CARIBBEAN ADVANCE PROFIECENCY

EXAMINATION
INTEGRATED MATHEMATICS
Internal Assessment

Name of student: Natasha Loncke

Name of school: the bishops’ high
Candidate number:
Center number: 090007
Territory: Guyana
Date of submission: April 8th, 2016
 CONTENT

PAGE
Acknowledgement

Title………………………………………………………………………………………1

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………..2-3

Methodology……………………………………………………………………………...4-7

Data Management…………………………………………………………………………8

Organization of data……………………………………………………………………...9-10

Presentation of data………………………………………………………………………11-16

Analysis of findings………………………………………………………………………17-20

Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………..21

Appendix
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The completion of this Internal Assessment would not have been possible without the
help of the Almighty God, who gave me the strength and health to complete the
assignment. Also my family and friends played a major role in assisting me in obtaining
the necessary research data for the project. And last but not least my Integrated
Mathematics Teachers Sir Collins and Sir Nathan who guided me every step of the way. I
am extremely thankful.
 TITLE
 To examine the impact single parenthood has on students’ performance as compared to
those living with both parents’ in the southern half of Paradise.
 INTRODUCTION
Single parenthood is defined as one or more children dependent on one parent whereas dual
parenting is defined as one or more children dependent on both parents.

Statistics have shown that single parents are more susceptible to financial hardship than
families with two parents contributing an income. As a result, children who came from homes
with both parents are exposed to a better lifestyle and education compared to those from single
parent families. However, the academic performance of these children tells a different story.

The researcher chose this topic because a family member was once faced with the same
situation and journey of single parenthood poses many questions and concerns. Exploring the
difference between single-parent and dual-parent households can arm you with helpful
information to establish a successful home life and a positive relationship with your child,
regardless of whether you are parenting independently or with a partner.

The researcher chose a more quantitative approach for this research. A survey will be used
because it is relatively easy to administer and it can be developed in less time.
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this research the researcher hopes to achieve the following objectives:
 To examine students’ performance from both single and dual parent families.

 To assess whether students’ academic performance is affected by the family type.

 To determine whether the academic performance of males coming from single parent
homes differs from those of the females coming from single parent homes.

The researcher chose a more quantitative approach to this research. This research was
conducted in Paradise and the researcher used questionnaires to obtain information.
 METHODOLOGY
The researcher will be using quantitative measures to collect information for this research. A
survey will be used because it is relatively easy to administer, it can be developed in less time
and it is also a non-experimental method. The researcher will be using questionnaires to gather
data for this research. Questionnaires will be used because:

 Large amount of data can be processed and analysed.

 Validity and reliability can be measured.

However, there are limitations:

 A questionnaire has a very low reply rate.

 Persons might be bias towards completing the questionnaire.

 It might be difficult for persons to understand the questions at time.

The researcher conducted a research on the topic ‘the impact single parenthood has on
students’ performance compared to those living with both parents’ in the southern half of
Paradise. Paradise is a village that is located on the East Coast of Demerara. In Paradise there are
approximately four thousand (4000) residents in approximately 680 families. Approximately
75% of the families are single parent families. The researcher chose a sample consisting of fifty
(50) members. 38 of the members were from single parent homes, while 12 members were from
dual parent homes.

Because of the layout of the village, stratified random sampling was used. The area was divided
into three blocks (streets). Samples were taken from each street depending on its proportion of
the population.

The researcher chose to use questionnaires instead of an interview because the interview is
time consuming and persons might not be available.
 CORRESPONDENCE LETTER

Lot 192 18 Street Paradise Village

East - Coast -Demerara
February 16th, 2016

Dear Respondents,
The researcher a sixth form student of The Bishops’ High will be conducting a
research on the impact single parenthood has on students’ academic performance compared to
those living with both parents. This questionnaire is a component of an Internal Assessment
pertaining to the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination (C.A.P.E) to be held in May June
2016
Thank you in advance for your time and kind cooperation.

Yours sincerely
…………………..
Natasha Loncke
 Questionnaire
1. Gender

Male  Female 

2. Age

11-12  13-14 

15-16  17-18 

3. Ethnicity

African  East Indian  Mixed Decent 

4. Which family type do you belong to?

Single Parent  Dual Parent 

5. How does the family type chosen affect your academic performance?

Positively  Negatively 

6. Which is the main way in which the family type chosen affects your academic
performance?

Absence from school  Financial Problem 

Low grades  Lack of knowledge 

7. What is your overall percentage per term?

__________________________________
8. How often do you skip school per term?

At least 5 times  6-10 times  21 times and more 

11=15 times  16- 20 times  Never

9. Do you think being in a single parent family affects your academic performance?

Yes  No 
10. Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 DATA MANAGEMENT
On January 11th, 2016 the researcher distributed fifty-five (55) questionnaires to the
residents selected through the process of simple random sampling and they were given five (5)
days to complete the questionnaire. On the fifth day the researcher collected fifty-two (52) of the
questionnaires that were distributed. The data collected was recorded and is presented below.

Table 1

Scores of Respondents

Single Parent Dual Parent

M F M F
59 60 73 92
58 59 67 85
54 57 65 81
54 57 57 73
54 56 43 72
53 55 69
52 54 62
51 52
49 51
49 51
48 50
45 50
45 49
42 46
42 39
41
40
40
38
33
32
29
17

After processing and analyzing the information given the researcher then began to make
entries with the use of a laptop whereby graphs and tables were used. The information was then
stored on a flash drive for clarity on the research.
 Organization of data
After collecting the data, the researcher decided to organize it in a frequency table.
For a better comparison of the grades, both sets were separated into class widths of 4. Hence, the
sample statistics will be calculated from the grouped data.
Table 1
Scores for Students of Single Parent Homes

Scores Frequency (𝑓) Class Midpoint (𝑥) 𝑓×𝑥 𝑥−ẍ (𝑥 − ẍ)2

25 - 29 2 27 54 -21.5 462.25
30 - 34 2 32 64 -16.5 272.25
35 - 39 2 37 74 -11.5 132.25
40 - 44 5 42 210 -6.5 42.25
45 - 49 7 47 329 -1.5 2.25
50 - 54 12 52 624 3.5 12.25
55 -59 7 57 399 8.5 72.25
60 - 64 1 62 62 13.5 182.25
Total 38 1816 1178

Table 2
Scores for Male Students of Single Parent Homes
Scores Frequency (f) Class Midpoint (x) f*x x-ẍ (x - ẍ)^2
25 - 29 2 27 54 -17.6 309.76
30 - 34 2 32 64 -12.6 158.76
35 - 39 1 37 37 -7.6 57.76
40 - 44 5 42 210 -2.6 6.76
45 - 49 5 47 235 2.4 5.76
50 - 54 6 52 312 7.4 54.76
55 -59 2 57 114 12.4 153.76
Total 23 1026 747.32
Table 3
Scores for Female Students of Single Parent Homes
Scores Frequency (f) Class Midpoint (x) f*x x-ẍ (x - ẍ)^2
35 – 39 1 37 37 -15.6 243.36
40 – 44 0 42 0 -10.6 112.36
45 – 49 2 47 94 -5.6 31.36
50 – 54 6 52 312 -0.6 0.36
55 -59 5 57 285 4.4 19.36
60 – 64 1 62 62 9.4 88.36
Total 15 790 495.16

Table 4
Scores for Students of Dual Parent Homes
Scores Frequency Class Midpoint f*x x-ẍ (x - ẍ)^2
(f) (x)
40 – 44 1 42 42 -28 784
45 – 49 0 47 0 -23 529
50 – 54 0 52 0 -18 324
55 – 59 1 57 57 -13 169
60 – 64 1 62 62 -8 64
65 – 69 3 67 201 -3 9
70 -74 3 72 216 2 4
75 – 79 0 77 0 7 49
80 -84 1 82 82 12 144
85 -89 1 87 87 17 289
90 – 94 1 92 92 22 484
Total 12 839 2849
 Presentation of findings
The data is presented and analyzed in order to address the various objectives.
The first objective of the research is to examine the results of students from both groups.

FAMILY TYPE PERFORMANCE TALLY FREQUENCY

Single Parent Family Between 40% to 70 % 1111 1111 1111 1111 38
per term
1111 1111 1111 111
Dual Parent 40% - 85% per term 1111 1111 11 12

The second objective was to determine whether family type affects students’ performance. In order to
assess this objective, it is imperative that we first show a comparison between the two groups. In order to
facilitate this, the bar graph will be used.

Bar graph showing the scores of students from

both single and dual parent homes
12

10

0
25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-94

Single parent family Dual parent family

 The third objective is to determine whether the academic performance of males coming from
single parent homes differs from females coming from single parent homes. In order to facilitate
this, a stem and leaf, histogram and box and whisker plot will be used.

Males stem and leaf

.Stem Leaf

5 12344489

4 001225589

3 238

2 9

1 7

Key: 5 1 represents 51 marks

Females stem and leaf

Stem Leaf

6 0

5 00112456779

4 69

3 9

Key: 6 0 represents 60 marks

 Histogram showing the academic performance of
both males and females from single parent
families
6 6
6

5 5 5
5

2 2 2 2
2

1 1 1
1

0
0
25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64

Females Males
 Terms and values of the Females Performance

NAME FORMULA VALUE

Upper Hinge 75th Percentile 56

Lower Hinge 25th Percentile 49

H-spread Upper Hinge - Lower Hinge 7

Step 1.5 * H-spread 10.5

Upper-inner Fence Upper Hinge + 1 step 66.5

Lower-inner Fence Lower Hinge – 1 step 38.5

Upper-outer Fence Upper Hinge +2 step 77

Inner-outer Fence Upper Hinge – 2 step 35

Upper Adjacent Largest value below upper 60

inner fence

Smallest value above lower

Lower Adjacent inner fence 46

Outside Value A value beyond an inner fence -

but not beyond an outer fence

Far out value A value beyond an outer fence -

 Terms and value for the Males Performance

Name Formula Value

Upper Hinge 75th Percentile 52

Lower Hinge 25th Percentile 40

H-spread Upper Hinge – Lower Hinge 12

Step 1.5 *H-spread 18

Upper Inner Fence Upper Hinge + 1 step 53.5

Lower Inner Fence Lower Hinge – 1 step 38.5

Upper Outer Fence Upper Hinge + 2 step 55

Lower Outer Fence Lower Hinge- 2 step 37

Upper Adjacent Largest value below upper 51

inner fence

Smallest value above lower

Lower Adjacent inner fence 40

Outside Value A value beyond an inner fence -

but not beyond an outer fence

Far Out Value A value beyond an outer fence -

 80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Female Males

The box and whisker plot above, or box plot illustrates the dispersion, or spread of the
distribution. It is showing the spread of the males’ academic performance to that of the females
from single parent families.
 ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
Measures of central tendency provide a convenient way of describing a set of data with a single
number. The number resulting from a measure of central tendency represents the average or
typical score attained by a group of subjects.

The mean is chosen as the measure of central tendency because it takes into account all scores.
As a result, the average gained will not be greatly affected by any outliers. The standard
deviation was used as the measure of dispersion because, like the mean, it is calculated using all
scores. However, the standard deviation will give us a general idea of the performance of the
scores around the mean.

The mean for the students from the single parent homes is:
∑ 𝑓𝑥 1816
Mean = ∑𝑓
= =47.8
38

And, the standard deviation

∑(𝑥−𝒙)2 1178
Standard Deviation = √ =√ = 5.57
𝑛 38

Hence, the mean and standard deviation for the students from the single parent homes,
respectively, are 47.8 and 5.57.

For the students from the dual parent home

∑ 𝑓𝑥 839
Mean = ∑𝑓
= = 69.9
12

And, the standard deviation

∑(𝑥−𝒙)2 2842
Standard Deviation = √ =√ = 15.4
𝑛 12

Hence, the mean and standard deviation for the students from the dual parent homes,
respectively, are 69.9 and 15.4.

As implied by the statistics, we can conclude that the performance of the students from dual
parent homes supersedes that of the students from single parent homes. As a matter of fact, the
students from the dual parent home scored a mean of 69.9 and a standard deviation of 15.4. This
is evident of a large variation in the performance of the students. While, the students from the
single parent homes, with a mean of 48.8 and a standard deviation of 5.57, gained scores that are
closer to the mean. Furthermore, for the students from single parent homes, 11 males and 13
females gained scores above the mean. This represents approximately 48 percent of the males
and 87 percent of the females, and an overall total of 63%. For the students from dual parent
homes, 1 male and 5 females scored above the mean. This represents an overall 50 percent of
students scoring above the average.

On the other hand, students who live in single parent families are more likely to face challenges
than those who live in dual parent families and this may result in them preforming poorly in
school. One of the challenges that these students face is emotional problem, and as a result these
students are not able to focus well on their work and some pay no interest to their work. From the
data collected it is quite evident that students from dual parent families perform better than those
from single parent families. In addition, females from single parent families perform better than
the males coming from single parent families.

Statisticians often talk about the position of a value, relative to other values in a set of
observations. The most common measures of position are percentiles, quartiles, and standard
scores (aka, z-scores). The researcher used this method to plot a box and whisker plot which
illustrates the spread of the distribution. Before constructing the box and whisker plot the
researcher needed to find the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles in the distribution of scores from
both males and females. From the data collected, for the males, the 75th percentile is 52, the 25th
percentile is 40 and the 50th percentile is 45. For the females, the 75th percentile is 56, the 50th
percentile is 52 and the 25th percentile is 49. After plotting the box and whisker plot the
researcher found that the males coming from single parent families had a wider spread than
females coming from single parent families which implies that the females performed better than
the males.
 Recommendation

 It is recommended that the government open more business ventures as a way of

providing employment to single parent families so that they can provide for their
children. This will help them to buy clothing, provide transportation for school and also
buy the necessary text books that they will need to help them in weak subject areas which
will help boost them in their academics and also their performance. Hence, this could
lead to students from single parent families to gain a higher percentage.

 It is also recommended that the school be provided with text books so that students can
gain access to these books whenever an assignment or homework is given. They will be
at an advantage because there will be no need to browse the internet which can
sometimes be time consuming or of no help.

 The government should deliver laptops to families who can’t afford one especially to
those who have children in either form 3, 4, 5, or 6 because in these classes a lot of
assignments, class projects and research is given. Instead of going to the internet café and
spending a lot of hours and money doing research or typing an assignment you can
simply be at home where more time will be given hence with the use of this laptop it will
save both time and money.
 CONCLUSION
After conducting the research on the topic “the impact single parenthood has on students’
performance as compared to those living with both parents” the researcher can proudly say
 Bibliography

A Concise Course in Advance Level Statistics Fourth Edition (2001)

First publish in 1984 by Stanley Thomas (publisher) Ltd

Reprinted in 2002 by Nelson Thomas Ltd

Pages 4 and 94
 QUESTIONNAIRE

1 Gender

Male Female

2. Age

11-12 13-14

15-16 17-18

3. Ethnicity

African East Indian Mixed Decent

4. Which family type do you belong to?

Single Parent Dual Parent

5. How does the family type chosen affect your academic performance?

Positively Negatively

6. Which is the main way in which the family type chosen affects your academic performance?

Absence from school Financial Problem

Low grades Lack of knowledge

7. What is your overall percentage per term?

__________________________________

8. How often do you skip school per term?

At least 5 times 6-10 times 21 times and more

11=15 times 16- 20 times Never

9. Do you think being in a single parent family affects your academic performance?

Yes No
11. Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________