Reaching out: Some Issues and Dilemmas in Expanding Statistics Education


Book: 
Introducing Data Analysis in the Schools: Who Should Teach it and How? International Statistical Institute Round Table Conference, August 1992, Quebec, Canada
Authors: 
Gal, I.
Editors: 
Pereira-Mendoza, L.
Category: 
Pages: 
189-203
Year: 
1993
Publisher: 
International Statistical Institute
Place: 
Voorburg, Netherlands
Abstract: 

In this paper we focus mainly on the expansion of instruction. Specifically, we examine existing approaches and programs for teaching statistics primarily from the perspective of their ability to reach teachers working with the majority of U.S. students, in "average" or "below average" schools, and who, so far, had made little or no effort to teach statistics. Such teachers often teach the "forgotten halfs" (the 50% or so of U.S. students who do not go to college), the students who may go to college but drop out, and the students who will not be exposed to statistics education after leaving high school. In particular, we examine programs offered to mathematics educators where, ever since the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has formally included a strand on statistics in its 1989 Curriculum and Evaluation Standards, attempts to introduce statistics into U.S. schools seem to be most visible.

The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education

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