The purpose of the study was to identify the levels of statistical thinking among students of Al-Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the effect of gender differences. The study used quantitative data collection methods for one group such as observation checklists and qualitative data collection methods such as interviews and focus group discussion. Performance tasks were designed to classify students according to Langrall and Mooney (2002) statistical thinking evaluation framework. Each task has its own subtasks and objectives spread over four statistical skills in which validity and reliability were verified. The data was yielded from the measurements of 41 students' statistical thinking levels enrolled in biostatistics course in the first semester of the academic year 2018-2019 . The results showed that the level of overall students' statistical thinking abilities was at the transitional level, followed by the idiosyncratic and quantitative levels respectively, while none of them reached the analytical level. The results also showed that there are no statistically significant differences in students' thinking levels attributed to gender. The study recommended the necessity of linking statistical activities to the reality of students' lives and specializations, focusing on the practical aspects rather than the theoretical ones, holding training programs to develop the capabilities of faculty members to classify their students according to their level of statistical thinking, and creating programs to develop statistical thinking among students.
The study aimed to showcase the attitudes of students at Al-Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences in Saudi Arabia towards biostatistics and developing a valid scale to measure the degree of these attitudes. To that aim, the descriptive analytical approach was used in addition to a 23-paragraph scale developed by the researchers in which validity and reliability were verified. The study gathered survey data from (205) male and female students who were randomly selected from the biostatistics course in the first semester of 2018-2019. The findings of the study mainly showed that the attitudes of students at Al-Ghad International College towards biostatistics was medium, approximately half of the students' had a medium level of attitude, a quarter had a high level of attitude and almost the same had a low level of attitude towards biostatistics. The results also revealed that five paragraphs received a high degree of attitude, seventeen paragraphs received a medium degree, while none of the paragraphs classified in the low attitude degree. Based on the results, the study recommended that statistical activities should be linked with students' life and specializations, focusing on practical skills rather than theoretical ones, conducting a periodic and continuous evaluation for the university students to identify their attitudes towards statistics and strengthening the role of academic guidance and counseling to enhance students' positive attitudes towards their statistical capabilities.
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