QUANTITATIVE METHODS 1 - 2019/0

Module Overview

This foundation module is designed to introduce students to the statistical techniques necessary for implementing and critically evaluating social research. Emphasis will be put on when and how data is collected, how to use basic statistical techniques to analyse the data appropriately, and how to interpret results, rather than on theoretical derivations. A familiarity with the SPSS for Windows computer package is also acquired during practical work.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

BERLUSCONI Giulia (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The role of statistics in modern societies;


• Levels of measurement and types of variable;


• Estimators of central tendency and dispersion;


• Elementary probability;


• Common distributions;


• Sampling theory and practice;


• Statistical inference, estimation and hypothesis testing.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they have (a) understood the basic concepts used to describe the characteristics of population and survey data, and (b) know how to choose appropriate statistical techniques to test hypotheses and interpret the associated statistical outputs.

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

•  A one hour class test on descriptive statistics;


•  A one hour exam on hypothesis testing.

The formative assessment includes verbal feedback in class, when students will be asked to work on class exercises which apply the knowledge covered in lectures. Class exercises will be monitored and used to provide ongoing feedback on student progression.

Module aims

• Provide an introduction to the statistical techniques required to critically evaluate social research
• Give a clear understanding of when and how to use particular techniques, including hands on experience with the SPSS for Windows computer package
• Offer a conceptual and theoretical outline of inferential statistics including regression and chi-square

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to encourage students to understand the importance of using statistics in social research as a way of describing and explaining social life.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Twenty 1-hour lectures based around the theoretical and practical importance of statistics and how they are commonly applied to social scientific research;


• One 2-hour revision lecture;


• Ten 1-hour classes where students will familiarise themselves with the technical and practical issues using the SPSS for Windows computer package to analyse quantitative data.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC1027

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2019/0 academic year.