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Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Understanding of Descriptive Statistics Using a Modeling Instructional Approach

Received: 12 October 2016     Accepted: 27 October 2016     Published: 10 January 2017
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explain how secondary students can enhance their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach and to what extent do students improve their achievement of procedural and conceptual understanding in descriptive statistics using Modeling Instructional Approach. The study was conducted at two secondary schools in urban district in West Oromia Zone, Ethiopia. For comparisons, four grade nine sections with a total of 163 students were selected by purposive sampling technique. Quality Assurance Guide instrument was used to assess students’ models on Model Eliciting Activities (MEA). Standard questions were used for achievement tests on procedural and conceptual understanding of descriptive statistics. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and independent t-test. The qualitative data of the study was analyzed using thematic and content analyses. The findings of this study are: though students found MEAs cognitively challenging tasks, they constructed different models working in a team collaboratively. The study showed students more likely can enhance their critical understanding of descriptive statistics and gain modeling experiences working on relevant non-routine tasks like MEAs and doing project on their own themes. Also a statistically significant difference was found on conceptual understanding achievement test with medium effect size using Modeling Approach, but no statistical significant difference was found on procedural understanding achievement test except female comparison. The findings of this study suggested students more likely enhanced their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach.

Published in Education Journal (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12
Page(s) 5-21
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Descriptive Statistics, Non-Routine Problems, Model-Eliciting Activities, Understanding, Achievement

References
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  • APA Style

    Mulugeta Woldemicheal Gebresenbet, Mulugeta Atnafu Ayele. (2017). Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Understanding of Descriptive Statistics Using a Modeling Instructional Approach. Education Journal, 6(1), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12

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    ACS Style

    Mulugeta Woldemicheal Gebresenbet; Mulugeta Atnafu Ayele. Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Understanding of Descriptive Statistics Using a Modeling Instructional Approach. Educ. J. 2017, 6(1), 5-21. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12

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    AMA Style

    Mulugeta Woldemicheal Gebresenbet, Mulugeta Atnafu Ayele. Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Understanding of Descriptive Statistics Using a Modeling Instructional Approach. Educ J. 2017;6(1):5-21. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12,
      author = {Mulugeta Woldemicheal Gebresenbet and Mulugeta Atnafu Ayele},
      title = {Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Understanding of Descriptive Statistics Using a Modeling Instructional Approach},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {6},
      number = {1},
      pages = {5-21},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20170601.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20170601.12},
      abstract = {The purpose of this study is to explain how secondary students can enhance their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach and to what extent do students improve their achievement of procedural and conceptual understanding in descriptive statistics using Modeling Instructional Approach. The study was conducted at two secondary schools in urban district in West Oromia Zone, Ethiopia. For comparisons, four grade nine sections with a total of 163 students were selected by purposive sampling technique. Quality Assurance Guide instrument was used to assess students’ models on Model Eliciting Activities (MEA). Standard questions were used for achievement tests on procedural and conceptual understanding of descriptive statistics. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and independent t-test. The qualitative data of the study was analyzed using thematic and content analyses. The findings of this study are: though students found MEAs cognitively challenging tasks, they constructed different models working in a team collaboratively. The study showed students more likely can enhance their critical understanding of descriptive statistics and gain modeling experiences working on relevant non-routine tasks like MEAs and doing project on their own themes. Also a statistically significant difference was found on conceptual understanding achievement test with medium effect size using Modeling Approach, but no statistical significant difference was found on procedural understanding achievement test except female comparison. The findings of this study suggested students more likely enhanced their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AB  - The purpose of this study is to explain how secondary students can enhance their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach and to what extent do students improve their achievement of procedural and conceptual understanding in descriptive statistics using Modeling Instructional Approach. The study was conducted at two secondary schools in urban district in West Oromia Zone, Ethiopia. For comparisons, four grade nine sections with a total of 163 students were selected by purposive sampling technique. Quality Assurance Guide instrument was used to assess students’ models on Model Eliciting Activities (MEA). Standard questions were used for achievement tests on procedural and conceptual understanding of descriptive statistics. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and independent t-test. The qualitative data of the study was analyzed using thematic and content analyses. The findings of this study are: though students found MEAs cognitively challenging tasks, they constructed different models working in a team collaboratively. The study showed students more likely can enhance their critical understanding of descriptive statistics and gain modeling experiences working on relevant non-routine tasks like MEAs and doing project on their own themes. Also a statistically significant difference was found on conceptual understanding achievement test with medium effect size using Modeling Approach, but no statistical significant difference was found on procedural understanding achievement test except female comparison. The findings of this study suggested students more likely enhanced their understanding of descriptive statistics using Modeling Approach.
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Author Information
  • Department of Mathematics, College of Science, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

  • Department of Science & Mathematics Education, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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