Introduction to Data Handling
Primary 4 · Mathematics
Introduction to Data Handling
Lesson 1 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Mr Gatete's P4 class is planning a party for the end of term. "What fruit should we buy?" asks Uwase. "And how many cups of juice does each person drink?" asks Mugisha. "Let's ask everyone," says the teacher, "and write down the answers."
The answers they collect are called data. Today you will learn the two main kinds.
Data is information we collect to answer a question. It can be words or numbers.
Qualitative data describes a quality. The answers are words that put things into groups.
You cannot add qualitative answers together, but you can count how many answers are in each group.
Quantitative data tells you a quantity: how many or how much. The answers are numbers.
| Question | Kind of data |
|---|---|
| What is your favourite game at break? | Qualitative |
| How many people live in your home? | Quantitative (counted) |
| Which district were you born in? | Qualitative |
| How tall are you in centimetres? | Quantitative (measured) |
| How many cups of juice will you drink? | Quantitative (counted) |
Tip
QUALitative = QUALity, "what kind?" QUANTitative = QUANTity, "how many? how much?" If the answer is a number you got by counting or measuring, it is quantitative.
Work each one in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
The names of pupils' favourite football teams. Qualitative or quantitative?
Answer: Qualitative. The answers are names.
The mass of each pupil's school bag in kilograms. Qualitative or quantitative?
Answer: Quantitative. The answers are measured numbers.
The number of books each pupil read last month. Qualitative or quantitative?
Answer: Quantitative. The answers are counted numbers.
How each pupil travels to school. Qualitative or quantitative?
Answer: Qualitative. The answers are words like walking or moto.
Write one question of your own that gives quantitative data.
Answer: Many answers are possible, for example: How many minutes do you take to walk to school?
What you learned today
Sources and credits
IM calls these numerical and categorical data; this lesson uses the words qualitative and quantitative. The stories, Rwandan examples, diagrams and practice questions were written by Ganzaa.
Quick check
The colour of each pupil's school bag. What kind of data is it?
