Teaching, Learning and Assessing Statistical Problem Solving

Abstract

In this paper we report the results from a major UK government-funded project, started in 2005, to review statistics and handling data within the school mathematics curriculum for students up to age 16. As a result of a survey of teachers we developed new teaching materials that explicitly use a problem-solving approach for the teaching and learning of statistics through real contexts. We also report the development of a corresponding assessment regime and how this works in the classroom.Controversially, in September 2006 the UK government announced that coursework was to be dropped for mathematics exams sat by 16-year-olds. A consequence of this decision is that areas of the curriculum previously only assessed via this method will no longer be assessed. These include the stages of design, collection of data, analysis and reporting which are essential components of a statistical investigation. The mechanism outlined here could provide some new and useful ways of coupling new teaching methods with learning and doing assessment -in short, they could go some way towards making up for the educational loss of not doing coursework. Also, our findings have implications for teaching, learning and assessing statistics for students of the subject at all ages.

Towards more Accessible Conceptions of Statistical Inference

“…(a) data visualization, interrogation and presentation using the authors' diagrams with memory and geographical information systems; (b) investigation and problem solving, including opportunities for discussion and review; (c) teaching resources with a shareable teacher's corner enabling exchange of dynamic documents; (d) learning resources, including a learner's corner with self-reflective journals; (e) embedded assessment, including formative, summative and a problem solving approach to teaching and learning (Marriott et al, 2009); (f) continuing professional development and access to on-line resources leading to accreditation by the RSS.…”

Calibrating the Difficulty of an Assessment Tool: The Blooming of a Statistics Examination

“…Aligning teaching materials and curricula with assessment items at varying levels of complexity has been discussed by Marriott, Davies, and Gibson (2009) and Garfield et al (2011). The latter suggest a two-way table (or "instructional blueprint") with rows for content topics and columns for cognitive demand.…”

Hold my calls: an activity for introducing the statistical process

“…Statistical reasoning defined by Gal (, ) is the ability to problem solve and reason with data in a way that makes data succinct and understandable. To be able to reason statistically, statisticians and statistical educators have developed standard phases of the statistical process that can be described as follows: (1) specify the problem and outline a plan; (2) collect the required data; (3) analyse and represent the data; and (4) interpret and discuss the findings (Marriott et al ; Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE), ; Wild and Pfannkuch ).…”