An investigation of 7th grade students’ statistical literacy about the concepts of average and variation on bar and line graphs

Tez Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Matematik ve Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tez Danışmanı: Mine Işıksal Bostan

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2018

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Özet:

The aim of the present study was to analyze statistical literacy of seventh grade students on the concepts of “average” and “variation” on bar and line graphs related to the data obtained from social or scientific contexts. More specifically, seventh grade students’ statistical literacy levels in terms of the concepts of “average” and “variation” on bar and line graphs related to the data obtained from social or scientific contexts were determined and how students at different statistical literacy levels define, interpret and evaluate the concepts of average and variation was investigated.

Participants of the study were 164 seventh grade students from two public middle schools in Akyurt and Çankaya district of Ankara. Data of the study were collected via Statistical Literacy Test (SLT) during the spring semester of 2017-2018 academic year. Obtained data were analyzed using the statistical literacy framework of Watson and Callingham (2003) which consists of six hierarchical levels, beginning from Level 1 to Level 6.

The findings of the study indicated that statistical literacy levels of the students were generally higher in the average concept when compared to determined statistical literacy levels related to the concept of variation. While most of the students generally performed at Level 3-4 in the framework of Watson and Callingham (2003) in the questions related to average concept, most of them performed at Level 1-2 in the questions related to the concept of variation. To state it differently, while most of the students could interpret the concept of average on bar and line graphs, most of them had difficulty in interpreting the variation concept on bar and line graphs related to the data obtained from social or scientific contexts. Moreover, almost all students had difficulty in evaluation of the average and variation concepts on bar and line graphs related to the data obtained from social or scientific contexts. Lastly, while students’ interpretations and evaluations of the average concept when data were presented on bar and line graphs did not differ much from the current studies in the literature, bar and line graphs seems to be helpful for students in evaluation of the concept of variation.