Question 1
Overview
Statistics serves as a foundational tool for interpreting data in practical contexts. It
encompasses the processes of gathering, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting numerical data
to facilitate informed decision-making (Illowsky et al., 2023). This study will examine
MooreLearning Developmental Services, a small tutoring business in Barbados, as a practical
example to demonstrate the application of statistical concepts, enabling the derivation of
meaningful insights and the enhancement of teaching strategies through data-informed
approaches.
Scenario
MooreLearning Developmental Services is a locally established tutoring business in
Barbados. Students are enrolled in various educational programs, including:
a) Common Entrance Examination (typically for children aged 5-11),
b) CXC Examinations (typically for secondary school students).
The objective of presenting this scenario is to utilize statistical data to analyze the
academic performance of these students, with the aim of enhancing the services provided.
Definitions & Real-Life Examples
Simple Random Sampling vs. Stratified Sampling
Sampling is a statistical method that involves selecting a subset (sample) of individuals
from a larger group, known as the population, to examine characteristics or behaviors without
surveying the entire group (Triola,2018). This approach is particularly useful when studying an
entire population is impractical due to time, cost, or logistical constraints. Sampling enables
researchers to make inferences and predictions about the population based on data collected from
the smaller group (Triola, 2018).
Question 2
Frequency & Graphs
A distribution table (or frequency table) organizes raw data to show how often each value
occurs. It is a foundational tool for understanding how data is spread across categories or
numerical ranges (Triola, 2018). To visualize this distribution, a dot plot diagram is often used.
A dot plot places a dot above each data value on a number line for every time it occurs, making it
easy to see patterns, clusters, and gaps (Larson & Farber, 2015). Together, the table and dot plot
provide a clear view of how data values are distributed.
a) Create a plot dot diagram using the data in the table below
b) Total number of families that have more than four families
The total is: 6+3+2 = 11
Question 3
Cumulative Frequency
Cumulative frequency is a statistical tool that shows the sum of frequencies over time. A
boundary is defined by the number of observations that fall below or within a certain
range. It is useful for understanding the distribution of data, as well as for identifying
medians, percentiles, and trends over time (Weiss, 2016).
a) How many students spent between 10 and 15 hours studying?
b) How many students spent less than 20 hours studying?
When only the cumulative frequency column is given, you work backward by subtraction
to find the frequency column. Taking the cumulative frequency of the previous class and
subtracting it from the cumulative frequency of the current class. The cumulative frequency
method works because it adds up the total number of observations up to each class
boundary. You can isolate how many observations belong only to that interval by subtracting the
previous total (Bluman, 2018).
The number of students who spent between 10 and 15 hours studying is 12 students.
The number of students spent less than 20 hours studying is 45 students.
References
Bluman, A. G. (2018). Elementary statistics: A step by step approach (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill
Education.
Illowsky, B., Dean, S., Birmajer, D., Blount, B., Boyd, S., Einsohn, M., Helmreich, J., Kenyon,
L., Lee, S., & Taub, J. (2023). Introductory statistics (2nd ed.). OpenStax.
https://openstax.org/details/books/introductory-statistics-2e
Larson, R., & Farber, B. (2015). Elementary statistics: Picturing the world (6th ed.). Pearson.
Triola, M. F. (2018). Elementary statistics (13th ed.). Pearson.
Weiss, N. A. (2016). Introductory statistics (10th ed.). Pearson.
