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Subsection 3.1.1 Collection of Data
Collection of data is the process of gathering information or facts for analysis. In statistics, data can be collected to answer questions, test ideas or solve problems in real-life situations.
Subsubsection 3.1.1.1 Sources of Data
Activity 3.1.1 .
\(\textbf{Work in groups}\)
A teacher assigned students a research topic on the effects of social media on teenage mental health in Kenya.
Suggest one potential primary data collection method that could be used.
Suggest one potential secondary data source that could be used.
What is the difference between primary and secondary data?
Why is secondary data important for research and decision-making?
Discuss and share with other groups.
Example 3.1.2 .
Classify the Following as Primary or Secondary Data Sources:
A student conducts a survey to find out the favorite sports of their classmates.
A teacher uses last year’s national exam results to analyze student performance trends.
A researcher reads a government report on the most common diseases in Kenya.
A doctor observes a patient’s symptoms and records them for a medical study.
A scientist conducts an experiment to test the growth rate of plants under different conditions.
Solution .
Primary because the student is collecting first-hand data directly from people.
Secondary because the exam results were already collected and recorded by an external body.
Secondary because The report was collected and published by someone else for a different purpose.
Primary because The doctor is directly collecting new data from real-life observation.
Primary because The scientist is generating new data through an experiment.
Example 3.1.3 .
A community group wants to understand the needs of youth in their area.
What primary data collection methods could the group use?
What problems might they have when trying to find this information?
How can they use the information they find to help the community?
What secondary data sources could be useful to this community group?
Solution .
Focus groups, surveys, interviews.
Overcoming language barriers.
Getting honest responses.
They can start new programs for young people.
They can tell leaders what young people need.
Academic studies on youth issues.
Government reports on youth.
Exercises Exercises
1. Grade
\(10\) students from Korinyang Primary School went to Lake Nakuru National Park and counted the flamingos they saw for their Biology project.
Is this a primary or secondary data source?
2. In a market, a shop owner watches what customers buy most often and looks for trends based on what they see in the store.
Which sources of data can the shop owner use to collect the data?
3. Define the following terms.
Data Source
Raw Data
Tertiary Sources
Primary sources
4. What are the advantages of using secondary data over primary data in some research situations?
Checkpoint 3.1.4 .
Checkpoint 3.1.5 .
Subsubsection 3.1.1.2 Methods of Data Collection
Activity 3.1.2 .
\(\textbf{Work in groups}\)
The following data represents the number of hours people spend watching television per week.
\(0 - 5\) hours:
\(20\) people
\(6 - 10\) hours:
\(35\) people
\(11 - 15\) hours:
\(25\) people
\(16 - 20\) hours:
\(10\) people
Create a table to organize this data.
What type of data collection method was most likely used to gather this data?
What are some other questions that could be asked to further explore this topic?
Discuss and share with other groups.
Example 3.1.7 .
A student wants to find out the most popular extracurricular activities among their classmates.
What data collection method would be most appropriate?
What are two examples of specific questions they could ask?
Solution .
Questions for students to ask are;
What extracurricular activities do you participate in?
How often do you participate in these activities?
Example 3.1.8 .
A local bakery, conducted a study asking customers about their favorite types of pastries. The results are:
What type of data collection method was most likely used to gather this data?
What is the most popular type of pastry among customers?
What percentage of customers prefer either Cakes or Cookies?
What type of pastry is the least popular among customers?
Solution .
\(45% \) +
\(30%\) =
\(75%\)
Therefore, the percentage of customers who prefer either Cakes or Cookies are
\(75%\)
Exercises Exercises
1. Which data collection method would be most suitable for finding out the most common types of litter found in your school compound?
Analyzing government reports
2. Describe one ethical consideration you should keep in mind when conducting interviews with community members.
3. Why is it important to keep accurate records when conducting observations?
4. Give one example of a situation where you would use secondary data collection in a Geography class.
Checkpoint 3.1.9 .
Checkpoint 3.1.10 .
