Many reports draw attention to the significant and measurable decline over the last decade in students’ mathematical skills, even among those with good A-level grades in mathematics. Evidence is provided from several independent sources (e.g. Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) 2002) that even students who are well qualified do not possess the necessary manipulative skills in algebra and basic calculus. It is argued that numeracy, a critical feature of basic mathematical ability, does not represent an elementary skill. The capability to estimate, having a sense of size and relative importance of numbers, the ability to perform simple mental arithmetic, and specific topics such as percentage and ratio must not be taken for granted at university level or seen as only the concern of the very earliest level of education. The aim of this article is to illustrate results of the direct assessment of students’ numeracy in a firstyear introductory statistics course and the effects of basic numerical and graphical skills on students’ level of mastery of statistical concepts. These results are part of a research project carried out at the University of Glasgow in the academic year 2001/2002. The results can give rise to further work in order to assess whether the outcomes found are related to the specific context of the course analysed or can be extended and considered typical features of service courses in general.
The Relationship between Poor Numerical Abilities and Subsequent Difficulty in Accumulating Statistical Knowledge
GNALDI, MICHELA
2006
Abstract
Many reports draw attention to the significant and measurable decline over the last decade in students’ mathematical skills, even among those with good A-level grades in mathematics. Evidence is provided from several independent sources (e.g. Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) 2002) that even students who are well qualified do not possess the necessary manipulative skills in algebra and basic calculus. It is argued that numeracy, a critical feature of basic mathematical ability, does not represent an elementary skill. The capability to estimate, having a sense of size and relative importance of numbers, the ability to perform simple mental arithmetic, and specific topics such as percentage and ratio must not be taken for granted at university level or seen as only the concern of the very earliest level of education. The aim of this article is to illustrate results of the direct assessment of students’ numeracy in a firstyear introductory statistics course and the effects of basic numerical and graphical skills on students’ level of mastery of statistical concepts. These results are part of a research project carried out at the University of Glasgow in the academic year 2001/2002. The results can give rise to further work in order to assess whether the outcomes found are related to the specific context of the course analysed or can be extended and considered typical features of service courses in general.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
