Sample Size and Sampling Techniques in Chemistry Education Research: A Meta-Synthesis
Abstract:
The rate at which chemistry education research beginners were picking sample from their research population without specific guidelines and sampling procedures as observed in many online journal articles is worrisome. This problem must not be overlooked, if competent scholars would be trained for the future generations. The rationale behind this study is to change the narrative as the field of chemistry education is growing into maturity. The study hereby aims to provide the chemistry teaching community, project students and postgraduate researchers, with empirical basis for sample size determination and sampling techniques utilizable in Chemistry Education Research (CER). The study, being a qualitative method and a meta-synthesis design to be specific, used journaling” to collect data from 50 articles published between the years 2018 and 2023. The study revealed sample size determinations options such as scholarly published tables including Krejcie and Morgan 1970 and Research advisor 2006, the sample size formulae including; the Bourley formula of 1964, the Cochran’s formula of 1963 and the Taro Yamane’s formula of 1967. Nevertheless, the sampling techniques found include, the snowball sampling, multistage sampling, cluster sampling and systematic sampling. In order to improve the quality of research findings in chemistry education, the study recommends that the research beginners should use most appropriate and well understood sampling techniques and sample size determination options in their research adventures.
