Pratt, D. (Dave), Johnston‐Wilder, Peter, Ainley, Janet and Mason, John. (2008) Local and global thinking in statistics inference. Statistics Education Research Journal, Vol.7 (No.2). pp. 107-129. ISSN 1570-1824

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Abstract

In this reflective paper, we explore students' local and global thinking about informal statistical inference through our observations of 10- to 11-year-olds, challenged to infer the unknown configuration of a virtual die, but able to use the die to generate as much data as they felt necessary. We report how they tended to focus on local changes in the frequency or relative frequency as the sample size grew larger. They generally failed to recognise that larger samples provided stability in the aggregated proportions, not apparent when the data were viewed from a local perspective. We draw on Mason's theory of the Structure of Attention to illuminate our observations, and attempt to reconcile differing notions of local and global thinking.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education Q Science > QA Mathematics
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Mathematical statistics -- Study and teaching (Elementary), Probabilities -- Study and teaching (Elementary), Inference
Journal or Publication Title:	Statistics Education Research Journal
Publisher:	International Association for Statistical Education
ISSN:	1570-1824
Date:	November 2008
Volume:	Vol.7
Number:	No.2
Page Range:	pp. 107-129
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/37578

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