Abstract
Many people suffer from statistics anxiety or helplessness in the UK; this is true even in the context of PhD students studying at prestigious universities. There is a risk that anxiety or helplessness results in students avoiding engagement with statistics, and consequent underachievement. Here, we illustrate the application of the construct “statistical resilience” to developing positive engagement in statistics. We used the method of a collaborative phenomenological study. The collaboration is between a researcher and a PhD student acting as a research assistant. The relevant concepts include learned helplessness, self-agency and statistical resilience. As the PhD student gained statistical resilience, he was able to leave behind learned helplessness. This resulted in emancipation from statistical anxiety, an effective contribution to a research project, raised self-esteem and increased ability to engage with formal statistical thinking. The paper ends with recommendations for policy and practice.
Highlights
This article is intended to be helpful to anyone seeking to address statistics anxiety or statistics avoidance, or spreadsheet avoidance, as a learner, as an educator or a parent
Many people suffer from statistics anxiety or helplessness in the UK; this is true even in the context of PhD students studying at prestigious universities
The notion of statistical resilience arises from previous work on mathematical resilience (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010; Lee & Johnston-Wilder, 2017) which demonstrates that effects of previous negative experiences can be overcome and transformed into productive interactions
Summary
This article is intended to be helpful to anyone seeking to address statistics anxiety or statistics avoidance, or spreadsheet avoidance, as a learner, as an educator or a parent. This study illustrates that statistical avoidance and helplessness can be addressed quickly and effectively. This article presents an illustrative phenomenological study of a PhD candidate (Hani) and a change in the relationship of this candidate with statistics arising from an interaction with a researcher who is a teacher of statistical resilience (Sue). But illuminating, study which describes Hani as he recalls learning to feel helpless in relation to statistics and through interaction with Sue, acquires statistical resilience, overcoming the learned behaviour of helplessness through “ordinary magic” (Masten, 2001). The notion of statistical resilience arises from previous work on mathematical resilience (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010; Lee & Johnston-Wilder, 2017) which demonstrates that effects of previous negative experiences can be overcome and transformed into productive interactions
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