Tom improves his questionnaire and collects his data.
He finds that,
on average Year 7 have five hours of homework per week
on average Year 11 have eight hours of homework per week.
Write a possible conclusion for Tom.
How to approach this question
1. Look at the findings: Year 7 average = 5 hours, Year 11 average = 8 hours.
2. Compare the two values. 8 is greater than 5.
3. Formulate a conclusion that summarises this finding.
4. It is good practice to relate the conclusion back to the original hypothesis from part (a).
5. A simple conclusion is: "On average, Year 11 students get more homework than Year 7 students."
6. A more formal conclusion would be: "The data suggests that Year 11 students receive more homework per week (average 8 hours) than Year 7 students (average 5 hours)."
Full Answer
The data supports the hypothesis that Year 11 students receive more homework per week than Year 7 students.
A conclusion should be a clear statement that summarises the findings of the investigation. The data shows that the average for Year 11 (8 hours) is higher than the average for Year 7 (5 hours). Therefore, a valid conclusion is that Year 11 students at the school receive more homework per week on average than Year 7 students. This conclusion directly addresses the initial hypothesis.
Common mistakes
✗ Just restating the data (e.g., "Year 7s get 5 hours and Year 11s get 8 hours"). A conclusion should interpret the data.
✗ Making a conclusion that is too strong or generalises beyond the school (e.g., "All Year 11s everywhere get more homework").
Expert