BCPS,

assuring them at the same time the confidentiality of their responses.

The instrument used a four-point Likert scale to determine the modes of

BCPS personnel in their initial contact with CICL, in conducting interview and in

turning over the CICL to concerned agencies of the government. The scale is as

follows :
 Verbal Interpretation
Scale Range
Negative Items Positive Items

4 3.5 – 4.0 Always Complied Not Complied

3 2.5 – 3.49 Often Complied Seldom Complied

2 1.5 – 2.49 Seldom Complied Often Complied

1 1.0 – 1.49 Not Complied Always Complied

Informal Interview. The interview with Batangas City Police Station,

WCPD section was used to determine the policies of handling the CICL. Turning

over of CICL to other agencies was detailed to the researcher. The facts collected

during the interview were added to the result of the study and supported the

information gathered through the self-constructed questionnaire.

Data Gathering Procedures

The researcher followed a systematic step in order to successfully

accomplish this study. As the researcher was enrolled in Research 101, she was

asked to submit a topic of her choice that can be a subject of a research work. She

presented the topic to her research adviser and upon approval, the researcher

immediately proceeded to the preliminary survey of related materials and sources

that can be the bases of her chosen topic. The researcher even collected several

conceptual and research literatures that will strengthen her intentions of

conducting a study on the modes utilized by police personnel in processing

children in conflict with the law (CICL).

 In relation to the above efforts, the researcher also constructed a data

gathering instrument that was validated by a panel of experts and further tested for

reliability using a statistical process. This marked the start of the data gathering

initiatives of the researcher wherein she initially accomplished a formal request

letter addressed to the Chief of Police of Batangas City Police Station (BCPS),

asking permission to utilize the selected personnel of the station as the respondents

of the study. The Chief of Police of BCPS granted such request and the researcher

immediately proceeded to the administration of the approved and validated

questionnaire. The researcher spent almost one (1) month to gather all the

necessary data due to different shifts of work and work assignments of the chosen

respondents. Fortunately, all of the respondents are cooperative and

accommodating to answer the prepared questionnaires for all of them. The

researcher personally assisted the respondents in answering the items contained in

the instrument and she tried her very best to answer all the queries raised by the

respondent police personnel. After satisfying the number of respondents

determined to answer the questionnaires, their responses were tallied and

submitted to the chosen statistician for statistical computation of data. The

statistician sent back the results of her computations one (1) day after the

researcher submitted the data for statistical treatment. And from that point, she

started to accomplish the last two chapters of her study which are focused on the

presentation and interpretation of obtained data, and producing the summary,

findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

To analyze the data gathered the following statistical tools were used.

Frequency Distribution. This was used to determine the distribution of the

respondents’ demographic profile in terms of age, sex, civil status, educational

attainment, rank, length of service, and section assigned.

Percentage Distribution. This was used to present the percentage

distribution of the profile of the respondents with respect to age, sex, civil status,

educational attainment, rank, length of service, and section assigned.

Weighted Mean. This was used to determine the modes of BCPS

personnel in processing children in conflict with the law in terms of initial contact

with CICL, interviewing CICL, and turn-over of CICL to concerned agencies.

Independent t-Test. This was used to determine if there is significant

difference on the perceived mode of processing CICLs when grouped according to

respondents’ sex and section assignment.

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). This was used to determine if there is

significant difference on the perceived mode of processing CICLs when grouped

according to respondents’ age, civil status, educational attainment, rank, and

length of service.