MA31-01 Maths Coming soon
Sampling methods, bias and questionnaire design
MA31-01
This lesson is coming soon.
In this lesson
Critique a described sampling method by naming the specific coverage or bias flaw it contains (not a generic size complaint), and write or fix a questionnaire question so it is fair and unbiased.
What it covers
- Understanding the difference between a population and a sample, and that a sample is used to infer something about the whole population
- Reading a described sampling method in context and naming the specific flaw causing bias: a coverage gap (a group/place/time excluded), non-random selection, or self-selection (only people who chose to respond)
- Recognising bias caused by asking a self-selected or opportunity group (e.g. only people already at a location, or with a particular interest) rather than a representative cross-section
- Writing or critiquing a single questionnaire question for fairness: avoiding a leading statement before the question, giving a clear time frame, and giving exhaustive, non-overlapping response options
Key words
For: AQA GCSE 8300, Edexcel GCSE 1MA1, Eduqas GCSE C300, OCR GCSE J560
On the specification
| Board | Spec | Statement |
|---|---|---|
| AQA GCSE 8300 | S1 | Infer properties of populations or distributions from a sample, whilst knowing the limitations of sampling |
| Edexcel GCSE 1MA1 | S1 | Infer properties of populations or distributions from a sample, while knowing the limitations of sampling |
| Eduqas GCSE C300 | FS1 | Infer properties of populations or distributions from a sample, whilst knowing the limitations of sampling |
| Eduqas GCSE C300 | HS1 | Infer properties of populations or distributions from a sample, whilst knowing the limitations of sampling |
| Eduqas GCSE C300 | FS2 | Designing and criticising questions for a questionnaire, including notion of fairness |
| Eduqas GCSE C300 | HS2 | Designing and criticising questions for a questionnaire, including notion of fairness. |
| OCR GCSE J560 | 12.01a | Define the population in a study, and understand the difference between population and sample. Infer properties of populations or distributions from a sample. Understand what is meant by simple random sampling, and bias in sampling. |
For teachers
This GCSE Maths lesson teaches sampling methods, bias and questionnaire design. By the end, students should be able to critique a described sampling method by naming the specific coverage or bias flaw it contains (not a generic size complaint), and write or fix a questionnaire question so it is fair and unbiased. It works through three worked examples and the mistakes examiners report.