Do children’s shoe sizes get bigger as they get older? Essay

Title:- Do children’s shoe sizes get bigger as they get older? Introduction:- I will be doing an experiment to investigate whether it is true or not that a child’s shoes size increases as they get older. In order for me to prove this, I need to collect some data, I will ask some of my friends and family who has children and could help me with this experiment by completing the questionnaire. My objective is to find out at the end of this investigation whether my experiment on children’s shoe sizes is true or not true. Aim:- My aim is to investigate if children’s shoe sizes increases as they age. I will test my hypothesis by completing the experiment; once I get the results from my investigation I can examine them and see if my hypothesis was correct or incorrect. Hypothesis and Null Hypothesis:- Hypothesis – As children age their shoes size increases. Null Hypothesis – As children age their shoes size does not increase. Method:- I collected my data straight into a table chart. This was quick and easy and saved me recording the information found twice, as I was able to read it straight from this. I also found the data was easy to understand and I could see the slow increase of the shoe increase with age. Design:- I completed the investigation by asking my friends and family who had children if they would help me in this experiment. I found this to be more accurate rather than asking the child or just observing. I explained to the people who involved what they data I was gathering was for and gained their permission to use this. Participants:- I used 10 boys and 10 girls in investigation. The age range varied from two years old to 12 years old. I was prepared to use children’s data from one year old; however none of my friends and family had children of this age. I used this age group as this is generally before hormones start taking place and affecting the child in different ways. I asked the same number of girls to boys as see whether there was a difference in shoe size, to age, and gender. The gender of the participant did not seem to make a difference, as the majority of both genders shoe size got bigger as they got older. Materials:- The materials used were 15 friends and family as 5 of them had 2 children each. I recorded the information given with a pen and paper in a table form so I could understand the results, quick and easy. I made one table for boys, and one for girls. An example of the table is below:- Boys Age Boys Shoe Size Girls Age Girls Shoe Size I then went on to convert the shoe sizes to a European shoe size so this would be easier for producing graphs and using the data collected. I worked out the overall average shoe size for each age, also for both girls and boys. I also worked out the mean, mode and median, which I plotted on a line graph. Using the data I collected from the average of both boys and girls I did a graph so show if there was any difference or similarities. Procedure:- I contacted my friends and family and explained that† I am currently doing my Access to Midwifery and I am doing my Maths at the moment. I am doing an investigation in whether children’s shoe sizes get bigger as children get older, and I need to collect data. If they could be a help in providing what age their child is and what shoe size they are?† I informed them that I would put the data collecting into various graphs and tables to complete and support my conclusion, and gained Consent to this. After collecting the data from various friends and family I thanked them for helping me complete this investigation to the best of my ability. Results:- The flaws in the investigation are that there was a dip in the average shoe size data I gathered. At age 9 the shoe size was greater than a 10 year old. This may have been because of the size of child, the bigger/smaller the child the bigger/smaller size feet they will have. As I used European shoe sizes, this could have been another flaw. The overall results in terms of my hypothesis, is that children’s shoe sizes does increase with age. However the factor due to the individual child, if they are bigger or smaller than the average child, shoe sizes may vary. I feel like overall I gathered a good range of data. If I was to complete the investigation again, I would ask more people and to do this, so I would create a questionnaire that I could forward to various people with children gaining their consent and the relevant details which was needed for the experiment. I would send the questionnaire via social networking sites as I feel this would be more approachable and easier for people. I would ask 20 of each sex and then I would have a clearer view to prove that my hypothesis was correct. I would keep the age range the same as I feel the age range was varied enough. If I was going to complete the experiment again I would find another way to symbolise adult shoe sizes, as this may have been a flaw within my experiment. Conclusion:- The hypothesis is correct; children’s shoe sizes do increase as they get older. However they may be a slight dip in this result if the child is bigger or smaller than the average child. But for the normal average child there shoe size will increase as they get older. European Shoe Size converter UK SHOE SIZE EUROPEAN SHOE SIZE 4 20 4.5 21 5 21/22 6 23 7 24 7.5 25 8 25/26 9 27 10 28 11 29 11.5 30 12 31 13 32 13.5 32.5 1 33 2 34 3 35.5 4 36 4.5 37 5 38 A Graph to show the average shoe size compared to the age A chart to show the data collected for girls participated in the investigation, Age and Shoe Size.