Title – One-Way ANOVA, Analysis of Student Activities Instead of Studying
Author : Aarti Malunjkar.
Roll no: 88
INTRODUCTION
In the modern academic environment, students are exposed to numerous distractions that compete with study time. With the increasing influence of digital technology and social interaction platforms, activities such as social media usage, sleeping, gaming, chatting, and passive thinking often replace productive academic engagement.
Understanding whether students significantly prefer one distraction over others is important for evaluating behavioral trends and time allocation patterns. Statistical tools such as One-Way ANOVA allow us to determine whether differences in average engagement levels across multiple activities are statistically significant.
OBJECTIVE
To compare five common activities students engage in instead of studying by applying the One-Way ANOVA method.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Digital Distraction and Academic Performance
Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Felt, J., Carrier, L. M., Cheever, N. A., Mendoza, J. S., & Rokkum, J. (2013) examined the impact of media multitasking on academic performance and found that frequent engagement with digital platforms significantly reduces students’ sustained attention and study effectiveness. The study concluded that students who regularly switch between academic tasks and digital distractions demonstrate lower academic performance and reduced concentration levels.
Sleep Patterns and Student Productivity
Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014) explored the relationship between sleep habits and academic outcomes among college students. Their research revealed that irregular sleep patterns and excessive sleepiness negatively affect cognitive performance, memory retention, and classroom engagement. The study highlights that sleep-related behaviors play a crucial role in determining academic productivity.
DATA COLLECTION
Students from our batch were requested to rate the following activities on a scale of 1–10 based on how frequently they engage in them instead of studying:
- Social Media
- Sleeping
- Playing Games
- Thinking about studying
- Chatting with friends
The Google Form was circulated in class, and responses were collected. A One-Way ANOVA test was conducted using Excel.
Total Observations: 154
DATA ANALYSIS
H₀: μ₁ = μ₂ = μ₃ = μ₄ = μ₅
(There is no significant difference in engagement levels among the five activities.)
H₁: At least one mean is different.
ANOVA Results:
Mean Square Between (MS): 7.54
Mean Square Within (MS): 6.57
F-value: 1.15
P-value: 0.34
Degrees of Freedom: (4, 149)
F-critical: 2.43
Level of Significance (α): 0.05
|
ANOVA |
||||||
|
Source of Variation |
SS |
df |
MS |
F |
P-value |
F crit |
|
Between Groups |
30.14 |
4 |
7.54 |
1.15 |
0.34 |
2.43 |
|
Within Groups |
979.47 |
149 |
6.57 |
|||
|
Total |
1009.61 |
153 |
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
The p-value (0.34) is greater than 0.05 and the calculated F-value (1.15) is less than F-critical (2.43), we fail to reject the null hypothesis
REFERENCE
Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and Science of Sleep, 6, 73–84.
Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Felt, J., Carrier, L. M., Cheever, N. A., Mendoza, J. S., & Rokkum, J. (2013). The distracted student: Educational technology and the multitasking generation. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(3), 140–153.