This paper is from Session 2F: Innovative approaches to improve pedagogical content knowledge at the school level

which comes under Topic 2: Statistics education at school level

Improving the perceived value and affect of statistics in elementary and middle school teachers through the development of pedagogical content knowledge

Presenter

• Tamara Pearson (Clayton State University, United States)

Abstract

As Arthur Benjamin discusses in his TED talk (www.ted.com), statistics is often undervalued because we live in a society where mathematics curriculum follows a path from arithmetic, to algebra, and finally to calculus. Many elementary and secondary educators do not deem it worthy of substantial focus in their classrooms, and therefore thousands of college students struggle through statistics courses as they try to build on an unstable foundation. Research from an intensive professional development program for 4th-8th grade teachers in which increases in perceived value and affect were achieved through a focus on pedagogical content knowledge is presented. Included are teacher journal entries, discussion of program development, and implications for future research and practice.