Level Of Statistical Literacy Research Articles

STATISTICAL LITERACY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN CHENNAI: A SURVEY STUDY

Background: Statistical literacy has been recognized as an essential knowledge for the undergraduate students to possess basic concept of statistical knowledge. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of statistical literacy among undergraduate students in Chennai. Materials & Methods: The two-element model of statistical literacy by Gal (2004), knowledge component (comprised of ve cognitive elements: literacy skills, statistical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, context knowledge, and critical questions) and a dispositional component (comprised of two elements: critical stance, and beliefs and attitudes), was used. Asurvey was conducted on 283 undergraduate students of various colleges of Chennai. Results: The results revealed that the undergraduate students had moderate level of overall statistical literacy, knowledge component and a dispositional component. In the knowledge component, the students had high level of literacy skills and mathematical knowledge, moderate level of statistical knowledge and low level of context knowledge. Additionally, in the dispositional component, the students had moderate level of critical stance, and beliefs and attitudes. Conclusion:The practical implications for educators to improve students' statistical literacy were discussed.

Examination of the Relationship between Statistical Literacy Levels and Statistical Literacy Self-Efficacy of High School Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the existence of a relationship between statistical literacy levels and statistical literacy self-efficacy of high school students. A total of 163 high school students studying at two different high schools in the 10 th , 11 th and 12 th grades constituted the study sample. The “Statistical Literacy Self-Efficacy Instrument” and selected questions from the “Levels of Conceptual Understanding in Statistics (LOCUS)” project, adapted into Turkish, were utilized for data collection. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods according to a correlational research design. It was determined from the results that the statistical literacy of high school students was at a “Low” level and their statistical literacy self-efficacy was at an “Intermediate” level. Importantly, the statistical literacy self-efficacy of students was found to be a significant predictor of statistical literacy. It was determined that the strongest predictor of statistical literacy were factors regarding efficacy related to basic statistical concepts and confidence related to the statistical process that follows, while the weakest predictor was a factor regarding the belief related to statistical reasoning. Thus, it was important that this research emphasized the affective aspect of statistical literacy in particular and portrayed that this aspect was of great importance for students’ statistical literacy. As a result, as part of the statistical teaching and learning process, activities aimed at developing the statistical literacy self-efficacy of students parallel to the target of students’ statistical literacy is proposed.

Evaluating the Statistics Courses in Terms of the Statistical Literacy: Didactic Pathways of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers

This study intends to determine the statistical literacy levels of pre-service mathematics teachers and to evaluate the contribution of the statistics courses in the elementary mathematics education curriculum to statistical literacy. A mixed methods research design was adopted. The study group consisted of 202 pre-service mathematics teachers enrolled in the Statistics and Probability course. In the data collection process, a pre-test and post-test was administered to determine the pre-service teachers’ statistical literacy before and after the statistical course, and classroom observations were performed to identify the contribution of the statistics course to statistical literacy. The Rasch model was used for validity-reliability analyses, and one-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the quantitative data. Content analysis was utilized in the analysis of qualitative data, which revealed that statistical literacy levels of pre-service teachers are generally low, generally influencing the competence of pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers failed in the sample selection component in the pre-test and data interpretation in the post-test, while they were more successful with table and graphs in the pre-test and sample selection in the post-test. The comparative analysis of revealed statistically significant differences in favor of U4 in the pre-test, but in favor of U1 in the post-test. It was concluded that practices included in the statistics lessons could be effective on these differences.

Statistical literacy of Slovak lower secondary school students

The article is focused on monitoring the level of statistical literacy of 9th grade students at lower secondary schools in the Slovak Republic. The results of several years testing of students were used for this purpose. During the reporting period, more than 50 000 pupils from all over Slovakia participated in the testing. In addition to quantitative data analysis, attention is also paid to qualitative analysis of the problems in the field of statistics that were difficult for students. The article presents a part of the results of the research focused on the analysis of critical points in school mathematics.

Statistical literacy of undergraduate students in Indonesia: survey studies

Nowadays, statistics based information is widely used by various institutions and social media, therefore statistical literacy as an essential knowledge has been recognized by various modern countries is something that must be owned by every citizen in recent information-based society. Students need statistical knowledge and skills so that they will be able to apply it in their studies and daily life. This study aims to assess the level of statistical literacy and variables that influence the improvement of undergraduate students’ literacy in Indonesia. The statistical literacy model used is the model proposed by Gal, which are the knowledge component consisting of five cognitive elements: literacy skills, statistical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, context knowledge, and critical questions and disposition components consisting of two elements: attitude critical; beliefs and attitudes. A survey was given to 114 of students, which are from both mathematics study program and mathematics education study program who either have studied basic statistics or have not. The results showed that the level of students’ statistical literacy for all components was sufficient, both for the component of good knowledge and the low disposition component. The average statistical literacy score of students who have studied basic statistics is higher than those who have not studied basic statistics. There are four factors that influence students’ statistical literacy, namely mathematical ability (logical and critical thinking), general knowledge, literacy skills (language), and statistical knowledge.

Seventh Graders’ Statistical Literacy: an Investigation on Bar and Line Graphs

The aim of the current study was to investigate the statistical literacy of seventh grade students regarding the concepts of average and variation on bar and line graphs presented in alternative real-life contexts. To this end, the statistical literacy levels of the seventh grade students were initially determined. Subsequently, definitions, interpretations and evaluations generated by the students at varying levels of statistical literacy were examined in further depth. More specifically, a qualitative survey study was conducted with 164 seventh graders from two public middle schools in Ankara, Turkey. The data, collected by means of a-five-item instrument, were analyzed by utilizing the modified version of the six-hierarchical-level framework developed by Watson and Callingham (Statistics Education Research Journal, 2(2), 3–46, 2003). The findings revealed that most of the students’ statistical literacy levels were identified as either Level 3 or Level 4 in the framework with respect to the concept of average, and either Level 1 or Level 2 with respect to the concept of variation. Hence, it can be inferred that while many of the students could interpret average in the given contexts, they had difficulty in interpreting variation. Although definitions and evaluations related to both concepts were found difficult by seventh graders, the graphs, particularly bar graphs, which students were provided with, were observed to be helpful for students in their evaluation of variation. Additionally, students benefitted from some of the contexts they were provided while evaluating variation. Finally, the analysis revealed some discrepancies among students’ definitions and their interpretations or evaluations.

Statistical Literacy Analysis of Mathematics Education Students Through KKNI Assignments

Statistical literacy is a person’s ability to understand, interpret, and present data about basic concepts and statistical procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine the achievement of statistical literacy skills in Mathematics Education students through KKNI assignments, namely routine tasks, Critical Journal Report, and Critical Book Report. The samples in this study were students of semester five bilingual mathematics education. Data were obtained through questionnaires and evaluations of KKNI assignments to analyze statistical literacy. The results showed the average level of statistical literacy of students based on the percentage of the questionnaire described the category well. The statistical literacy analysis process supported by student assignment reports in the form of papers.

How can we unfold the reality of student learning, if there is a reality: Pitfalls - and bridges - of educational research

This paper discusses some of the recurrent issues which the authors have noticed in educational research. These might be concerned with the nature of social science research, such as its representation of the reality of student learning, the role for replication studies, and the tolerance for disagreements. There are also issues related to the researching process, including the scope of prior research that should be reviewed, the purpose of triangulation, the need to be data-sensitive, the value in the complementarity of quantitative and qualitative information, relationships between theory and data, researchers' statistical literacy levels, and over-dependence on software-generated results. The fluid multi-cultural context in which education and pedagogy are situated has also meant that accessibility to knowledge is language-mediated and social reality, ever-evolving.

Augmenting Statistical Data Dissemination by Short Quantified Sentences of Natural Language

AbstractData from National Statistical Institutes is generally considered an important source of credible evidence for a variety of users. Summarization and dissemination via traditional methods is a convenient approach for providing this evidence. However, this is usually comprehensible only for users with a considerable level of statistical literacy. A promising alternative lies in augmenting the summarization linguistically. Less statistically literate users (e.g., domain experts and the general public), as well as disabled people can benefit from such a summarization. This article studies the potential of summaries expressed in short quantified sentences. Summaries including, for example, “most visits from remote countries are of a short duration” can be immediately understood by diverse users. Linguistic summaries are not intended to replace existing dissemination approaches, but can augment them by providing alternatives for the benefit of diverse users of official statistics. Linguistic summarization can be achieved via mathematical formalization of linguistic terms and relative quantifiers by fuzzy sets. To avoid summaries based on outliers or data with low coverage, a quality criterion is applied. The concept based on linguistic summaries is demonstrated on test interfaces, interpreting summaries from real municipal statistical data. The article identifies a number of further research opportunities, and demonstrates ways to explore those.

Evaluating the Practices of Instructors Teaching Statistics Courses from Different Undergraduate Programs in Terms of Statistical Literacy

In this study it was aimed to evaluate the practices of instructors teaching statistics courses in different undergraduate programs in terms of statistical literacy. Through this aim, statistics courses of nine instructors from nine different undergraduate programs were observed during a semester in a state university. Qualitative data of this study consisted of classroom observations, field notes and interviews conducting with instructors. Data was analyzed with the rubric, including the aspects of the statistical literacy components to evaluate statistical literacy practices. Chi-Square independent test was performed to determine whether the differences between programs are statistically significant. Differences were seen between programs and components the practices of instructors in statistics courses. In their practices, instructors mostly referred to basic concepts component and they referred to statistical process component at least. As a result of Chi-Square analysis it was seen that all of differences based on statistics practices between components and aspects according to programs were statistically significant. And key aspects were identified for statistical literacy based on the practices of statistics courses. Important steps would be taken to raise undergraduate students’ statistical literacy levels if these aspects are taken into consideration at determining the course context and designing the practices.

Promoting and assessing statistical literacy among university students. The case of Tuscany

One of the strategic goals of Istat, Italian NSI, is to promote statistical literacy (SL) both at central and at local level. In this context, for the first time in Italy, territorial Office of Istat in Tuscany developed a new line of research, addressed to the measurement of SL. The activity was held thanks to the cooperation with the statistical departments of the three Universities located in Tuscany (Pisa, Florence and Siena). Core of the project was the implementation of an on line questionnaire (named QValStatM) with a twofold objective. The first aim is to promote SL: the form is presented in a charming way and is associated with various statistical messages. The second aim is to measure SL in terms of number of corrected answers: each compiler immediately received his statistical profile according to the positioning of the “statistical dashboard”. Over 10,000 first-year undergraduate students were given the questionnaire. Results are of a certain interest: in the range between 0 and 12 the mean score was of 7.64 which states for a hardly sufficient level of SL. As expected, results are significantly different according to various individual covariates (course attended, gender, school curricula). The present paper intends to illustrate in detail the project, the questionnaire, the method of administering, the results and implications for future strategies to promote SL.

Undergraduate Students’ Statistical Literacy: A Survey Study

Statistical literacy has been recognized as essential knowledge that all citizens need to possess in today's information-driven society. Undergraduate students require statistical knowhow and skills to apply in their studies and everyday's life. The aim of this study was to assess the level of statistical literacy among undergraduate students in Thailand. The two element model of statistical literacy by Gal (2004), knowledge component (comprised of five cognitive elements: literacy skills, statistical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, context knowledge, and critical questions) and a dispositional component (comprised of two elements: critical stance, and beliefs and attitudes), was used. A survey was administered to 103 undergraduate students of Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University. The results revealed that the undergraduate students had moderate level of overall statistical literacy, knowledge component and a dispositional component. In the knowledge component, the students had high level of literacy skills and mathematical knowledge, moderate level of statistical knowledge and critical questions, and low level of context knowledge. Additionally, in the dispositional component, the students had moderate level of critical stance, and beliefs and attitudes. The practical implications for educators to improve students’ statistical literacy were discussed.

The effect of project-based learning on students’ statistical literacy levels for data representation

The point of this study is to define the effect of project-based learning approach on 8th Grade secondary-school students’ statistical literacy levels for data representation. To achieve this goal, a test which consists of 12 open-ended questions in accordance with the views of experts was developed. Seventy 8th grade secondary-school students, 35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group, took this test twice, one before the application and one after the application. All the raw scores were turned into linear points by using the Winsteps 3.72 modelling program that makes the Rasch analysis and t-tests, and an ANCOVA analysis was carried out with the linear points. Depending on the findings, it was concluded that the project-based learning approach increases students’ level of statistical literacy for data representation. Students’ levels of statistical literacy before and after the application were shown through the obtained person-item maps.

Educação estatística e a formação de professores de matemática: cenário de pesquisas brasileiras

No presente artigo apresentamos um cenário de pesquisas brasileiras na área de Educação Estatística e formação de professores de Matemática, disponibilizadas no Banco de Teses da CAPES, na busca de compreender quais discussões têm sido privilegiadas. Enquanto estudo documental, realizamos uma análise interpretativa de 23 teses e dissertações (1998-2011) e identificamos quatro eixos temáticos: (i) objetivos para o ensino de Probabilidade e Estatística; (ii) nível de letramento estatístico de professores de Matemática da Educação Básica; (iii) impressões e práticas letivas de professores da Educação Básica quanto a Probabilidade e Estatística; e (iv) formação de professores de Matemática que ensinarão/ensinam Probabilidade e Estatística na Educação Básica. Os resultados indicam a existência de poucos trabalhos abordando diretamente Educação Estatística na formação de professores e diversos aspectos que necessitam ser investigados. Em decorrência dos resultados, apresentamos algumas temáticas que podem orientar e fortalecer as pesquisas no campo da Educação Estatística.

8. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Örneklem Kavramına Yönelik İstatistiksel Okuryazarlık Seviyelerinin Belirlenmesi

The purpose of this study is to determine the statistical literacy levels of performance related to sampling concept of middle school students with the Partial Credit Model in Rasch measurement. Within this scope, a Statistical Literacy Test for the Sampling Concept (OKYIOT), which is composed of 12 open ended questions was developed. A total of 60 middle school students in Trabzon in 2010-2011 academic year participated in the study. Firstly questions created about sampling and according to statistical literacy hierarchy rubrics were created. Students were asked to answer questions related to sampling. Partial Credit Model was used as the measurement model for the examination of construct validity. All analyses were completed using Winsteps 3.72 computer software. Reliability figures were also satisfactory (RI = 0,91; RP = 0,81; Cronbach alpha = 0,80). The results of this study demonstrated that works in accordance with the purpose of OKYIOT test items and student responses. In this study students often concentrated on the third level of statisticial literacy framework. This result is compatible with other studies.

The Effect of Project Based Learning on the Statistical Literacy Levels of Student 8th Grade

<p style="text-align:justify">This study examines the effect of project based learning on 8th grade students’ statistical literacy levels. A performance test was developed for this aim. Quasi-experimental research model was used in this article. In this context, the statistics were taught with traditional method in the control group and it was taught using project based learning in the intervention group. Statistics was given for four weeks according to pro ject based learning at intervention group. The performance test was applied to total 70 students as pre and post-test. Participants are from two different classes of a middle school in Trabzon. The data were analysed using Rasch measurement techniques. This measurement allowed both students’ performance and item difficulties to be measured using the same metric and placed on the same scale. All raw scores converted linear score in order to obtain equal interval scale. Acquired linear scores were compared. In the analysis of gained datum covariance analysis are used. According to gained results in pre-processing application there isn’t substantial difference between the achievements of intervention group and control group; but after processing between the achievements of intervention group and control group there is a substantial difference statistically in favor of intervention group. The results of the study revealed that the project based learning increased students’ statistical literacy levels in the intervention group.</p>

An overview of the statistical methods reported by studies using the Canadian community health survey

BackgroundThe Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) is a cross-sectional survey that has collected information on health determinants, health status and the utilization of the health system in Canada since 2001. Several hundred articles have been written utilizing the CCHS dataset. Previous analyses of statistical methods utilized in the literature have focused on a particular journal or set of journals to understand the statistical literacy required for understanding the published research. In this study, we describe the statistical methods referenced in the published literature utilizing the CCHS dataset(s).MethodsA descriptive study was undertaken of references published in Medline, Embase, Web of Knowledge and Scopus associated with the CCHS. These references were imported into a Java application utilizing the searchable Apache Lucene text database and screened based upon pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full-text PDF articles that met the inclusion criteria were then used for the identification of descriptive, elementary and regression statistical methods referenced in these articles. The identification of statistical methods occurred through an automated search of key words on the full-text articles utilizing the Java application.ResultsWe identified 4811 references from the 4 bibliographical databases for possible inclusion. After exclusions, 663 references were used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics such as means or proportions were presented in a majority of the articles (97.7%). Elementary-level statistics such as t-tests were less frequently referenced (29.7%) than descriptive statistics. Regression methods were frequently referenced in the articles: 79.8% of articles contained reference to regression in general with logistic regression appearing most frequently in 67.1% of the articles.ConclusionsOur study shows a diverse set of analysis methods being referenced in the CCHS literature, however, the literature heavily relies on only a subset of all possible statistical tools. This information can be used in identifying gaps in statistical methods that could be applied to future analysis of public health surveys, insight into training and educational programs, and also identifies the level of statistical literacy needed to understand the published literature.

Goodbye to Gobbledegook: An Introduction to Basic Statistics in Primary Care

‘Smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer’. This may now seem like a somewhat uninteresting fact because it is such common knowledge, yet 60 years ago relatively few people were aware of this. It has only been with the aid of research methods and statistical techniques that such a consequence of smoking was introduced to society and is now well accepted. Such trends towards evidence-based medicine can only flourish in a culture of statistical literacy. Moreover, how can we even start to effectively critically analyse a scientific paper if we do not understand the basic statistical techniques the researcher has adopted? Part of the perceived complexity with this process is a (natural) fear of statistics and consequent lack of understanding of statistical processes. To obtain a functional level of statistical literacy, one must understand the vocabulary of statistical terms, statistical methods and the effect of statistics on study design.

Developing Concepts of Sampling

A key element in developing ideas associated with statistical inference involves developing concepts of sampling. The objective of this research was to understand the characteristics of students' constructions of the concept of sample. Sixty-two students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 were interviewed using open-ended questions related to sampling; written responses to a questionnaire were also analyzed. Responses were characterized in relation to the content, structure, and objectives of statistical literacy. Six categories of construction were identified and described in relation to the sophistication of developing concepts of sampling. These categories illustrate helpful and unhelpful foundations for an appropriate understanding of representativeness and hence will help curriculum developers and teachers plan interventions. How do children develop the intuitions that form the foundation for sampling in statistics? Many educators appear to assume students understand the part-whole relationship of sample to sampled and the purpose of seeing what the whole is like. Is there a need to make more explicit the transition from out-of-school connotations of sampling, such as in supermarkets or medical contexts in which variation is not usually an issue, to representative sampling required for inference, sampling that must depict the underlying population without bias? This question reflects one of the educational issues underlying the research reported in this article. Another issue is associated with the goal of students' achieving, before they leave school, a level of statistical literacy that will allow them to contribute meaningfully to social decision making based on quantitative data. In the context of sampling, meeting this goal requires that students develop both an understanding of sampling methods and the motivation to be able to question claims based on biased sampling methods.