RESULTS: DATA COLLECTION METHODS
The data collection procedures in the study are appropriate because they have given the results of the study as required. The topic on the pregnancy prevention from the teens is a sensitive study that needs the people concerned to have an informal environment. Therefore, the data collection procedure used in the study was group interview (Corcoran et al, 1997, p. 365-382). This procedure is appropriate for the study because it allowed qualitative research. The sensitivity of the study needed the researcher to operate in a natural setting that would allow the interviewees to relax. The group interview allowed the researcher in the study to be open about the topic and to be able to capture the perceptions of the interviewees. There was increased accuracy of response because it is possible to ask for clarification in case there are unclear statements.
Ways in which appropriate steps were taken to protect the rights of the subjects
The rights of the subjects in the study were protected because the teens were not forced to participate in the program. To participate in the programs, the teens and the parents gave their consent, which gave the administrators the right to continue with the program. As stated by Corcoran, Frankin, & Bell (1997, p. 365-382) 105 teens gave their consent concerning participation. There were divisions into different groups where one was free to answer any question without fear of victimization. The rights of the subjects were protected because in the reports there were no names mentioned.
The way in which the data collection tools supported the reliability and validity of the study
The data collection tools used in the study was both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative tool was used to get data on adolescent pregnancy in a particular aspect. The groups were different and their results analyzed to bring out the correlations and the differences between different groups. The tool supported reliability and validity because the results were used to draw conclusions about the things that were needed to prevent pregnancy in teens. The qualitative research as a data collection tool was used in the study to emphasize on the richness of the knowledge of the teens (Corcoran et al., 1997, p. 365-382). The teenagers were used to get to the conclusion of the study but also the qualitative studies from other sources were conducted and contributed to the conclusions. The qualitative analysis used supported reliability and validity of the data from the quantitative study
DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES
The data collected was from different group interviews, which was differently transcribed. The transcriptions were coded using qualitative data analysis program. This was appropriate for the study because it is possible to have a constant comparison of the answers to the different questions from the different groups. It is easier to compare the codes and find out the differences and consistencies that help to reach to the conclusion. The data analysis procedure was appropriate for the study because answers from different groups may seem different but point at the same idea or have the same meaning (Meyer, 1991, p. 217). In such cases, coding will show the answers that are consistent from the field notes. This data analysis procedure was appropriate for the study because it helped in drawing of conclusion from the data.
Ways in which the data analysis is appropriate for answering the research question in testing of the study hypothesis
The data analysis is appropriate in the testing of the research question and the study hypothesis because the codes assist the researchers to know the consistencies. This helps to know the main or the basic idea in the study because of the research interviews. It is possible in the study to have a hypothesis as a method of making decision using the available data (Corcoran et al., 1997, p. 365-382). Using the qualitative data analysis, all the transcriptions are coded which makes it easy to compare the results from the questions and categorize the specific events.
Key distinctions between qualitative and quantitative data
The main difference between qualitative data and quantitative data is that qualitative data deals with descriptions in a particular study while the quantitative data deals with numbers. Qualitative data in a study is data that cannot be measured such as beauty, tastes, appearance, textures, smells, and colors. On the other hand, quantitative data in any study is data that can be measured such as humidity, volume, area, length, weight, height, time, speed, members, cost, and ages. Quantitative data mainly deals with the quality while qualitative deals with quality.
CONCLUSIONS
The study reports on the teen’s perception about the reasons why the adolescent get pregnant and reports on the suggestions for preventing the adolescent pregnancy. The findings of the study show that lack of accessibility has greatly contributed to the adolescent pregnancy. The teens need more information about contraceptives use, which would enlighten them and increase accessibility. Another summary finding from the study is that lack of support from the parents contribute to early child bearing (Meyer, 1991, p. 217). Lack of love from home makes the teens look for attention elsewhere and get babies who will act as objects of love. The finding was because of qualitative analysis after in depth interview with African American parenting and pregnant teens.
Strengths and weaknesses of scientific merits of the study
The scientific merits used in the study focus on the group interviews that give non-random sampling. The strengths in the scientific merit are that the teens were able to give responses, which had the same opinion. The weakness of the scientific merit used in the study is that the non-random sample was based on a broad range of teens.
Major limitations and weaknesses of the scientific merit of the study
One of the major limitations of the scientific merit used in the study is that the qualitative data methodology used restricted generalizability, which led to nonrandom sampling. The population under study also contributes to the scientific merit limitation (Meyer, 1991, p. 217). This is because the study mainly focused on the adolescent population whose response might have been influenced by certain group dynamics. The weakness is that the group might have dynamics that make them want to fit in a certain group or be subjects to peer pressure.
If the findings support the hypothesis
The findings from the analysis support the hypothesis in a strong way. This is because the findings are true depending on the hypothesis and they are as expected. The early pregnancy of the teens is associated with parents and their families. This depends on the attention the teens get from their parents at home among other reasons.
References
Corcoran, J., Franklin, C., & Bell, H. (1997). Pregnancy Prevention from the Teen Perspective. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(5), 365-382. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Meyer, V. F. (1991). A critique of adolescent pregnancy prevention research: The invisible white male. Adolescence, 26(101), 217. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
