Statistics Applied to Physical Activity

Code: MAT14972L

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Mathematics

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Learning Goals

With this course, students are expected to acquire knowledge of Descriptive Statistics and Statistical Inference suitable for analyzing data related to physical activity and sports. Additionally, students should be made aware of the relevance of using these subjects in research work. Ultimately, they should be able to:
a) Describe samples using the tools learned within the scope of exploratory data analysis;
b) Solve problems in a context of uncertainty, employing the concepts and methodologies of probability theory;
c) Apply Statistical Inference in parameter estimation and in selecting the most appropriate hypothesis test for each situation;
d) Apply, interpret, and validate the assumptions of a linear regression model;
e) Perform statistical analysis, critically interpreting the results obtained using computer-based tools and digital resources.

• Exploratory Data Analysis
• Introduction to Probabilities
• Random Variables and Major Probability Distributions
• Sampling and Sampling Distributions
• Point Estimation and Confidence Intervals
• Sample Size and Effect Size
• Parametric and Non-parametric Hypothesis Testing
• Simple Analysis of Variance (One-Way ANOVA)
• Simple Linear Regression

Computer Component:
The course content will be covered using accessible and user-friendly computer software. The University of Évora has a Campus license for SPSS, but students will also be encouraged to use free software such as R-project, Jamovi, and/or JASP. Learning may also be complemented by using the following digital platforms: https://www.estimationstats.com/#/ and https://thenewstatistics.com/itns/esci/

Teaching Methods

Student-centered learning to develop both disciplinary and transversal skills through dialogue, interaction, and collaboration among peers. The discussion and resolution of proposed problems as homework and in the classroom will be enhanced. At the beginning of the semester, a database is prepared based on information provided by the students themselves for statistical analyses throughout the classes. For each thematic content, concepts will be presented followed by practical examples related to physical and sports activities. Support materials will always be available on Moodle, including information about the course, lecture slides, and exercise sheets for theoretical-practical and practical-laboratory classes. In practical-laboratory classes, students will have the opportunity to use statistical software to solve problems related to the database and the applicability of the methods learned.

Assessment

During the semester, there are various group activities for formative assessment moments, aiming to reinforce the concepts learned in the classroom and individualized or group autonomous work. To be assessed in the continuous assessment system, you must attend at least 75% of the classes until the date of each assessment. The situation of students with special conditions according to RAUE is exempt. Withdrawal, absence, or obtaining a grade below 7 in any of the assessments implies automatic enrollment in the Exam assessment in the make-up period. The final grade, for students who obtain at least 7 points in each of the assessments, will be calculated according to the following weighting: NF = 0.45 * F1 + 0.55 * F2, where: F1 = Grade in the 1st assessment (45%). F2 = Grade in the 2nd assessment (55%). If the result of NF is greater than or equal to 9.5, even with a grade below 7 in the 2nd assessment, the final grade for the normal period will be 9.