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Statistics Education Research

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International Handbook of Research in Statistics Education

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

Abstract

This chapter sketches in broad strokes and critically examines several aspects of the world of research that pertain to the teaching, learning, understanding, and using of statistics and probability in diverse contexts, both formal and informal. It reflects on the methods and conceptual schemes that underlie the research activity in this field (the how), the topics being researched (the what), and the people carrying out the research (the who). The chapter examines purposes and motivations for different types of studies in statistics education, distinguishing between large-R research that often aims for academic reporting and generalizability versus small-r types of research whose motivation is more on local problems set in a particular context. We illustrate some trends in the field by presenting empirical results from an exploratory qualitative analysis of the text of a body of papers and publications in the field. The chapter points out that the range of what qualifies as research in (or of relevance to) statistics education is much broader than what gets published in leading journals and conferences in our field. It highlights the multiplicity of philosophical foundations and methodologies in use. Some directions for future development and research are outlined, including aspects of statistical literacy, cultural dimensions of statistics education research, the role of practitioner inquiry, and the importance of broad interdisciplinary research in statistics education.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Statistics, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia

    Peter Petocz

  2. Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Anna Reid

  3. Department of Human Services, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Iddo Gal

Authors
  1. Peter Petocz
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  2. Anna Reid
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  3. Iddo Gal
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Correspondence to Peter Petocz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Dani Ben-Zvi

  2. School of Education, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

    Katie Makar

  3. Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Joan Garfield

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Petocz, P., Reid, A., Gal, I. (2018). Statistics Education Research. In: Ben-Zvi, D., Makar, K., Garfield, J. (eds) International Handbook of Research in Statistics Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66195-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66195-7_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66193-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66195-7

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