4.2 Correlational Designs

4.2 Correlational Designs

Correlation Research Designs "link" to the keywords of "association, " "relationship,

" and/or "predictive ability" that we've come to associate with "correlational" research questions or problem statements. Correlational design enables the researcher to assess the degree of relationship existing between two or more variables, (Orodho, 2003). For example, we can compare the performance in examinations of day-pupils and those who are boarders. Here we use a correlation design. But at times we cannot conclusively prove that the poor performance or good performance is related to either boarding or otherwise because there are other factors that influence either good or poor performance in examinations. But if careful control of other possible variables can be done, then we are able to find a causal relation.

Other types of research designs that may be useful in this study include:

i. Case study design: which seeks to describe exhaustively a unit of study. It is a way of organizing our data and looking at the way they can be studied as a whole. For example, The impact of Free Primary Education on Child labor: A case study of Nyeri County in Kenya. Such would bring about a deeper understanding of how children’s rights to education are abused in the name of helping the poor children who cannot afford education fees. ii. Group Comparisons: Tight control (the researcher attempts to identify in advance as many possible 'contaminating' and/or confounding variables as possible and to control for them in his/her design -- by, say, building them in and balancing on them, e.g. equal numbers of boys and girls to 'control for gender' or 'randomizing them away' by drawing a random sample of subjects and thereby 'getting a good mix' on them, e.g., all levels of 'socioeconomic status') Because of the preceding control, the 'confidence' to make 'cause/effect statements' That is, we begin to get the idea of 2 or more groups, as balanced and equivalent as possible on all but one "thing:" our "treatment" (e.g., type of lesson, type of counseling). We measure them before and after this treatment and if we do find a difference in the group that 'got the treatment, ' we hope to attribute that difference to the treatment only (because of this tight control, randomization, and so forth).

iii) Cross Cultural research design

This design is used to study behavior patterns of different cultures. Through such a design we are able to get deeper understanding of how different cultures behave under similar circumstances. For example comparing the educational performance pupils in rural schools and those in urban schools.

In Selecting a research design it is important to follow some basic guidelines: a) What kind of a research one intends to do. That is the purpose and objectives of one’s study will guide as to which design one is going to select. b) Use of text books and journals written on the topic of your intended research study will equally give further clarification as to what design will suit your study

c) Consulting with other professionals will also guide your selection of the kind of research design you will use. It is through such consultations that one gets the validity and or reliability of one’s research study and come up with a