Chapter 11: The Research Frontier: Where Technology Interacts With the Teaching and Learning of Data Analysis and Statistics

Data analysis and statistics¹ have emerged as major topics in primary and secondary school (K-12) mathematics curricula during the 1990s (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NCTM, 1989, 2000). Statistics—a discipline addressed primarily at the postsecondary level prior to the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989)—has lacked definition at the kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) levels. The lack of clarity about what content to address has resulted in initial work focusing on how to take traditional statistics and translate the content—or more specifically, techniques—for use with younger students. Instructional practices have not been well defined. Increased attention has been given by researchers and curriculum developers to setting better directions for what K-12 students need to know and be able to do with respect to data analysis and statistics and with respect to defining the nature of instruction needed to support these directions.