While we get started… Look at these three headlines about last year’s A-Level results. What do they tell us about the media?

How do we evaluate the need for regeneration? Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Learning Outcomes EQ2: Why might regeneration be needed? Content By the end of the lesson you will be able to give some examples of ways in which the need for regeneration is evaluated and how the media can provide differing evidence which can question the need for regeneration. Process We will do this by analysing some photos and newspapers, before some statistical analysis. Skills - Testing of the strength of relationships through the use of scatter graphs and Spearman’s rank correlation. - Use of different newspaper sources to understand conflicting views about plans for regeneration. - Evaluation of different sources (music, photography, film, art, literature) and appreciation of why they create different representations and image of a local place.

Newspaper Results What do your newspaper articles say about Middlesbrough? Class discussion- do any reports speak positively about Middlesbrough? Do some say they don’t deserve the regeneration? Do they need the regeneration?

Newspaper Perception These differing approaches to the same place show that the media can generate different perceptions of an area. In this case, you can see that some newspapers are positive (and almost sympathetic) towards Middlesbrough, some are blaming and some are negative. This is something that you need to take into consideration when reading different articles and conducting secondary research.

Photograph Perception What about photographs? What do these two photos tell us about Mersey Way in Stockport?

Quantitative Evidence The different representations provide contrasting evidence for the need for regeneration, and therefore more quantitative techniques are needed. There is often statistical evidence to determine, and the support/negate the need for regeneration.

Has Stockport fallen into decline enough for us to need regeneration? Using some statistical data, you are going to have a look to see if there is statistical evidence to support the regeneration that is happening in our nearest town. Try to visit the centre of Stockport during the week for homework. You are going to research Stockport Town Centre. It is currently undergoing a major regeneration project, focused on retail and developing the front of the railway station. Use www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk or www.ons.gov.uk to look at how this area has changed in terms of demographic make-up since the last decade. Select your own data but you must get some data for unemployment rates and health . We will need these for part of the lesson. Extra: compare the data for Stockport Centre (Edgeley) with data for Bramhall

Statistical Evidence Time for a little bit of maths. You should have collected a range of data, but we are going to use the unemployment and health data. We are going to complete a Spearman’s Rank statistical test to compare high unemployment and poor health. You should have some data which corresponds with each other. If you don’t, you have a few minutes now to get that. I.e., do you have unemployment rates in 2014 and the health records for that year too?

Spearman’s Rank Spearman’s Rank correlation coefficient is used to identify and test the strength of a relationship between two sets of data. It is often used as a statistical method to aid with either proving or disproving a hypothesis e.g. the depth of a river does not progressively increase the further from the river bank, or in our case, do high health problems lead to high unemployment?

Spearman’s Rank Excel can be used to calculate and graph Spearman’s Rank correlation to discover if a relationship exists between the two sets of data, and how strong this relationship is. Your dataset should include a minimum of 15 to be valid (but for the sake of trying out the method, we can use smaller data). Follow the help sheet about Spearman’s Rank using your data.

Is there a correlation? Plot your data on the graph to find the degrees of freedom figure. Does the data show there is a link, and therefore is there a need for regeneration projects?

Your thoughts Do you think the regeneration of the town centre will help the people living in Edgeley? How engaged are the people of Edgeley with the regeneration of Stockport Town Centre? Look at local newspapers, blogs and articles to qualitatively back up your response.