Assessing students’ attitudes and perceptions towards statistical literacy in a university system in a developing African country

Abstract

Statistical literacy is important in the curriculum of every higher education institution and sustainable development of countries. Nonetheless, low performances and student enrolment recorded in statistical education warrants investigation into plausible factors. This case study used the Students’ Attitude towards Statistics (SATS) 36 item instrument to investigate attitudes and perceptions of 185 students, enrolled in different disciplines, towards statistics education at Chinhoyi University of Technology in Zimbabwe. Descriptive, factor reduction and multiple regression techniques were used to summarise and extract critical covariates, and relate variables in each construct in order to explain the attitudes of students towards statistics. Thematic analysis was done for in depth qualitative explanation of the drivers and barriers to teaching and learning of statistics education. The main factors which induce fear, stress, anxiety and antipathy towards statistics include: perceived difficulty and numerical complexity of statistics, natural low statistics self-efficacy and self-perception and extremely varying statistics cognitive capabilities of students. Inadequate supporting and facilitating conditions such as modern Information Communication Technology infrastructure, and conducive teaching and learning environment leads to low performances. Regardless, students still perceive statistics as imperative for future professions and are willing to exert enough effort provided they are motivated in statistics education. It entails for a diametric paradigm repositioning of teaching and learning of statistics emphasising on collaborative learning, intense use of electronic learning and assessment of statistics and smaller sized classes giving individualised attention to benefit weaker students. Future research need to explore statistics curriculum development which is lagging and may be silently responsible for the low development rate in poor African countries.