Final answer:
The statement in question is an example of a hypothesis, which is a starting point for research. Testing this hypothesis would involve research methods such as surveys to understand student attitudes towards school rules by gender.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement “more high school boys than girls will disagree with school rules” is an example of a hypothesis. In social studies research, a hypothesis is a proposed explanation made based on limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. This hypothesis would need to be tested through research and data collection to determine its validity. Surveys or polls, like the one conducted about student opinions on school uniforms, could be used to collect quantitative data on student attitudes towards school rules by gender. The student who posed this question may be preparing to design an experiment or study that would help to confirm or refute the hypothesis, much like the research studies mentioned that looked into political ideologies, texting behaviors, and polling on value statements.