CAREER: Designing Meaningful Learning Experiences for Statistical Literacy in Secondary Mathematics

Statistics and data science are increasingly necessary for an informed citizenry and for STEM professions. Learning about statistics concepts requires understanding how statistics and data are used in to interpret and describe patterns in real world situations. As middle and high school math classes include more statistics, teachers will need support in developing knowledge and resources for teaching statistical concepts and applications. In any learning context, students draw on their own knowledge and experience to understand new topics and concepts. This project will engage students and teachers in finding meaningful ways to use statistical reasoning to make data-based arguments and reason about patterns they observe in society. This CAREER award is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) which seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. The project examines the development of statistical literacy that combines statistical reasoning and thinking. The focus is in designing and refining an empirical theory of change for supporting the development of teachers’ statistical literacy. In this case a critical statistical literacy also includes how students learn about statistics in ways that are grounded in their experience and understanding of the world. Statistical literacy for students and teachers helps interpret and explain social phenomena using data collection and analysis. Students should be prepared to develop data-based arguments for interpreting and explaining real phenomenon. The project will use professional learning communities for teachers to learn about statistical literacy and develop learning experiences for their students. The research will examine teachers’ knowledge development and their use of statistical learning experiences for students. The data collection includes quantitative and qualitative sources. These include video analysis of the professional learning communities, measures of teachers’ statistical knowledge, and evidence from classroom interactions with students. This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.