UNISA
IMPORTANT:
No extension will be granted for this
mandatory assignment.
Due date: 08 June 2026
Contribution to year mark: 25%
,QUESTION 1: UNDERSTANDING DATA
1.1 Population and sample in the study
Population
The population refers to the entire group that the researchers are interested in
studying.
In this investigation, the population is:
All Intermediate Phase teachers in the Eastern Cape province.
This is because the workshop participants were drawn from one district in the
Eastern Cape, and the study focuses on teachers within that educational context.
Sample
The sample refers to the smaller group selected from the population to participate in
the study.
The sample in this study is:
28 teachers
who attended the professional development workshop.
These teachers provided information about:
• distance from home to school,
• number of coins carried,
• favourite colour.
The sample represents only a small portion of teachers in the Eastern Cape and not
all teachers in South Africa.
, 1.2 Identify the three variables and describe each one
Variable Description
Distance (km) The number of kilometres between a teacher’s home and school.
The number of coins each teacher was carrying during the
Coins
workshop.
Favourite
The colour preferred by each teacher.
colour
1.3 Classification of variables
Variable Qualitative/Quantitative Categorical/Numerical Justification
Distance is measured
using numbers such as
3 km, 15 km and 32
Distance
Quantitative Numerical km. These values can
(km)
be calculated and
compared
mathematically.
The number of coins
consists of numerical
counts such as 0, 5
Coins Quantitative Numerical
and 12. The values
represent quantities
that can be counted.
Favourite colour
consists of categories
Favourite such as blue, black
Qualitative Categorical
colour and red. These are
names rather than
numbers.
1.4 Measurement scales of variables
Measurement
Variable Justification
scale
Distance has a true zero value because 0 km means
Distance
Ratio scale no distance travelled. Ratios are meaningful because
(km)
20 km is twice as far as 10 km.
The number of coins has a true zero because 0 coins
Coins Ratio scale means none are present. Values can also be
multiplied and compared meaningfully.
Favourite Favourite colours are categories with no natural order
Nominal scale
colour or ranking.