Exploring the Role of Context in Students' Understanding of Sampling

• Published in: Statistics education research journal Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 32 - 58
• Main Authors: Wroughton, Jacqueline R, McGowan, Herle M, Weiss, Leigh V, Cope, Tara M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Association for Statistics Education and the International Statistical Institute 01-11-2013
• Subjects: College Students; Context Effect; Demography; Grounded Theory; Interviews; Introductory Courses; Kentucky; Measures (Individuals); New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Sampling; Statistical Bias; Statistics; Student Attitudes; Student Surveys; Thinking Skills; North Carolina; New York; Ohio; Kentucky
• ISSN: 1570-1824; 1570-1824
• DOI: 10.52041/serj.v12i2.303

Context provides meaning for data analysis and the evaluation of evidence but may be distracting to students. This research explores the role of context in students' reasoning about sampling: specifically, the relationship between the strength of students' opinions about a topic, which provides the context for a study, and their ability to judge the quality of the sampling method and the scope of the conclusions in the study. Data were collected at four diverse institutions in both a testing environment and through individual interviews. Student responses were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Testing environment results showed little evidence of the use of context whereas interview results showed more evidence of reliance on context-based opinions rather than statistical principles. (Contains 14 tables and 1 figure.)