A study of 3rd graders’ views of distributions of qualitative data

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show how 3^rd graders develop views of distributions of qualitative data in order to provide some implications for statistics teaching in elementary school. For this purpose, the study implemented and analyzed the research with the task to require of conjecturing distributions of qualitative data for 3^rd graders who have learned bar graph. As a result, almost pupils could pick up some elements of distribution of qualitative data. However, some pupils could integrate the elements with each other, whereas others could not. From the findings, two types of statistics teaching in elementary school were proposed: (1) the approach of implementing the activity of reading the aggregate characteristics of distribution by using the questions of the current arithmetic textbooks in teaching of bar graph at the 3^rd grade, (2) the approach of repeatedly implementing the activity in statistics teaching at the upper grades.