CHAPTER TWO

This chapter describes the research methodology that was employed in carrying out the

present investigation which includes: design, setting, participants, sample and sampling

procedure, research design, research instruments, procedure, and data analysis.

RESEARCH SETTING

This study was carried out in the Lagos metropolis, among the distance learning institute (DLI)

of the university of Lagos. The University of Lagos, also known as UNILAG, is

a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one

of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in the

world in major education publications.

The university presently has three campuses in the mainland of Lagos. Whereas two of its

campuses are located at Yaba (the main campus in Akoka and the recently created campus at the

former school of radiography), its college of medicine is located at Idi-Araba, Surulere. Its main

campus is largely surrounded by the Lagos lagoon and has 802 acres of land. The University of

Lagos currently admits over 9,000 undergraduate students annually and enrolls over 57,000

students.

The reason this setting was chosen for this study is because it is one of the best research institute

in Lagos. In addition, the university has been called "the university of first choice and the

nation's pride”. The university's research activity was one of the major criteria used by

the National Universities Commission (NUC) in adjudging the university as the best university

in Nigeria at the Nigerian University System Annual Merit Award (NUSAMA) in 2008.
SAMPLING AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE

Gpower was used to compute the amount of participants that should participate in the research

for the result to be significant. The study population size for this study is 4200 according to

Bivariate normal model, with an effect size of 0.25, significant level 0.05 and confidence interval

of 0.95, sample size of three hundred and twenty (320) was gotten but, it was rounded to a total

of three hundred sixty two (362) respondents. Hence, the sample size of 362 was used.

This study adapted the purposive sampling technique to select respondents. Purposive sampling

(also known as judgment, selective or subjective sampling) is a sampling technique in which the

researcher relies on her own judgment when choosing members of population to participate in

the study.

Purposive sampling is a non-probability sampling method and it occurs when respondents

selected for the sample are chosen by the judgment of the researcher. The study adopted the 300

level distance learning students of the university of Lagos for easy administration of this

questionnaire to the participant.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Employed in this study is the cross-sectional research design. A cross-sectional study is a type of

research design in which you collect data from many different individuals at a single point in

time. In cross-sectional research, you observe variables without influencing them.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
Since the researcher source its data from a primary source, two questionnaire were used as the

research instrument to gather information from the participants of the study.

The first questionnaire has two sections; A and B.

Section A: was meant to tap information on participants biography data such as name,

qualification, level, and age, marital status, and family type.

Section B: was meant to tap information on anxiety levels.

BECKS ANXIETY INVENTORY

The Becks Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was developed by Beck et al. (1988). The Beck’s anxiety

inventory is a 21 question multiple choice self-report inventory that is used to measure the

severity of anxiety in adults. It has been validated in the indicated population by Robles et al.

(2001). It consists of 21 items that evaluate symptoms of anxiety on a four-point Likert scale

ranging from 0 = “not at all” to 3 = “severely.” The anxiety level was scored using ordinal

categories: minimal (1–5 points), mild (6–15), moderate (16–30) and severe (31–63). This self-

report instrument consists of 21 items to measure symptoms of anxiety. Participants responded

using a four-point rating scale (0 to 3). Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptomology.

The Becks Anxiety Inventory (BDI) is composed of two correlated factors: somatic-affective

symptoms (12 items: 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21) and cognitive symptoms

(nine items: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 14). In the validation study described above, the overall

internal consistency reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90); likewise, the reliability

of the somatic-affective symptom factor was good (alpha = 0.87) and that of the cognitive

symptom factor was acceptable (alpha = 0.79).

RESEARCH PROCEDURE

Informed consent was gotten from all participants before the administration of the instruments,

the respondents were made to know the importance and essence of participating in the research

and the procedure for administration. Participants were assured of confidentiality and discretion

of the study and made to know that the results of the findings will only be utilized for academic/

research purposes. Four hundred copies of questionnaire were distributed and retrieved. Three

hundred and sixty two (362) copies of questionnaire were properly filled and used for data

analysis.

DATA ANALYSIS

The data collected was coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS).

The T-test and One-way Anova was used to test for significant differences between variables.

The computation of responses was executed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social

Sciences (SPSS).