An Investigation into the Statistics Education of Preservice Mathematics Teachers in an Irish University

Abstract

This chapter investigates how well second-level preservice mathematics teachers at one Irish third-level teacher education college are prepared to teach statistics. An empirical study on the conceptual understanding of core statistical concepts of these preservice teachers as they prepare to graduate is presented. This issue is pertinent internationally (Shaughnessy, 1992; Zieffler et al., 2008) but particularly in Ireland currently as a new mathematics curriculum at second level, entitled “Project Maths,” was rolled out to all schools nationally in September, 2010. This new curriculum included a move from a situation where Statistics and Probability was previously an optional component of the exit-level school state examinations to a situation where it forms a compulsory one-fifth of the new curriculum. A study was carried out on 115 (86 % of the total 134) preservice mathematics teachers in the institution to assess how well prepared these preservice teachers are to teach statistics when they qualify. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings and the potential impact on their future students.

Keywords

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