Types of Data

Collecting data in the classroom can be a great way for children to learn about the things around them and statistics at the same time. There are two main types of data that the children can collect: quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative Data

When we think of data, we often think of quantitative data, which is data that can be recorded using a number. This data could be discrete, taking only specific values from the real numbers. Discrete data is often recorded in integers (whole numbers). Some examples of discrete data include: age (when measured only in years), shoe size and number of objects. Some quantitative data can be continuous, taking any value from the real numbers. Some examples of continuous data include: time data, temperature data and physical measurements, i.e. using a ruler.

Qualitative Data

The other type of data we can collect is qualitative data. This is non-numerical data, such as a person’s favourite animal or the colour of a car.

These different types of data can be displayed in many ways. To learn more about the different ways we can display data, see our article on the different types of graphs.