CHAPTER TWO : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

2.1. INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, our main concern will be focused on describing the research site of our
investigation, research population, sample and finally determining the different techniques
and the methodological guide lines applied in the realization of this research paradigms in the
process of data collection and data analysis. These parameters will nigh tight our readers’
attention to the best understanding of the present section in the following paragraphs.
2.2. GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH SITE OF THE AREA
In dealing with this sub-point, our main emphasis will be focused on the presentation of the
research site of our investigation.
Similarly, Maree (cited in SAKA 2021-2022) sates that the research site also known as
“Research design “ is a plan of strategy which moves from the selectionbof respondents, the
data gathering techniques to be used and data analysis to be done.
2.2.1. LOCALIZATION
The research site of our investigation is exactly located in Wembo-nyama commune ; the later
one is found in Lumumba Town, LUKUMBE II sector, KATAKO-KOMBE territory,
SANKURU province in Democratic Republic of Congo.
As far as Wembo-Nyama graphical ere is concerned, this area is limited as follows:
 In the East by VELE Grouping ;
 In the West by DJEMBA village ;
 In North by ODUKU Grouping;
 An in South by EWANGO Commune.
2.2.2. DEMOGRAPHIC DENSITY
With regards to Wikipedia (on-cit), the demographic density also known as “The population
density” is a measurement of population per unit area;it is a quantity of the number density.
This means in other terms that, it refers to the number of people living in an area per square
kilometer.
As for ODIMBA (2017-2018) argues that the demographic density is objective entity per
square kilometer in research with the effective number of the statistic sampling that exists
really within the population.
In the same way, Merriam. Webster (idem) suggests the idea according to which the
demographic density refers to the statistic studies of human population specially in connection
to the size.
From these assumptions, the demographic density refers to the number of the population
living in a specific area per square kilometer.
Table nº1 : Population
Area Men Women Total
Wembo-Nyama 10.000 12.400 22.400
 commune

This statistic findings results from annual report written by the chief of Wembo-Nyama
commune whose name is Mr. EHOMBA.
2.3, RESEARCH POPULATION
With regards to Wikipedia (op-cit), the research population is a well defined collection of
individuals objects known to have similar characteristics. All individuals or objects within a
certain population resually have a common, tinding characteristics or trait.
In the same way, TICHAPONDWA. S. M. (2013) states that the research population deals
with the large body of the individuals being researched or all the individuals of interest to the
research.
As matter of fact, the population of our investigation are English teachers of 3 rd and 4th forms
of Wembo-Nyama high schools commune.
Despite the selected schools, our investigation will cleanse the trains of all researchs
investigating in this field of science to get some methodological guide lines in the teaching of
reading comprehension lesson.
2.4. SAMPLES
According to Wikipedia (op-cit), a sample is a set of individuals or objects collected or
Selected from a statistical population by a defined procedure.
However, this sub-point aims at describing the sample from which we have seldomly selected
the data for our investigation. Thies, our data have been constituted of eight English teachers
of six selected schools in the field work of our our research. Notice that, all this random
samplings covers all the 100% of these geographical school areas.
To some extent, the collection of data in our research has helped us to adopt the random
sampling technique which allowed us refered to have recourse to. Notice that, this technique
is much more genetical on the side of researchers in the sense that any teacher has enough
opportunity to be selected (NGONGO cited by ODIMBA 2017-2018). This means that, each
teacher tore the same characteristics as the one determined in the frame sample as follows:
Age, range, prio linguistic knowledge and exposure to target language (T.L).
2.4.1. SCHOOL GROUPING SCHEDULES
Under this heading, we are going to sum up the selected schools in the graphic sampling
schema. We have to precise that six schools were taken into consideration during our
investigation as shown down here :
Table nº : School groupings
Nº Schools Teachers’ Education level Forms taught Experience
identification identities
D6 G3 L2 3rd 4th
1 C.S. Miss. X X X 9
PARADOXE SHAKO
 2 EDAP/ISP.WN 1.Miss. X X 5
DIKI
2. Mr. X X 1
NGONGO
3 Wembo- 1. Miss. X X 8
Nyama ANADJANGA
Institute 2. Mr. X X 1
LONGAYO
4 KENGE 1. Miss. X X X 7
Institute OMOY
5 EDAP/UPEL 1. Miss. X X X 5
AHONDJU
6 IPEL Miss. X X X 9
NYEMBO

The statistic chart makes repeat six Scholl sampled in Wembo-Nyama commune. In it, a set
number of rubrics has been pointed such as :
Schools' identification, teachers' identities, education level, forms taught and finally the
years experience. The analysis proves that among Eight teachers, six (75%) are
undergraduate teachers whereas two of them (25%) are graduates.
2.4.2. TEACHERS' EDUCATION LEVEL GROUPING.
With regards to the education level of teachers in Wembo-Nyama commune, we wanted to
witress the difficulties that English teachers of 3rd and 4th forms encount in the teaching of
reading comprehension lessons. Such being a case, this question raises undauntedly in the
research’ mind not only to recognize the different difficulties that they encount, but also find
some positive remedies which can help them at any time so as they will become more
proficient than ever before.
Table nº3 : Teachers’ grouping schedule

Education level Sexe Number Forms taught

M F F % 3rd 4th
F % F %
Undergraduate 1 5 6 75 5 83,3 1 16,7
teachers
Graduate teachers 1 1 2 25 2 100 1 50

The statistics findings show that among teachers, six (75%) of them are undergraduates who
teach in both classes being male or female. Whereas two (25%) of them are graduates who
also teach in both classes being male or female.
2.5. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
In dealing with this sub-section, our main concern will be focused on the field work thanks to
which this investigation will cover the hight right of all researchers investigating in the same
domain.
As for SANKOFF (cited in ODIMBA 2017-2018) states that a good data can be defined as a
language materials of sufficient type and quantity, as well as materials which take into
account the social context in which the language data is gathered. He goes on most frequently
three different kinds of decisions about data collection for all researchers :
 Choosing what data to collect ;
 Stratifying the sample in question; and
 Deciding on how much data to collect from a defined number of speakers.
As a cover all from the listed assumptions, in the process of collecting data in the field of
linguistics, the researcher is recommended to respect the following aspects for good data
collection as follow :
 Identifying the target. Population (I.P) ;
 Determine where they are likely to be found ;
 Engage in extensive background reading, demographic and archival research ;
 Recognition and identification of errors ;
 Description of errors; and
 Explanation or interpretation of errors.
Thanks to these components, the readers will know and identify the research instruments used
in the realization of this research term paper.
Indeed, in writing this work, there has been a selection of a certain number of technical tools
which helped us to achieve this research in it’s truly aspects namely : Interview, classroom
observation and the random sampling. Notice that, each of these instruments helped us to
collect all the required data in our disposal.
2.5.1. INTERVIEWS
Referring to HARTMAN STORK (1972) argues that an interview is a technique in linguistic
field work for collecting data phonology, grammar, vocabulary,… of a given language from
nature of information by simple conversation.
As for Merriam. Webster (It Idem), an interview is a conversation between the interviewer
and the interviewees as one conducted by a reporter to elicit the required information.
In the same way, MULAMBA (2006) states that an interview is a scientific process of
investigation resing verbal communication for the purpose of collecting information with a
scientific purpose.
From these definitions, we can conclude that an interview is a face to face interaction between
the interviewees and the interviewer orally initiated for the specific purpose of obtaining
required information. This means in other terms that, the researcher has a pre-established list
of questions which helps him/her as guided reference while exchanging with the interviewees,
for the simple reason of getting the required information about a given field of science.
2.5.1.1. TEACHERS’ INTERVIEWS
Before my schedules, the researcher proceeds firstly to have an appointment with the
interviewees.
Among the selected questions related to our investigation, the interviews comprise five
questions of which the open-ended questions and closed ones. These questions will attract the
researcher’s attention to provide some perspectives to the teaching of reading comprehension
in 3rd and 4th forms from the sampled schools of Wembo-Nyama commune.
2.5.1.2. TEACHERS’ INTERVIEW SHEET
Name & Post-name :
School form :
School identity :
Instruction : Listen carefully and answer to the following questions :
1. Do you teach English lessons in your classes ?
a. Yes.
b. No
2. Have you ever taught some reading comprehension lessons ?
a. Yes.
b. No.
3. What are the strategies used while teaching reading comprehension lessons ?
4. Do 3rd and 4th form learners have problems while studying reading comprehension
lessons ?
a. Yes.
b. No.
5. Do 3rd and 4th form learners read well English texts ?
a. Yes.
b. No.
2.5.1.3. TEACHERS’ RESULTS
Table nº4 : Teachers’ interview (raw data)
Questions Answers

Yes No
1 F % F %
2 8 100 - -
3 8 100 - -
4 5 62,5 3 37,5
5 6 75 2 25

It is evident to support the statistic raw results from the teachers’ interview. This table guides
the following questions nº1,2,4 and 5 dealing with “Yes” or “No” answers. Among the
selected questions (1 and 2), the interviewees (100%) answered positively by “Yes” for both
questions. But the remaining questions nº4 and 5 ; 5 interviewees (62,5%) gave a positive
answer whereas 3 of them (37,5%) replied in a negative way for question nº4. As for question
nº5,6 interviewees (75%) answered positively whereas 2 if them (25%) answered negatively.
Concerning the third question, 3 interviewees (37,5%) replied that they use direct methods
while teaching reading comprehension lessons followed by some teaching aids like : English
text books, learners, … 3 other ok interviewees (37,5%) said that while teaching reading
comprehension lessons, they usually use different strategies or methods once the direct,
indirect or communicative approach do not allow them to teach well reading comprehension
lessons. Finally, 2 interviewees (25%) replied that they usually give the opportunity to their
learners to read English texts by using different strategies or approaches.
2.5.2. OBSERVATION.
Observation is one of the most invalaible research technique which helps the researcher to
depict out the interviewees’ behaviours. However, our concern was to check check whether or
not classroom data respect the same reality with the interview.
As for Green. Baum (1985) argues that one can not observe attitudes since attitudes are
communicated through behaviour. This means that, through behaviours of participants in
lessons taught by teachers, I could find out their real attitudes.
In the same way, alright (1988) defines a classroom observation as a procedure for keeping a
record of classroom events in such a way that it can later be learnt typically either for teacher
training or research purpose.
As matter of fact, two technical instruments have been used in our disposal to collect all the
required data of our research such as : the short hand writing on the one hand and the phone as
a communicative instrument recorder as we had no means to use the cassette recorders to
record the teachers’ responses on the other hand.
As a classroom observer, I attended eight lessons in general. While doing so, my concern was
to see the different ways and strategies used by teachers while dealing with reading
comprehension lessons. This means that, I wanted to witness if what each of my interviewee
said could reveal exactly the same reality with the classroom observation.
2.5.3. RANDOM SAMPLING
With regards to ODIMBA (Idem) states that this technique means that the field workers do
not know the individuals with whom they are talking to. In fact both interviewer and
interviewees are usually strangers to one another. As it has been said so far, the researchers
have gone to great lengths to achieve random sampling in order to minimize the effect of bias
on the selection of speakers.
In the same way, Mileroy (1983:24) shows the parameters to avoid some difficulties :
 Inadequate coveridge the population ;
 Inability to find certain sections of the population ;
 Lack of cooperation by certain sub-section.
Notice that, this technique is nowadays useful in sociolinguistic issues by the time the
fieldworkers are in close contact with the participants in a given target community. As it
can be seen in the development of the brain storming of this research, teachers have been
 selected randomly in different schools of Wembo-Nyama in order to verity their different
strategies used in teaching reading comprehension lessons of the selected participants
representing the 100% of Wembo-Nyama school teachers.
2.6. PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION
According to SANKOFF (1974:21.22) argues that good data is defined as language
materials of sufficient type and quality, as well as materials which take into account the
social context in which the language data is gathered.
Viewing on this quotation, Sankoff express the idea according to which the need for good
data imposes three different kinds of decisions about data collection on the researchers :
 Choosing what data to collect ;
 Stratifying the sample ;
 Deciding on much data to collect from how many speakers.
As a cover all from this sub-section, our feelings will be focused on these techniques :
Interviews, classroom observation and the random sampling which collecting the required
data in her disposal.
2.7. PROCEDURES FOR DATA ANALYSIS
Referring to Daymond and Holloway (2002), data analysis take the form of transcribing data
recorded from interviewees, and collecting notes from observation. Then, data are segmented
into coherent themes.
From assumption, the researchers’ analysis of data included collecting notes from observation
in order to verity the different strategies used by teachers while teaching reading
comprehension lessons. This means that, from our observation and interviews, we have got
the required data of our investigation.
Notice that, the research procedures applied in writing this dissertation term paper were based
on the data gatherings from both 3rd and 4th form teachers of Wembo-Nyama high schools
commune. Thus, the procedures were that all participants/interviewees were giving enough
information about the research questions. While doing so, the researcher has collected the
required data from the sampled schools of our geographical area. We have to precise that, the
selected questions were object of multiple parameters : on the one hand, we have selected
some questions related to “Yes” or “No” answers and other series of questions on the other
hand.
SUMMARY
In dealing with this chapter focused on “researcher methodology”, our main concern was to
present the geographical research site of our investigation, research population, samples,
research instruments and finally closed it by presenting both procedures in the process of data
collection and data analysis.
Next, comes the third and the last chapter dealing with “some possible perspectives to the
teaching of reading comprehension”.