Colloquium Series

Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Knowledge of Statistics and Knowledge for Teaching Statistics

Jennifer Noll Mathematics Education Candidate Portland State University

This study investigates graduate teaching assistants' (TAs) knowledge of sampling concepts and TAs' knowledge of teaching sampling concepts within the introductory statistics curriculum. For the past two decades the mathematics education community has placed increased emphasis on the teaching and learning of probability and statistics (NCTM, 2000; Ben-Zvi & Garfield, 2004). Graduate teaching assistants (TAs) teach the bulk of introductory statistics courses at many universities (Luzter, Maxwell, & Rodi, 2000); thus, they have the potential to play a vital role in undergraduate statistics education and in the promotion of statistical literacy among college students. Yet, little is known about TAs' statistical content knowledge and their knowledge for teaching statistics. This study is an important first step in creating a dialogue concerning the nature of TAs' knowledge of sampling and knowledge for teaching statistics. 68 TAs from 18 universities completed surveys containing several sampling tasks. Five of these TAs participated in a series of task-based interviews. The analysis of survey and interview data forms a basis for characterizing TAs' knowledge of sampling concepts. In particular, tension in TAs' understanding of the foundational concepts of sampling as they relate to statistical inference, a cornerstone of introductory statistics courses, will be examined.

Thursday, 8 February 2007 4:10 p.m. in Math 109

Spring 2007 Colloquium Schedule         Mathematical Sciences | The University of Montana