You already have a pile of raw survey answers from earlier in this unit. Right now they are still just ticks on a page or rows in a list. A journalist, a school council, or a local TD cannot use a pile of ticks. They need a frequency table, a fraction, and a clean percentage.
Today you turn your raw responses into those three things, and you file them as Collecting evidence for your MA2 case study.
Work this sample canteen survey with the class. Twenty LCA students answered: Should the school canteen offer a vegetarian main every day?
Raw counts: Yes 12, No 5, Not sure 3. Total = 20.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example from the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency table — options, counts, and a total in one grid | It is the bridge from raw ticks to any chart, percentage, or claim you will make later | Yes 12, No 5, Not sure 3, Total 20 |
| Proportion — frequency ÷ total, simplified | Fractions let you compare shares fairly and feed percentage work | Yes = 12/20 = 3/5 |
| Percentage — the same share out of 100 | This is the form news stories and council reports actually use | 3/5 × 100 = 60% Yes |
The bars below show the same three counts as a ratio of shares. Notice how the Yes bar takes three-fifths of the whole.
Core pathway for today: count → fraction → percentage, then check that frequencies sum to the sample size and percentages sum to about 100%.
First lock in the method on a worked sample, then complete one full frequency table together, then match the shares on the interactive.
Worked sample — "Should lunch be extended by 10 minutes?" Twenty responses: Yes 12, No 8.
Guided practice — fill every column with the class
Question: Should the school library stay open until 5 pm? Twenty responses: Agree 11, Disagree 4, Not sure 5.
| Option | Frequency | Fraction (simplified) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | |||
| Disagree | |||
| Not sure | |||
| Total | — |
Complete the blank cells together. Check: frequencies sum to 20; percentages sum to 100% (or 99–101% if rounding wiggles).
Now use the interactive. Each challenge gives real survey counts. Set the bars so the ratio matches those counts. Equivalent ratios count as correct (for example 12:8 and 3:2 are the same share).
Open the raw responses from your own Current Affairs survey. Complete full frequency tables for at least two survey questions using the four steps you just practised. Extra questions can go on the next step or in the next workshop.
Stretch (optional): If your survey has a grouping question (year group, travel method, or similar), you can build one cross-tab for your main question split by that group. Your teacher will first show a quick worked two-by-two on a separate longer-lunch sample so you can see the method. One clear grid is enough if you have time.
Use your own survey data. Complete full frequency tables for at least two questions. Extra questions and a cross-tab are optional if time allows.
Work through these in order:
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