Colegio De Dagupan

Institute of Graduate Studies

Arellano St., Dagupan City

Master in Education
Major in English Language Teaching

Course Title: (Med 001) Educational Statistics

Topic: Hypothesis Testing (Testing the Null Hypothesis)

Reference: Hypothesis Testing By CHRISTINA MAJASKI

Introduction:

Statistics plays a vital role in the teaching profession because it helps a teacher
know when teaching has effectively been done. They can use them to determine if the
class understands the material or if they need to cover more of it through administration
assignments/homework, tests and examinations.

It is very essential to the teachers for several reasons, and not just for the
obvious one of checking on students and their progress in school. Some of these
reasons could include: ensuring the quality of education is being kept high; monitor
student’s progress; monitor the teacher’s progress or success; and check the
effectiveness of a subject.

Since statistics is very important, this paper will further discuss about Hypothesis
testing specifically Testing the Null Hypothesis.

Body:

What Is Hypothesis Testing?

Hypothesis testing is an act in statistics whereby an analyst tests an assumption
regarding a population parameter. The methodology employed by the analyst depends
on the nature of the data used and the reason for the analysis.

Hypothesis testing is used to assess the plausibility of a hypothesis by using

sample data. Such data may come from a larger population, or from a data-generating
process. The word "population" will be used for both of these cases in the following
descriptions.

How Hypothesis Testing Works

In hypothesis testing, an analyst tests a statistical sample, with the goal of
providing evidence on the plausibility of the null hypothesis.

Statistical analysts test a hypothesis by measuring and examining a random

sample of the population being analyzed. All analysts use a random population sample
to test two different hypotheses: the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.

The null hypothesis is usually a hypothesis of equality between population parameters;

e.g., a null hypothesis may state that the population mean return is equal to zero. The
alternative hypothesis is effectively the opposite of a null hypothesis; e.g., the
population mean return is not equal to zero. Thus, they are mutually exclusive, and only
one can be true. However, one of the two hypotheses will always be true.

Four Steps of Hypothesis Testing

All hypotheses are tested using a four-step process:
 1. The first step is for the analyst to state the two hypotheses so that only one can
be right.
2. The next step is to formulate an analysis plan, which outlines how the data will be
evaluated.
3. The third step is to carry out the plan and physically analyze the sample data.
4. The fourth and final step is to analyze the results and either reject the null
hypothesis, or state that the null hypothesis is plausible, given the data.

What is the Null Hypothesis?

If you trace back the history of science, the null hypothesis is always the
accepted fact. Simple examples of null hypotheses that are generally accepted as being
true are:

1. DNA is shaped like a double helix.

2. There are 8 planets in the solar system (excluding Pluto).

How do I State the Null Hypothesis?

You won’t be required to actually perform a real experiment or survey in
elementary statistics (or even disprove a fact like “Pluto is a planet”!), so you’ll be given
word problems from real-life situations. You’ll need to figure out what your hypothesis is
from the problem. This can be a little trickier than just figuring out what the accepted fact
is. With word problems, you are looking to find a fact that is nullifiable (i.e. something
you can reject).

Hypothesis Testing Examples #1: Basic Example

A researcher thinks that if knee surgery patients go to physial therapy twice a

week(instead of 3 times), their recovery period will be longer. Average recovery times
for knee surgery patients is 8.2 weeks.

The hypothesis statement in this question is that the researcher believes the
average recovery time is more than 8.2 weeks. It can be written in mathematical terms
as:
H1: μ > 8.2
Next, you’ll need to state the null hypothesis (See: How to state the null
hypothesis). That’s what will happen if the researcher is wrong. In the above example, if
the researcher is wrong then the recovery time is less than or equal to 8.2 weeks. In
math, that’s:
H0 μ ≤ 8.2

Rejecting the null hypothesis

Ten or so years ago, we believed that there were 9 planets in the solar system.
Pluto was demoted as a planet in 2006. The null hypothesis of “Pluto is a planet” was
replaced by “Pluto is not a planet.” Of course, rejecting the null hypothesis isn’t always
that easy — the hard part is usually figuring out what your null hypothesis is in the first
place.

Conclusion:

Statistics is playing an ever more important role in the day-to-day work in the
teaching profession, and is being used in public debate on education issues such as
pupil performance and competences.  Raising statistical literacy in the teaching
profession will address problems of interpretation and usage.

One does not need to be a statistician to use statistics in the teaching profession.
 This should be part of the skills required in the training of teachers. Of course
some of the uses are just unknowingly practiced. It is time to promote statistical literacy
and understanding among all teachers in our country.