Select a variable (mean or proportion) to determine if there is a difference in the two groups. Samples must be independent. Select a sample of data values (20 to 50) for each group. Then address the following (and a little more) in your project.
a. Write a brief statement of the purpose of the study.
b. Define the population.
c. State how the sample was selected.
d. State the hypotheses for the study.
e. Show the raw data.
f. Use Megastat or other technology to test the hypotheses.
g. State the decision based on the P-value..
h. Summarize the results.
a. The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a significant difference between two groups in terms of a selected variable.
b. The population for the study should be clearly defined. It refers to the entire group of individuals or objects that the researchers want to draw conclusions about.
c. The sample should be selected randomly from the population to ensure representativeness. The sample size should be in the range of 20 to 50 data values for each group.
d. The hypotheses for the study should be stated based on the selected variable. For example:
- Null hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between the means/proportions of the two groups.
- Alternative hypothesis (Ha): There is a significant difference between the means/proportions of the two groups.
e. The raw data should be presented, which includes the data values for each group that will be used in the analysis.
f. To test the hypotheses, statistical software such as Megastat or other technology can be used. These tools provide various statistical tests to compare means or proportions between groups. The specific test to be used will depend on the nature of the data and the research question.
g. After conducting the statistical test, a p-value will be obtained. The p-value represents the probability of observing the observed data or more extreme if the null hypothesis is true. A decision can be made by comparing the p-value to the predetermined significance level (often 0.05). If the p-value is less than the significance level, the null hypothesis can be rejected, indicating a significant difference between the groups. If the p-value is greater than the significance level, there is not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis, suggesting no significant difference.
h. Finally, the results should be summarized by stating whether the null hypothesis was rejected or not. Additionally, the magnitude and direction of the observed difference between the groups can be mentioned, along with any other relevant findings from the analysis.