Data Science 301 — Your Own Question

Prerequisite: Data Science 201.

This course assumes you have already explored the A-level dataset and run one guided hypothesis test. Now you choose your own question and work through it independently.

Module 1 — Choose Your Own Question

After the guided test in Data Science 201, you can use the wider DfE dataset to choose your own question.

Start by making a list of the CSV files and the fields inside them.

Then choose one narrow question.

Possible questions:

Are disadvantaged students underrepresented in some A-level subjects?

Do disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students have different A-level grade outcomes?

Are male and female Mathematics entries associated with different grade outcomes?

How do outcomes vary by ethnicity?

Are some subjects more unequal by background than others?

Use the same structure as Data Science 201:

1. Introduction — why this hypothesis
Say briefly why you chose this question (curiosity from 101/201, a client-relevant contrast, a pattern you noticed). One short paragraph is enough.

2. Human question

3. Hypothesis

4. Null hypothesis

5. Required fields

6. Data cleaning

7. Statistical test or comparison

8. Chart

9. Conclusion — did you support or reject the hypothesis?
State clearly whether the evidence supports your hypothesis, rejects it, or is inconclusive. Separate statistical significance from practical importance. Do not leave the reader guessing.

10. Limitations

Data Science 201 was guided.

This one is yours.

One worked example (Maths A*–B outcomes by sex) is on Worked examples — use it to check structure, not to copy the question.

Module 2 — What You Have Learned

When you finish Data Science 301, you will have learned to:

choose a narrow question from a large public dataset;
work through the full analysis workflow without step-by-step guidance;
clean and filter data for the fields your question needs;
pick an appropriate statistical test or comparison;
make a chart and write a conclusion that states whether the hypothesis was supported or rejected, with honest limitations;
decide whether this style of independent analysis is work you want to do more of.

You have completed the data science track:

Data Science 101 — Could I Be a Data Scientist?
Data Science 201 — Becoming a Data Scientist
Data Science 301 — Your own question