Teaching statistical literacy in secondary schools

Nye, Z. (2024) Teaching statistical literacy in secondary schools. In: BSRLM Spring Conference 2024, 02 March 2024, Online. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Teaching secondary children to interpret and appreciate statistics would enable the population to engage critically with statistics in their adult lives without pervasive distrust. This research explored the teaching of statistical literacy in secondary schools. Focusing on the lived experiences of three in-service secondary mathematics teachers, three factors were explored: the teachers’ decision-making processes when planning and teaching statistics lessons, the teachers’ statistical pedagogical subject knowledge, and the impact of the teachers’ affective domain, such as their beliefs, values and emotional reactions to teaching statistical literacy. Findings indicate that external policy and social changes drive the teaching of statistical literacy. While the teachers held that statistical literacy was important for building informed citizens, teaching it gives a poor rate of return in examination marks for the teaching time invested. The teachers in this study reported positive feelings towards teaching statistical literacy but described it as a ‘marmite subject’ and considered that mathematics teachers rarely have a positive attitude toward teaching it. In general, earlier positive exposure to statistics results in greater enthusiasm for teaching statistical literacy. My findings suggest that initial teacher training and continuing professional development for teachers must address this if we wish to build a statistically literate population.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Lecture)
Divisions:	School of Teacher Development
Depositing User:	Zoe Nye
Date Deposited:	08 Mar 2024 11:25
Last Modified:	08 Mar 2024 11:25
URI:	https://bgro.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/1123

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