Introducing density histograms to grades 10 and 12 students

Authors Lonneke Boels, Anna Shvarts
Published in G.F. Burrill, L. De Oliveria Souza & E. Reston (Eds.), Research on reasoning with data and statistical thinking: International perspectives. Advances in Mathematics Education.
Publication date 2023
Research groups Mathematical and analytical competence of professionals
Type Book

Summary

Density histograms can bridge the gap between histograms and continuous probability distributions, but research on how to learn and teach them is scarce. In this paper, we explore the learning of density histograms with the research question: How can a sequence of tasks designed from an embodied instrumentation perspective support students’ understanding of density histograms? Through a sequence of tasks based on students’ notions of area, students reinvented unequal bin widths and density in histograms. The results indicated that students had no difficulty choosing bin widths or using area in a histogram. Nevertheless, reinvention of the vertical density scale required intense teacher intervention suggesting that in future designs, this scale should be modified to align with students’ informal notions of area. This study contributes to a new genre of tasks in statistics education based on the design heuristics of embodied instrumentation.

On this publication contributed

  • Lonneke Boels
    Lonneke Boels
    • Researcher
    • Research group: Mathematical and analytical competence of professionals

Language English
Published in G.F. Burrill, L. De Oliveria Souza & E. Reston (Eds.), Research on reasoning with data and statistical thinking: International perspectives. Advances in Mathematics Education.
Key words density histograms, design-based research, embodied design, statistics education
Page range 143-167

Lonneke Boels

Lonneke Boels

Lonneke Boels

  • Researcher
  • Research group: Mathematical and analytical competence of professionals