📚 Year 7 WJEC Economics: Experimental and Practical Assessment Key Points | 七年级 WJEC 经济：实验与实践考核要点
In Year 7 WJEC Economics, practical assessments are designed to test your ability to apply economic thinking to real-world situations. You will be asked to design investigations, gather data, and draw conclusions about how people make choices when resources are scarce. This article outlines the key points you need to master for experimental and practical tasks, covering everything from formulating a research question to presenting your findings.
在七年级 WJEC 经济学课程中，实践考核旨在考察你将经济思维应用于现实情境的能力。你将需要设计调查、收集数据，并就人们在资源稀缺时如何做出选择得出结论。本文概述了实验与实践任务中你需要掌握的关键要点，涉及从制定研究问题到展示发现的全过程。
1. Understanding the Nature of Economic Investigations | 理解经济调查的性质
Economic investigations focus on how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions. Unlike lab experiments in science, economic investigations often study human behaviour that cannot be easily controlled. In a practical assessment, you might explore questions such as 'What influences a student's lunch choice?' or 'Does a sale really increase the quantity sold?' These investigations rely on careful planning and fair testing.
经济调查关注个人、企业和政府如何做决策。与科学实验室实验不同，经济调查通常研究难以轻易控制的人类行为。在实践考核中，你可能会探讨诸如'什么影响学生的午餐选择？'或'打折真的能增加销售量吗？'等问题。这些调查依赖于周密的计划和公平的测试。
The core economic concepts of scarcity, supply and demand, and opportunity cost provide the foundation for your investigations. By carrying out practical work, you learn to observe these concepts in action—for example, seeing that when a popular snack is limited (scarce), students may be willing to pay more for it.
稀缺性、供需和机会成本等核心经济概念为你的调查奠定了基础。通过开展实践工作，你学会观察这些概念的实际运作——例如，看到当一种受欢迎的零食数量有限（稀缺）时，学生可能愿意支付更高的价格。
2. Formulating a Research Question or Hypothesis | 制定研究问题或假设
Every investigation begins with a clear, focused question. Your question should be specific and testable. For instance, instead of asking 'How do prices affect people?' you could ask 'How does a 20% price reduction on school canteen fruit affect the number of fruit portions sold per day?' A good research question guides your whole project.
每一项调查都始于一个清晰、有重点的问题。你的问题应当具体且可检验。例如，不要问'价格如何影响人们？'，而可以问'学校食堂水果价格降低 20% 如何影响每天出售的水果份数？'一个好的研究问题能指导你的整个项目。
You can also form a hypothesis—an educated guess about the answer. For example: 'If the price of a bottle of water is reduced, then more students will buy water instead of sugary drinks.' Your investigation then tests whether this hypothesis is supported by evidence.
你也可以提出一个假设——对答案的有根据的猜测。例如：'如果一瓶水的价格降低，那么会有更多的学生购买水而不是含糖饮料。'然后你的调查将检验这个假设是否得到证据支持。
3. Identifying Variables | 识别变量
In any economic experiment, you must identify the independent variable (what you change), the dependent variable (what you measure), and control variables (what you keep the same). For example, if you are testing how price affects demand for cupcakes, the independent variable is the price, the dependent variable is the number of cupcakes sold, and control variables might include cupcake flavour, display location, and time of day.
在任何经济实验中，你必须识别自变量（你改变的因素）、因变量（你测量的因素）和控制变量（你保持不变的因素）。例如，如果你在测试价格如何影响对纸杯蛋糕的需求，自变量是价格，因变量是售出的纸杯蛋糕数量，控制变量可能包括蛋糕口味、摆放位置和一天中的时间段。
Controlling variables ensures that any change in the dependent variable is truly caused by the independent variable. If you do not control flavour, you might mistakenly conclude that price affects sales when actually it was a new delicious flavour that caused the increase.
控制变量能确保因变量的任何变化确实是由自变量引起的。如果你不控制口味，你可能会错误地认为价格影响了销量，而实际上是一种新的美味口味导致了增长。
4. Designing Data Collection Methods | 设计数据收集方法
You need to decide how you will gather data. Common methods in Year 7 include questionnaires, tally sheets for observations, and simple experimental trials. The method must fit the question. If you want to know student opinion on a new school shop, a questionnaire is ideal. If you are measuring actual purchases, observation or counting sales receipts works better.
你需要决定如何收集数据。七年级常用的方法包括问卷、观察用的计数表和简单实验测试。方法必须适合问题。如果你想知道学生对新设学校商店的看法，问卷是理想的选择。如果你在衡量实际购买行为，观察或统计销售小票效果更好。
Always plan how you will record the data accurately. Prepare a table or checklist in advance. Consider whether you will collect quantitative data (numbers, such as prices and quantities) or qualitative data (words, such as reasons for choices), or both.
始终规划好如何准确记录数据。提前准备一个表格或清单。考虑你将收集定量数据（数字，如价格和数量）还是定性数据（文字，如选择原因），或者两者兼有。
5. Collecting Primary Data through Surveys | 通过调查收集一手数据
Surveys allow you to collect primary data directly from people. When designing a survey, write clear, unbiased questions. Avoid leading questions like 'Don't you agree that the canteen food is too expensive?' Instead ask, 'How would you rate the value for money of canteen food on a scale of 1 to 5?' Test your survey on a few classmates first to identify any confusing questions.
调查让你直接从人们那里收集一手数据。在设计调查时，问题要清晰且无偏见。避免引导性问题，如'你不觉得食堂食物太贵了吗？'，而应问'您如何评价食堂食物的性价比（1 至 5 分制）？'先找几位同学试填问卷，以找出令人困惑的问题。
Consider your sample—who you ask. A representative sample gives more reliable results. If you only ask your friends, your data may be biased. Aim to gather a diverse range of responses, perhaps from different year groups.
要考虑你的样本——你询问的对象。一个有代表性的样本能提供更可靠的结果。如果只问你的朋友，数据可能会有偏差。尽量从不同年级收集多样化的回答。
6. Conducting Simple Economic Experiments | 进行简单的经济实验
An economic experiment often involves setting up a controlled situation to test a hypothesis. For example, you could run a mock market in class where some students act as sellers and others as buyers. Change the price of a good and observe changes in the quantity traded. Record every transaction.
经济实验通常涉及设立一个受控情境来检验假设。例如，你可以在课堂上模拟一个市场，让一些学生扮演卖家，另一些扮演买家。改变商品的价格，观察交易量的变化。记录每一笔交易。
It is important to give clear instructions to participants and keep the environment consistent for each trial. You might repeat the experiment several times to ensure the results are reliable. Always note any unexpected events, such as a 'buyer' who did not understand the rules.
重要的是要向参与者发出清晰的指令，并保持每次试验的环境一致。你可以重复实验数次，以确保结果可靠。始终记录任何意外事件，例如某位'买家'没有理解规则。
7. Recording and Organising Data | 记录和整理数据
As you collect data, record it systematically. Use a tally chart for frequency counts or a data table with clear headings. For instance, if you are tracking sales at different prices, your table could have columns: 'Price (pence)', 'Number of items sold', and 'Notes'.
收集数据时，要有条理地记录。使用计数表进行频次统计，或使用带有清晰标题的数据表格。例如，如果你在跟踪不同价格下的销售情况，表格可以设列：'价格（便士）'、'售出数量'和'备注'。
Double-check your entries to avoid mistakes. Organising data well at this stage will save time when you move on to drawing graphs and analysing trends. You might also calculate totals or averages if needed, such as the mean number of items sold at each price point.
仔细核对输入内容以避免错误。在此阶段妥善整理数据，将为你后续绘制图表和分析趋势节省时间。如果需要，你还可以计算总数或平均数，例如每个价格点售出物品的平均数量。
8. Presenting Data Using Charts and Graphs | 使用图表展示数据
Data becomes much easier to understand when presented visually. Choose the right type of graph: a bar chart is good for comparing categories (e.g., sales of different snack types), a line graph shows change over time or across different price levels, and a pie chart displays proportions. Always label axes and give your graph a title.
数据以可视化方式呈现时更容易理解。选择合适的图表类型：条形图适合比较类别（如不同零食种类的销量），折线图展示随时间或不同价格水平的变化，饼图则显示比例。始终为坐标轴加上标签，并为图表加上标题。
If you are showing the relationship between price and quantity demanded, plot the independent variable (price) on the x‑axis and the dependent variable (quantity) on the y‑axis. Use a ruler for neatness and add a key if needed. This will help you see patterns such as a downward-sloping demand curve.
如果你要展示价格与需求量之间的关系，将自变量（价格）绘于 x 轴，因变量（数量）绘于 y 轴。使用直尺保持整洁，并在必要时添加图例。这将帮助你观察诸如向下倾斜的需求曲线等模式。
9. Analysing Results and Drawing Conclusions | 分析
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