Qualitative vs Quantitative Data
The difference between quantitative data (numbers) and qualitative data (descriptions and opinions) in sport, and how a coach collects each type using surveys, interviews, observations and fitness tests.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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What a coach measures
A coach who wants a team to improve needs information. Some of it is numbers, such as a sprint time or a heart rate, and some of it is descriptions, such as how confident a player felt or how their technique looked. Sorting information into these two types, and knowing how each is collected, is the start of using data well.
Data words to know
Learn these before you sort the examples.
Numbers against descriptions
The two types of data answer different kinds of question.
Sort by type, then by method
In the exam, first decide whether a piece of data is a number or a description. A number is one type and a description is the other. Then say how it was gathered, such as by asking many people or by watching a performer play. Match the type to the method and give a clear sporting example.
Match the method to what it does
- questionnaire
- interview
- observation
- fitness test
- gathers answers from many people quickly
- gathers detailed personal views
- watches and records what happens
- produces a measured score
Match the example to its source
- a beep-test score
- how confident a player felt
- the number of passes completed
- a note on running style
- from a fitness test
- from an interview
- from counting during a match
- from an observation
Which is quantitative?
Which of these is an example of quantitative data?
- A sprinter records a time of twelve seconds.
- A player says the match felt tiring.
- A coach writes that the passing looked sloppy.
- A learner says they enjoyed the session.
Spot the qualitative data
Select the TWO examples of qualitative data.
- A player describes feeling nervous before kick-off.
- A coach notes that the technique looked rushed.
- A heart-rate monitor reads 150 beats.
- A team scores three goals.
Count the number data
A coach gathers 5 pieces of data. 2 of them are written descriptions and the rest are numbers. Subtract to find how many pieces are quantitative. What is the answer?
Order the data process
Put the steps of using data in order, earliest first.
- Decide what to find out
- Collect the data
- Sort it into type
- Use it to plan improvement
Complete the summary
Data made of numbers is called _____ data, and it is often collected using a _____. Data made of words and opinions is called _____ data, and it is often collected in an _____.
Spot the number data
Tap the TWO pieces of quantitative data.
- a sprint time of ten seconds
- a count of twenty press-ups
- a player saying they felt slow
- a note that the shot looked weak
Sort the data
Read each piece of data and choose the best label.
- A stopwatch records a swimmer finishing in 30 seconds. What type of data is this?
- A coach interviews a player, who says they feel more confident this season. What type of data is this?
- A survey shows that 40 members prefer training in the morning. What type of data is this?
Explain the two types
Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data in sport, using clear PE examples of each.
- Define quantitative data and give one sporting example
- Define qualitative data and give one sporting example
- Name one way each type of data is collected