FOSTERING STUDENTS' STATISTICAL REASONING, SELF-EFFICACY, AND ATTITUDES: FINDINGS FROM A COMPREHENSIVELY REFORMED UNDERGRADUATE STATISTICS COURSE

摘要

This study investigated to which degree a reform-based introductory statistics course improved its participants' statistical reasoning ability, their statistics self-efficacy, and their attitude toward the usefulness of statistics. In addition, it examined whether the learning outcomes differed with respect to the students' mathematical background, their class attendance, and their perceived teacher support. Ninety-six first year university students (97% female, mean age 19) participating in an introductory statistics course were assessed both at the beginning and at the end of the course. The results showed that the students' statistical reasoning ability and statistics self-efficacy increased significantly during the course. However, no significant changes were observed in their attitude toward the usefulness of statistics. The improvements in the students' statistical reasoning ability and statistics self-efficacy were regardless of their mathematical background, course attendance, and perceived teacher support. In this paper we present the results of this research study and discuss their implications for instruction, after which we will make some suggestions for further research.