Year 9 Maths • AC9M9ST01 • Authored homework
Reading Survey Reports
Analyse reports of surveys in digital media and other sources by checking sample size, sampling method, question wording, graphs, percentages and claims. Explain whether the reported conclusion is reasonable. Show working, use correct statistical language, and justify conclusions.
Part A
Short-answer questions
What is the population in a survey context?
What is a sample?
Why does sample size matter when reading a survey report?
Give one example of a biased survey question.
What information should a reliable survey report include?
A headline says “90% agree” but only 10 people were surveyed. What concern should you raise?
Why should survey percentages be checked against the number of people surveyed?
Explain why the wording of a question can affect the results.
Name one way a graph in a survey report could be misleading.
Correct this misconception: “A survey result is reliable just because it uses a percentage.”
Part B
Long-answer questions
A survey report says 72% of students prefer online homework. Explain what extra information you need before trusting the claim.
Compare two survey methods: asking only friends versus randomly sampling students across a school. Which is more reliable and why?
A media article reports that “most teenagers want longer school days”. The survey was completed by 35 students from one after-school club. Evaluate the claim.
Create a checklist for analysing a survey report. Include sample, population, question wording, graph choice and conclusion.
A survey asks: “Do you agree that the excellent new park should be kept open longer?” Explain why the question is biased and rewrite it neutrally.
A report uses a bar graph with a cut y-axis to make a small difference look large. Explain the issue and how to fix the graph.
Given a survey of 250 people where 145 support a proposal, calculate the percentage and write a cautious conclusion.
Explain how non-response can affect survey results using a realistic example.
Write a short critique of a survey claim that does not identify who was surveyed or how the sample was chosen.
Design a fair survey to investigate a school issue, including the population, sampling method, question wording and how results will be reported.
Part C
Research and understanding task
Find a real survey report or media poll. Record the headline claim, sample size, population, sampling method if stated, graph or percentage used, and one reason the claim is strong or weak.