STATISTICS AND

PROBABILITY
Lesson 1: Introducing Statistics
1. How old is 1. How old are
your teacher? the people
residing in our
town?
 2. Is the vehicle of
the Mayor of our 2. Do dogs eat
municipality bigger
than the vehicle
more than
used by the President cats?
of the Philippines?
3. How many 3. Does it rain
days are there more in our
in December? country than
in Thailand?
 4. Does the 4. Do math
Principal of the teachers earn
school has a more than
post graduate science
degree? teachers?
5. How much 5. How many
does the books do my
Barangay classmates
Captain receive usually bring to
as allowance? school?
6. What is the 6. What is the
proportion of
weight of my Filipino children
aged 0 to 5 years who
smallest are underweight or
classmate? overweight for their
age?

The first group of questions
could be answered by a piece
of information which is
considered always true. There is
a correct answer which is based
on a fact and you don’t need
the process of inquiry to
answer such kind of question.
For example, there is one and
only one correct answer to the
first question in Group 1 and
that is your age as of your last
birthday or the number of
years since your birth year.
On the other hand, in the second group of questions one
needs observations or data to be able to respond to the
question. In some questions you need to get the observations
or responses of all those concerned to be able to answer the
question. On the first question in the second group, you need
to ask all the people in the locality about their age and among
the values you obtained you get a representative value. To
answer the second question in the second group, you need to
get the amount of food that all dogs and cats eat to respond
to the question. However, we know that is not feasible to do
so. Thus what you can do is get a representative group of
dogs and another representative group for the cats. Then we
measure the amount of food each group of animal eats.
From these two sets of values, we could then infer whether
dogs do eat more than cats.
•
So as you can see in the second group of questions you
need more information or data to be able to answer the
question. Either you need to get observations from all
those concerned or you get representative groups from
which you gather your data. But in both cases, you need
data to be able to respond to the question. Using data to
find an answer or a solution to a problem or an inquiry is
actually using the statistical process or doing it with
statistics.
 Main Lesson

1. Statistics as a Tool in Decision-Making

Statistics is defined as a science that studies data to be able to make a

decision. Hence, it is a tool in decision-making process. Statistics as a
science involves the methods of collecting, processing, summarizing
and analyzing data in order to provide answers or solutions to an
inquiry. One also needs to interpret and communicate the results of the
methods identified above to support a decision that one makes when
faced with a problem or an inquiry.
Trivia: The word “statistics” actually comes from the word “state”—
because governments have been involved in the statistical activities,
especially the conduct of censuses either for military or taxation
purposes. The need for and conduct of censuses are recorded in the
pages of holy texts. In the Christian Bible, particularly the Book of
Numbers, God is reported to have instructed Moses to carry out a
census. Another census mentioned in the Bible is the census ordered by
Caesar Augustus throughout the entire Roman Empire before the birth
of Christ.
Statistics enable us to
• characterize persons, objects, situations, and
phenomena;
• explain relationships among variables;
• formulate objective assessments and comparisons;
and, more importantly
• make evidence-based decisions and predictions.
2. Statistical Process in Solving a Problem

After the data were gathered, we must verify the quality of the data to
make a good decision. Data quality check could be done as we process
the data to summarize the information extracted from the data. Then
using this information, one can then make a decision or provide
answers to the problem or question at hand.
To summarize, a statistical process in making a decision or
providing solutions to a problem include the following:
• Planning or designing the collection of data to answer statistical
questions in a way that maximizes information content and minimizes
bias;
• Collecting the data as required in the plan;
• Verifying the quality of the data after they were collected;
• Summarizing the information extracted from the data; and
• Examining the summary statistics so that insight and meaningful
information can be produced to support decision-making or solutions
to the question or problem at hand.
Hence, several activities make up a statistical process which for some
the process is simple but for others it might be a little bit complicated
to implement. Also, not all questions or problems could be answered
by a simple statistical process. There are indeed problems that need
complex statistical process. However, one can be assured that logical
decisions or solutions could be formulated using a statistical process.
 KEY POINTS

• Difference between questions that could be and those

that could not answered using Statistics.
• Statistics is a science that studies data.
• There are many uses of Statistics but its main use is in
decision-making.
• Logical decisions or solutions to a problem could be
attained through a statistical process.
 ASSESSMENT
Identify the following questions WHETHER IT IS:

A. Answerable through a statistical process

B. Not answerable through a statistical process

1. What is a typical size of
a Filipino family?
2. How many hours in a
day?
3. How old is the oldest
man residing in the
Philippines?
4. Is planet Mars bigger
than planet Earth?
5. What is the average
wage rate in the country?
6. Would Filipinos prefer
eating bananas rather
than apple?
7. How long did you sleep
last night?
8. How much a newly-hired
public school teacher in
NCR earns in a month?
9. How tall is a typical
Filipino?
10. Did you eat your
breakfast today?
1. What is a typical size of a Filipino family? (answerable through a statistical process)
2. How many hours in a day? (not answerable through a statistical process)
3. How old is the oldest man residing in the Philippines? (answerable through a statistical
process)
4. Is planet Mars bigger than planet Earth? (not answerable through a statistical
process)
5. What is the average wage rate in the country? (answerable through a statistical
process)
6. Would Filipinos prefer eating bananas rather than apple? (answerable through a
statistical process)
7. How long did you sleep last night? (not answerable through a statistical process)
8. How much a newly-hired public school teacher in NCR earns in a month? (not
answerable through a statistical process)
9. How tall is a typical Filipino? (answerable through a statistical process)
10. Did you eat your breakfast today? (not answerable through a statistical process)
What is a typical size of a Filipino family? (The
process includes getting a representative group of
Filipino families and ask the family head as to how
many members do they have in their family. From
the gathered data which had undergone a quality
check a typical value of the number of family
members could be obtained. Such typical value
represents a possible answer to the question.)
 How old is the oldest man residing in the
Philippines? (The process includes getting
the ages of all residents of the country. From
the gathered data which had undergone a
quality check the highest value of age could
be obtained. Such value is the answer to the
question.)
What is the average wage rate in the country?
(The process includes getting all prevailing wage
rates in the country. From the gathered data which
had undergone a quality check a typical value of the
wage rate could be obtained. Such value is the
answer to the question.)
Would Filipinos prefer eating bananas rather than
apple? (The process includes getting a representative
group of Filipinos and ask each one of them on what
fruit he/she prefers, banana or apple? From the
gathered data which had undergone a quality check the
proportion of those who prefers banana and
proportion of those who prefer apple will be computed
and compared. The results of this comparison could
provide a possible answer to the question.)
 How tall is a typical Filipino? (The process
includes getting a representative group of Filipinos
and measure the height of each member of the
representative group. From the gathered data which
had undergone a quality check a typical value of the
height of a Filipino could be obtained. Such typical
value represents a possible answer to the question.)
Lesson 2: Data Collection Activity
Performing a Data Collection Activity
. The following are suggested clarifications to make for
each item:
1. CLASS STUDENT NUMBER: This is the number
that provided confidentially to the student at the
start of the class.
2. SEX: This is the student’s biological sex and not
their preferred gender. Hence, they have to choose
only one of the two choices by placing a check mark
(√) at space provided before the choices.
3. NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: This is the number of brothers
and sisters that the student has in their nuclear or immediate
family. This number excludes him or her in the count. Thus, if the
student is the only child in the family then he/she will report zero
as his/her number of siblings.

4. WEIGHT (in kilograms): This refers to the student’s weight

based on the student’s knowledge. Note that the weight has to be
reported in kilograms. In case the student knows his/her weight in
pounds, the value should be converted to kilograms by dividing
the weight in pounds by a conversion factor of 2.2 pounds per
kilogram.
5. HEIGHT (in centimeters): This refers to the student’s height
based on the student’s knowledge. Note that the height has to be
reported in centimeters. In case the student knows his/her height in
inches, the value should be converted to centimeters by multiplying
the height in inches by a conversion factor of 2.54 centimeters per
inch.

6. AGE OF MOTHER (as of her last birthday in years): This

refers to the age of the student’s mother in years as of her last
birthday, thus this number should be reported in whole number. In
case, the student’s mother is dead or nowhere to be found, ask the
student to provide the age as if the mother is alive or around.
7. USUAL DAILY ALLOWANCE IN SCHOOL (in pesos): This
refers to the usual amount in pesos that the student is provided for
when he/she goes to school in a weekday. Note that the student
can give zero as response for this item, in case he/she has no
monetary allowance per day.

8. USUAL DAILY FOOD EXPENDITURE IN SCHOOL (in

pesos): This refers to the usual amount in pesos that the student
spends for food including drinks in school per day. Note that the
student can give zero as response for this item, in case he/she does
not spend for food in school.
9. USUAL NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES SENT IN A DAY:
This refers to the usual number of text messages that a student
send in a day. Note that the student can give zero as response for
this item, in case he/she does not have the gadget to use to send a
text message or simply he/she does not send text messages.

10. MOST PREFERRED COLOR: The student is to choose a

color that could be considered his most preferred among the given
choices. Note that the student could only choose one. Hence, they
have to place a check mark (√) at space provided before the color
he/she considers as his/her most preferred color among those
given.
11. USUAL SLEEPING TIME: This refers to the usual sleeping
time at night during a typical weekday or school day. Note that the
time is to be reported using the military way of reporting the time
or the 24-hour clock (0:00 to 23:59 are the possible values to use)

12. HAPPINESS INDEX FOR THE DAY : The student has to

response on how he/she feels at that time using codes from 1 to
10. Code 1 refers to the feeling that the student is very unhappy
while Code 10 refers to a feeling that the student is very happy on
the day when the data are being collected.
 Contextualization
of Data

what comes to your

minds when you
hear the term
“data”?
 Are these collection of numbers, figures, symbols,
and words, could be consider as data?

3, red, F, 156, 4, 65, 50, 25, 1, M, 9, 40, 68, blue, 78, 168,
69, 3, F, 6, 9, 45, 50, 20, 200, white, 2, pink, 160, 5, 60, 100,
15, 9, 8, 41, 65, black, 68, 165, 59, 7, 6, 35, 45,
 Although the collection is composed of
numbers and symbols that could be
classified as numeric or non-numeric, the
collection has no meaning or it is not
contextualized, hence it cannot be referred
to as data.
 Data are facts and figures that
are presented, collected and
analyzed. Data are either numeric
or non-numeric and must be
contextualized.
To contextualize data, we must identify its six W’s or to put meaning
on the data, we must know the following W’s of the data:
1. Who? Who provided the data?
2. What? What are the information from the respondents
and What is the unit of measurement used for each of the
information (if there are any)?
3. When? When was the data collected?
4. Where? Where was the data collected?
5. Why? Why was the data collected?
6. HoW? HoW was the data collected?
1. Who? Who provided the data?

• The students in this class

provided the data.
 2. What? What are the information from the respondents and What is
the unit of measurement used for each of the information (if there are
any)?
• The information gathered include Class Student Number, Sex, Number of
Siblings, Weight, Height, Age of Mother, Usual Daily Allowance in School,
Usual Daily Food Expenditure in School, Usual Number of Text Messages
Sent in a Day, Most Preferred Color, Usual Sleeping Time and Happiness
Index for the Day.
• The units of measurement for the information on Number of Siblings,
Weight, Height, Age of Mother, Usual Daily Allowance in School, Usual
Daily Food Expenditure in School, and Usual Number of Text Messages
Sent in a Day are person, kilogram, centimeter, year, pesos, pesos and
message, respectively.
 3. When? When was the data
collected?

• The data was collected on the first

few days of classes for Statistics and
Probability.
 4. Where? Where was the data
collected?

• The data was collected inside our

classroom.
 5. Why? Why was the data
collected?

• As explained earlier, the data will

be used in our future lessons in
Statistics and Probability
 6. HoW? HoW was the data
collected?

• The students provided the data by

responding to the Student Information
Sheet prepared and distributed by the
teacher for the data collection activity.
 Once the data are contextualized,
there is now meaning to the collection
of number and symbols which may
now look like the following which is
just a small part of the data collected
in the earlier activity.
 KEY POINTS
• Providing correct information in a government data
collection activity is a responsibility of every citizen in the
country.
• Data confidentiality is important in a data collection
activity.
• Census is collecting data from all possible respondents.
• Data to be collected must be clarified before the actual data
collection.
• Data must be contextualized by answering six W-questions.
Lesson 3: Basic Terms in Statistics