9.3 Question 2 Practice And Model Responses

A student interviewed one bus driver during a busy morning. The interview lasted ten minutes at the bus station while the driver’s manager stood nearby. Notes were written afterwards from memory.

Task 1: Evaluate The Research

Question

Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the research in Source 3.

Model Response

Interviewing a bus driver is relevant because the driver has direct experience of the morning service and may provide detailed information about delays and overcrowding. Conducting primary research also allows the student to ask questions related to the investigation. However, one driver is a very small sample and may not represent other routes, companies or times of day. The manager’s presence may reduce honesty if the driver fears criticism of the service could affect employment. The interview took place during a busy period, so the driver may have been distracted. Finally, writing notes later from memory risks inaccurate or incomplete recording. Overall, the interview may provide useful detail, but it is too narrow and poorly recorded to support a general conclusion about the city’s bus system.

Why It Works

It includes strengths and weaknesses.
Each feature is linked to an effect.
It relates evaluation to the research purpose.
It reaches a balanced overall judgement.

Task 2: Design Research

Question

Explain how the claim ‘Lower fares will cause more students to travel by bus’ could be tested.

Model Response

The claim should be tested using several schools in different areas so that distance, income and existing bus access are represented. Passenger numbers could be recorded for four weeks before and four weeks after a temporary student-fare reduction. Comparable routes without a fare change could be used to check whether seasonal changes affected all travel. Anonymous questionnaires should ask students who changed transport why they did so and should include neutral questions about fare, punctuality, safety and journey time. Ticket records would provide quantitative evidence, while interviews with a smaller sample would explain decisions in more depth. The study should protect student privacy and obtain appropriate permission. If bus use rises more on reduced-fare routes and participants identify price as a major reason, the claim would receive stronger support.

Why It Works

It defines the population and comparison.
It includes a before-and-after measure and comparison routes.
It combines quantitative and qualitative evidence.
It considers alternative explanations.
It addresses ethics and explains how results test the claim.

Research Design Template

Seven Questions

What exactly does the claim mean?
Who is the target population?
How will the sample be selected?
What primary method will be used?
What secondary or checking evidence will be used?
How will the results be compared?
How will bias, reliability and ethics be addressed?

Independent Practice

New Claim

Design research to test the claim: ‘Safe walking routes are more important than lower bus fares in reducing car journeys to school.’

Question 2 Checklist

Self-Check

Did I identify the research purpose?
Did I explain effects rather than list features?
Did I include strengths and weaknesses?
Does my proposed method produce evidence relevant to the claim?
Did I address sample, comparison, bias and ethics?

Lesson Summary

Evaluation connects a feature to its effect on the research purpose.
A credible design includes population, sampling, methods, comparison and analysis.
Mixed methods can provide both scale and explanation.
Ethical and quality safeguards are part of good research.