In this section, we want to determine what may influence GCSE scores in young people during their final year of secondary school. As we saw in our previous univariate analysis, we’re going to use s1gcseptsnew, the total GCSE score for respondents in Year 11, as the dependent variable in our analyses. S1gcseptsnew is a continuous variable, with values ranging from 8 to 857. One of the hallmarks of a continuous variable is that it allows us to calculate and compare means, as the data in these variables are numerical and can take on any values within a set range (for example: height in inches).
We can use SPSS to calculate and compare the mean GCSE scores between different groups, and to test the statistical significance of these differences. A calculation and comparison of means can be done using the Compare Means function. We can extend these mean findings to the general population from which the survey sample was taken by investigating Confidence Intervals. And, we can test the significance of this mean difference by using the Independent-Samples T Test function.