ERIC Number: EJ1278446
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-948X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Students' Attitudes toward Learning Statistics with R
Counsell, Alyssa; Cribbie, Robert A.
Psychology Teaching Review, v26 n2 p36-56 2020
Statistics play an important role in psychology, but statistics modules are notoriously unpopular amongst psychology students. We examined attitudes toward statistics and attitudes toward the statistical software package R in both undergraduate and postgraduate students across the duration of a statistics module. Participants' responses were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results demonstrated that, on average, students in introductory level modules held neutral (not negative) attitudes, but students at higher study levels held somewhat positive attitudes towards R and statistics. While not all students enjoyed learning R, our findings demonstrate that many students enjoyed statistics or R, most students found statistics/R valuable and they generally reported feeling competent using software by the end of their module. These results challenge the argument that R is not suitable for undergraduate psychology students. Consequently, benefits, challenges, and implications of teaching R to psychology students are discussed.
Descriptors: College Students, Student Attitudes, Statistics, Psychology, Computer Software, Units of Study, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Student Experience, Positive Attitudes, Grades (Scholastic), Predictor Variables, Foreign Countries
British Psychological Society, Division for Teachers & Researchers in Psychology. St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR, UK. Tel: +44-1162-529551; Fax: +44-1162-271314; e-mail: directmail@bps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.bps.org.uk/publications/journals/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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