High school students’ levels of thinking in regard to statistical study design

Abstract

The study describes levels of thinking in regard to the design of statistical studies. Clinical interviews were conducted with 15 students. Each student was enrolled in high school or was a recent graduate. The students interviewed represented a range of mathematical backgrounds. During the clinical interview sessions, students were asked how they would go about designing studies to answer several different quantifiable questions. Several levels of sophistication were identified in their responses. The levels of sophistication in response are discussed in terms of the Biggs and Collis (1982, 1991) cognitive model.