Question 1
Steps of hypothesis testing
Here, the researcher identifies his population of interest, value of the parameter which in this case is hypothesized and the parameter of the variable he intends to investigate. This variable can be categorical, continuous or discrete. The variable will define which statistical test will be suitable on the collected data set.
- Specify alternative and null hypotheses.
Here, the researcher states his research question in terms of alternative hypotheses or null hypotheses. Null hypotheses is a positive while alternative hypotheses is negative.
It also involves selecting a significance level and evaluate the assumptions which are necessary for this statistical test have been fully met. In case the assumptions are not met then the researcher ought to re-evaluate data collection.
- Calculating of test statistic.
Here, the researcher calculates the static analogous of the parameter which he specified in his null hypotheses. If for instance the null hypotheses is defined by m, statistics calculated in his data set will be the mean i.e. (xbar) and standard deviation(s). Therefore a histogram will show how the researcher expects his distribute on to appear.
In order to determine where his sample mean lies, he should convert this mean (xbar) to a z-score.
Z=xbar – m (hypothesized)/standard error of xbar.
Standard error of xbar is (s) divided by square root of the sample size.
- Compute probability of test statistic and state conclusions.
Here, researcher calculates p-value, (probability value). After calculating the p-value, it is then compared with significance level which the researcher selected back in step two. If this probability is found to be less than or equal compared to the significance level then null hypotheses will be rejected. If greater than the significance level, null hypotheses will not be rejected.
If null hypotheses will be rejected, outcome will be statistically significant and vice versa. Therefore if researcher’s outcome is statistically significant, null hypotheses will be rejected in favour of his alternative hypotheses.
Question two
The researchers question would be as follows;
How many students have ever been identified having violated the university’s plagiarism and received university disciplinary action?
Research sample= 1500 students
Sample mean of the number of times is 12
Standard deviation is 8.
Question three
Null hypotheses; students received academic disciplinary actions after violating university plagiarism policy.
Alternate hypotheses; students did not receive academic disciplinary actions even after violating university’s plagiarism policy.
Question 4
The researchers question would be as follows;
How many students in the university received disciplinary actions due to violating university’s plagiarism policy?
Question 5
Null hypotheses; most of the students who violated the university plagiarism policy went scot-free.
Alternative hypotheses; most of the students who were caught having violated the university’s plagiarism policy were severely punished.
Question 6
With a critical value of 1.765 and an obtained value of -1.86, then the researcher would reject alternative hypotheses in favour of null hypotheses. This means that most of the students who violated the university plagiarism policy were not punished. A very few of them were punished.
Therefore the university needed to put more measures in place not only to identify violators of the policy but also punish them. The offence amounts to a disciplinary action.
