Getting Started in SDSE Research Webinar Series: Theoretical Frameworks

This is the third webinar in a series designed for a broad audience of statistics and data science education researchers: young scholars beginning their research journeys, scholars from other disciplines interested in transitioning to statistics and data science education research, and existing statistics and data science researchers looking for new directions for their work.

This session will focus on theoretical frameworks: an important but often misunderstood element of education research. An initial talk will provide an overview of theoretical frameworks: what they are (and are not), why researchers need them, and how they benefit both the individual and the field. A second talk will discuss an example research study illustrating the use of a theoretical framework in statistics education. After the formal presentations, there will be time for audience questions and related discussion.

Presenters Bios:

Denise A. Spangler is in her 8th year serving as Dean of the Mary Frances Early College of Education at the University of Georgia. She is a former elementary school teacher, a member of the UGA Teaching Academy, and a recipient of the Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Through her research she seeks to understand how novice teachers put into practice what they have learned from their teacher education programs, their experiences in schools, and their own experiences as students and how they balance these sometimes competing experiences.

Dr Katie Makar is a Professor in Mathematics and Statistics Education at The University of Queensland and President of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). Her award-winning research focuses on mathematics teachers' learning of pedagogies that support complex problem solving and children's statistical reasoning in an era of data science. Funded by over $1.6 million in grants and consultancies, Katie's classroom-based research collaborates with practicing teachers to seek pragmatic solutions to improving teaching and learning.