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> Statistical Packages-SPSS

STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIALSCIENCES (SPSS)

Covers: Data entry, analysis, interpretation
Competencies: Research analysis, statistical evaluation
Career Path: Research Assistant, Data Analyst, M&E Officer

Course Overview

The SPSS short course is designed to equip learners with practical skills to handle, analyze, and interpret data using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. It is ideal for students, researchers, data analysts, and professionals who need to work with quantitative data for decision-making or research.

Key Objectives

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

  1. Understand the basics of SPSS software and its interface.

  2. Import, clean, and manage datasets.

  3. Perform descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.

  4. Interpret outputs from SPSS for research or business reports.

  5. Create tables, charts, and graphs for data presentation.

  6. Apply basic statistical tests (e.g., t-tests, chi-square, ANOVA, correlation, regression).

Course Duration

  • Usually 1–3 weeks depending on the institution and mode (full-time or part-time).

Entry Requirements

  • Minimum of KCSE C- or equivalent, depending on the institution.

  • Basic understanding of mathematics and computer skills is helpful but not mandatory.

Course Outline / Modules

  1. Introduction to SPSS

    • Overview of SPSS

    • Navigating the interface

    • Data types and variable definitions

  2. Data Management

    • Entering and editing data

    • Importing data from Excel or CSV

    • Data cleaning and transformation

  3. Descriptive Statistics

    • Frequency distributions

    • Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)

    • Measures of dispersion (variance, standard deviation)

  4. Inferential Statistics

    • Hypothesis testing

    • t-tests, ANOVA

    • Correlation and regression analysis

    • Chi-square tests

  5. Data Visualization

    • Creating charts and graphs

    • Formatting outputs for reports

  6. Reporting Results

    • Interpreting SPSS output

    • Writing concise statistical reports

Learning Outcomes / Skills Acquired

  • Proficiency in SPSS data entry and analysis.

  • Ability to perform and interpret statistical tests for research or business.

  • Skills to visualize data effectively for presentations or publications.

  • Confidence in using SPSS for academic, social, or business research.

Career / Academic Benefits

  • Enhances employability in research, data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, and social sciences.

  • Useful for students preparing research projects, theses, or dissertations.

  • Foundation for further studies in statistics, data science, or social research.