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Linking Science and Statistics: Curriculum Expectations in Three Countries

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Abstract

This paper focuses on the curriculum links between statistics and science that teachers need to understand and apply in order to be effective teachers of the two fields of study. Meaningful statistics does not exist without context and science is the context for this paper. Although curriculum documents differ from country to country, this paper uses extracts from three countries: Australia, New Zealand and the USA. The statistical ideas from the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, the New Zealand Mathematics and Statistics Curriculum and the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are linked to the relevant parts of the Australian Curriculum: Science, the New Zealand Science Curriculum and the US Next Generation Science Standards for States, by States. Teachers of mathematics need to be aware of the potential of science to provide meaningful contexts within which to set statistical investigations. Similarly, teachers of science, who are developing methods for implementing investigations and experiments in their classrooms, need to be aware of the close ties to statistical tools for decision-making.

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Notes

  1. There are various units on statistics at the senior secondary level in draft curricula, including one on statistical inference, but these are not official and not discussed here.

  2. In line with the conventions of the three countries, “year” is used for Australian curricula, “level” for New Zealand curricula and “grade” for US curricula.

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Acknowledgments

An earlier version of this paper, related only to Australia and the USA and without discussion, was presented at the 9th International Conference on Teaching Statistics, Flagstaff, AZ, July 2014.

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  1. Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 66, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Jane M. Watson

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  1. Jane M. Watson
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Correspondence to Jane M. Watson.

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Watson, J.M. Linking Science and Statistics: Curriculum Expectations in Three Countries. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 15, 1057–1073 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-015-9673-y

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