Assessing statistical reasoning in descriptive statistics: a qualitative meta-analysis

To date, there are abundant studies on statistical reasoning in descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Nevertheless, the types of statistical reasoning assessments used in those studies are different from each other. Hence, this qualitative meta-analysis is aimed to explore the methods utilized in assessing statistical reasoning among students from all levels in descriptive statistics. A total of 36 studies on reasoning about measures of central tendency, variability and distribution were found and reviewed in this paper. It was noticed that six major types of methods were employed to assess students’ statistical reasoning in descriptive statistics, namely interview, survey or questionnaire, tasks, tests, minute paper, and teaching. This study contributes considerably to the statistical reasoning area as it provides new information on statistical reasoning in descriptive statistics. For future studies, some recommendations are proposed to improve statistical reasoning assessments

LEARNING DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS: A METASYNTHESIS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Teaching methodology is continually developing over time. There is a need to revise the methods that have been planned and examined. This research explores the development of Differential Equations teaching methods from the year 2000 onwards. The methodology used in this paper is metasynthesis research. In the last chapter, the researchers proposed using online learning as a new method of teaching. Keywords: metasynthesis, Differential Equations, teaching methodology, online learning, technology

Pembangunan Bahan E-Pembelajaran Berasaskan Sistem Pengurusan Kursus : ‘Introduction To Biology’, ‘Respiration’ Dan ‘Endangered Ecosystem’

Teknologi terkini e-pembelajaran telah berjaya mempengaruhi sistem pendidikan di semua peringkat dari sekolah rendah hinggalah ke Institut Pengajian Tinggi (IPT). Untuk mewujudkan komuniti pembelajaran terbuka dalam dunia pendidikan yang berasaskan web, e-pembelajaran dilihat sebagai satu alternatif yang berkesan. Walau bagaimanapun, keberkesanan e-pembelajaran bergantung kepada unsur pedagogi yang diterapkan kepadanya. Dalam pembangunan projek ini, satu sistem pengurusan kursus yang dikenali sebagai MOODLE telah dipilih memandangkan rekabentuknya menyokong prinsip konstruktivisme sosial. Bagi melancarkan lagi proses pembangunan, model ADDIE digunakan bagi membantu pembangun dalam merancang dan membangunkan projek web portal. Bahan e-pembelajaran yang dibangunkan ini merangkumi tiga tajuk iaitu ’Introduction to Biology’, ’Respiration’ dan ’Endangered Ecosystem’ yang mengandungi sebelas subtopik. Untuk setiap subtopik disajikan dengan pelbagai sumber dan aktiviti pembelajaran mengikut kurikulum Biologi Tingkatan empat. Nota guru disediakan dalam dua format iaitu HTML dan Power Point manakala nota pelajar disediakan dalam format 'Lesson'. Latihan dalam 'Quizzes' dibina berdasarkan miskonsepsi dan kesalahan lazim. Selain itu, web portal ini juga menyediakan kuiz interaktif dalam 'Hot Potatoes Quiz', ‘Forum’ bagi membincangkan segala masalah pembelajaran dan ‘Chat’ sebagai ruangan perbincangan tugasan berkumpulan. Keistimewaan sistem e-pembelajaran ini di antaranya ialah pelajar dijangka dapat memanafaatkan untuk tujuan pembelajaran kendiri dan pembelajaran kolaboratif dengan keupayaannya untuk memberi maklumbalas yang spontan, memperolehi bimbingan daripada guru mahupun rakan-rakan di mana gaya pembelajaran ini sukar dicapai dalam sistem pendidikan tradisional

Assessing Misconceptions in Reasoning About Variability Among High School Students

AbstractPrevious studies demonstrated that students encountered difficulties in understanding the concept of variability. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify the misconceptions in reasoning about variability among tenth grade students in Malaysia. In this study, a statistical reasoning test consisting of five main questions with 16 items was employed. A total of 412 students from nine secondary schools participated in solving problems. The results showed that 41.5% of students answered a question concerning standard deviation incorrectly. Two new misconceptions about variability have been discovered in this study. Several recommendations are proposed in order to overcome students’ incorrect reasoning. This study helps instructors and researchers to design appropriate assessment and learning activities in a statistics classroom

Learning 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional Geometry with Geogebra: Which Would Students Do Better?

The purpose of this study is to examine the geometric thinking of young children who worked with GeoGebra to learn two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) geometry. GeoGebra is an open sourced dynamic mathematics software which is applicable for learning mathematics from primary school to secondary school and to higher education. Thirty pupils studying in second grade (Year 2) at a school located in Pontian, a district in one of the Malaysian state participated in the study. They attended GeoGebra sessions to construct and analyze dynamics of two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometry after learning these topics in the conventional setting. Pretest and posttest on two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial ability based on Van Hiele level of geometric thinking were administered to the pupils. The comparison between pretest and posttest results demonstrate significant enhancement in visualization and informal deduction for both 2-D and 3-D geometry. Moreover from the intervention, the students benefit most in analyzing 3-D and visualizing 2-D geometry. Interestingly, skills and knowledge acquired through activities using GeoGebra in student-centered learning environment could be successfully transferred to paper and pencil test

Pembangunan Ruangan Statistik Dan Sejarah Dalam Majalah Web Dinamik ’Dunia Matematik’

’Dunia Matematik’ merupakan sistem e-pembelajaran yang dilihat berpotensi sebagai alternatif yang berkesan dalam pembelajaran. Projek ini menekankan pembelajaran secara terbuka yang menjangkaui batasan silibus matapelajaran matematik di sekolah. Dalam menghasilkan majalah web yang dinamik, perisian sistem kandungan dipilih sebagai medium penyampaian kerana perisian ini mudah digunakan dan percuma. Seterusnya, model ADDIE dipilih sebagai model rekabentuk kerana ia bertepatan dengan ciri-ciri majalah web yang menekankan proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran. Rekabentuk ’Dunia Matematik’ menyokong prinsip sosial konstruktivisme yang menekankan pengetahuan terbina semasa aktiviti sosial seperti perbincangan dan pertukaran pendapat antara ahli kumpulan serta interaksi antara rakan. Sehingga kini, sebanyak tujuh keluaran ‘Dunia Matematik’ telah dihasilkan. ‘Dunia Matematik’ dikeluarkan setiap bulan dan ia memuatkan beberapa ruangan yang memberikan pendedahan tentang kepelbagaian cabang matematik termasuklah Fokus, Isu Semasa, Kesenian, Sejarah, Statistik Kerjaya, Tokoh, Aplikasi, Tahukah Anda manakala aktiviti-aktiviti yang boleh dilakukan ialah seperti Pelajari Matematik, Perisian Matematik, Uji kefahaman, Permainan, Uji Minda dan Kuiz. Namun penulisan ini hanya tertumpu kepada dua ruangan Dunia Matematik iaitu “Sejarah” dan “Statistik”. Sejarah matematik adalah merupakan bidang yang patut diambil perhatian oleh pelajar kerana pembangun cuba membawa pelajar meneroka sendiri tentang sejarah perkembangan matematik dunia. Manakala bagi ruangan statistik pula akan membawa pembaca mengenali rahsia aplikasi statistik dalam kehidupan. Selain kepelbagaian artikel, “Dunia Matematik” turut menyediakan ruang komen dan chat sebagai ruang interaksi sesama pembaca. Diharapkan “Dunia Matematik” dapat dijadikan bahan pembacaan untuk meningkatkan kefahaman serta sikap positif dalam kalangan pembaca

A Rasch Model Analysis on Secondary Students’ Statistical Reasoning Ability in Descriptive Statistics

AbstractEarlier studies provided evidence that students had misconceptions in statistical reasoning. This study was aimed to determine the statistical reasoning ability in descriptive statistics among the tenth-grade students from Malaysian secondary schools. There were 412 participants randomly selected for this study. An instrument called statistical reasoning test which consisted of five questions with 16 items was utilized. The results obtained were analyzed using Rasch measurement model including person reliability, variable map, and person analysis report. The findings indicated that statistical reasoning ability of tenth graders seem to be at a poor level. Thus, the instructors and researchers should put efforts to enhance students’ statistical reasoning ability in future studies

Engineering Mathematics Obstacles and Improvement: A Comparative Study of Students and Lecturers Perspectives Through Creative Problem Solving

AbstractThis study is part of a project concerned with the students’ obstacles in face-to-face Engineering Mathematics classrooms through mathematical thinking approach. The main data collection for this study was carried out through students’ structured questionnaires of three classes at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in the end of semester. The findings showed that the students’ obstacles from students’ and lecturers’ perspectives are approximately the same and the majority of each group separately believed that two main obstacles in the learning of Engineering Mathematics are imaging and sketching in the 3-dimensions. The analysis showed that for both groups different thinking skills and tools from Creative Problem Solving (CPS) are less important methods that can help students to overcome learning obstacles

Language learning strategies of students in content-based instruction

This study investigates the learning strategies of students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The study was mainly motivated by concerns about the standards of English of graduates of Malaysian universities. These concerns have also been expressed by the IIUM, one of the few universities in Malaysia using English as the medium of instruction. The primary objective of this research has been to identify what good language learners do to learn a second language. The study investigated frequency of strategy use according to type of courses (i.e. content-based versus non content-based), gender, and proficiency levels. There were 312 students taking English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. Their learning strategies were investigated through an analysis of their responses to Rebecca Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, 1990), an instrument that has been validated in a number of studies. The study found that the students from the different degree programmes differed in the use of the six different strategies. The study also did not find any significant relationship between language learning strategies and gender