ERIC Number: EJ1461586
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1033-2170
EISSN: EISSN-2211-050X
Available Date: 2024-04-10
Effects of a Learning Trajectory for Statistical Inference on 9th-Grade Students' Statistical Literacy
Mathematics Education Research Journal, v37 n1 p187-210 2025
In our data-driven society, it is essential for students to become statistically literate. A core domain within Statistical Literacy is Statistical Inference, the ability to draw inferences from sample data. Acquiring and applying inferences is difficult for students and, therefore, usually not included in the pre-10th-grade curriculum. However, recent studies suggest that developing a good understanding of key statistical concepts at an early age facilitates the understanding of Statistical Inference later on. This study evaluates the effects of a Learning Trajectory for Statistical Inference on Dutch 9th-grade students' Statistical Literacy. Theories on informal Statistical Inference and repeated sampling guided the Learning Trajectory's design. For the evaluation, we used a pre-post research design with an intervention group (n = 267). The results indicated that students made significant progress on Statistical Literacy and on the ability to make inferences in particular, but also on the other domains of Statistical Literacy. To further interpret the learning gains of this group, we compared students' results with national baseline achievements from a comparison group (n = 217) who followed the regular 9th-grade curriculum, and with international studies using similar test items. Both comparisons confirmed a significant positive effect on all domains of Statistical Literacy. These findings suggest that current statistics curricula for grades 7-9, usually with a strong descriptive focus, can be enriched with an inferential focus.
Descriptors: Statistical Inference, Learning Trajectories, Grade 9, High School Students, Multiple Literacies, Statistical Data, Sampling, Data, Achievement Gains, Mathematics Education, Mathematics Curriculum, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9; High Schools; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; 2University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands