Teaching and learning resources
Q-Step Sheffield provides outreach and learning resources to schools, in order to demonstrate to GCSE and A Level students the importance of numerical skills and statistics for understanding the world around them.
Essay competition
The University of Sheffield Q-Step centre proudly hosted a GCSE essay competition in 2021. Our essay competition was open to Year 10,11 and 12 students from schools and colleges anywhere in the Yorkshire and Humber area.
Students were asked to address the following question: How do statistics affect our everyday lives?
The competition had three aims. To:
- widen interest in quantitative research methods (statistics) among students who would not otherwise be exposed to the subject;
- encourage ambitious and talented secondary school students considering applying to university to study quantitative research methods.
- recognise the achievements of both high-calibre students and of those who teach them.
Congratulations to our winning entrant, Alice Crosby from Manor CE Academy (PDF, 54KB).
Politics, Statistics and Me
This series of activities uses statistical concepts to explore political issues, both past and present, in order to help students develop their vital critical thinking and analytical skills.
In six thematic chapters, this course covers key statistical concepts such as:
- Descriptive statistics
- Visualising data in graphs, charts and maps
- Learning how surveys are conducted
- Exploring the problem of bias
To help facilitate teaching, we have also created an accompanying PowerPoint presentation for each chapter.