RESEARCH METHODOLGY

This chapter of the research work examines the research design employed in the study, study
area, target population, sampling procedure, data collection instrument and data analysis method
employed. Later part of the chapter looks at the limitations of the research and conclusion.
1.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
This study uses quantitative methods because the data in the study can be calculated or measured
and analyzed using statistics. The type of quantitative methods used in this research is the
descriptive type, which describes the situation or occurrence about the certain character of
population precisely and accurately. (ARYANTI & ADHARIANI, 2020). This method would
help gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
1.2 STUDY AREA
The area where the study would be conducted is the University of Cape Coast. The research aims
to examine accounting and non-accounting students’ of the University of Cape Coast perception
and performance of accounting courses. The research would focus on the University of Cape
Coast to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
1.3 TARGET POPULATION.
The target population for the research would be accounting and non-accounting students who
take accounting courses as part of their academic work enrolled in the University of Cape of
Coast. It would consist of both undergraduate and post-graduate students of the university of
which most of them would be from the School of Business. This population would be the focus
of the study as the research aims to examine their perception and performance in accounting
courses. The population estimated to be around five thousand students in the university.
1.4 SAMPLING PROCEDURE
The sampling procedure for the research would likely be a convenience sampling method. This
method involves the selection of participants who are easily accessible and convenient to
participate in the study. This sampling method is very common in educational research as it is
very easy to recruit participant from the target population. Convenience sampling, according to
Trochim and Donnelly (2008), is a non-probabilistic sampling technique in which participants
are chosen based on their accessibility and interest in participating in the study. In this case,
participants would be selected from the population of student reading accounting program and
students who are reading accounting courses but are not reading accounting program.
1.5 DATA COLLECTION INTRUSMENT
The data collection instrument to be used in the research is self-administered questionnaire. The
use of a questionnaire is ideal for this study since it offers a standardized and economical way to
get information from lots of participants. Self-administered questionnaires are a widely utilized
technique for data collection in educational research, according to Creswell (2018).
They offer a consistent approach for gathering information from numerous participants, which is
crucial for this research because the target population is made up of students from the University
of Cape Coast. Questionnaires are a suitable method for gathering information on perceptions
and attitudes, which are an important aspect of this study. According to Krosnick (1991),
questionnaires are a good way to gather information on attitudes, beliefs, and views since they
offer a consistent way to measure these factors.
1.6 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
A series of activities would be conducted to collect data from the sample population. A well-
structured questionnaire would first be developed to gather data from the students. A pretesting
of the questionnaire will be conducted to ensure that the questions are clear and easy to
understand. Participants from the population would be recruited and the questionnaires would be
distributed to them. Some of the questionnaires would be printed other in soft copies (google
forms). A participant can either select to fill the google forms online or fill the print out
questionnaire. The questionnaire completed by the participants would be collected and the data
would be entered into the database for analysis. These steps would ensure that the data collected
is of high quality and that the results are representative of the target population.
1.7 DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS
The processing and analysis of the data gathered also involves a number of activities. The first
step is the entry of data from participants. The data gathered from the questionnaires would be
entered into a computer database for analysis. The research would also use descriptive statistics
and measures of central tendency. Inferential statistics would also be used to test the data
gathered. Lastly, the statistical analyses would be interpreted and conclusions would drawn.
1.8 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSION
The limitations to the research methodology include some the following. The sample might not
be enough for the generalization of the research findings. Also response from the participants
might be bias as well. The questionnaire may not accurately reflect the perception and
performance of the participants. The research methodology for this study has limitations that
may impact the validity and generalizability of the results. Despite these limitations, the research
methodology is appropriate for addressing the research questions and can provide valuable
insights into the perception and performance of accounting and non-accounting students in
accounting courses.
References
ARYANTI, C., & ADHARIANI, D. (2020). Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business Vol 7 No 9, 649-
657.

Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th
ed.). Sage publications.

Krosnick, J. A. (1991). In Response Strategies for Coping with the Cognitive Demands of Attitude
Measures in Surveys. Applied Cognitive Psychology (pp. 5(1), 213-236).

Trochim, W. M., & Donnelly, J. P. (2008). Research methods knowledge base (3rd ed). Atomic Dog
Publishing.