Constructing Data, Modeling Worlds: Collaborative Investigation of Statistical Reasoning

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This project have two general themes: 1) develop a new method of doing research in education which they refer to as collaboration and 2) conduct research statistical reasoning amount middle school students. The effort intends to conceptualize teaching and learning of statistics as a form of data modeling. It will conduct studies of statistical practices as used by professionals and then carry out classroom studies of students at late elementary and middle grades. The investigators intend to develop new formative and summative assessments of student learning in statistical reasoning and establish partnerships with participating teachers and develop materials. They will do comparative case studies of statistical consulting in a quasi-experimental design where client domains and local work practices are selected to serve as independent variables in the analysis, and the achieved generality of concepts that lie behind statistical procedures serves as the dependent variable.