Perfectionism in Students: Implications in the Instruction of Statistics

Abstract

Previous research has linked perfectionism to anxiety in the statistics classroom and academic performance in general. This article investigates the impact of the individual components of perfectionism on academic performance of students in the statistics classroom. The results of this research show a clear positive relationship between a student's personal standards and academic performance consistent with the literature. Surprisingly, the inherent need of some students for organization and structure was found to be negatively related to academic performance. This finding suggests that the organization of statistics as perceived by some students may not always foster understanding, resulting in student confusion and lack of achievement. This infers that statistics instructors may need to put sufficient emphasis on the underlying composition of statistical ideas and the linking of statistical techniques that are presented in the classroom and in the textbook. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of current trends in the reform of the statistics curriculum and approaches that may improve the clarity of the underlying structure of statistics.