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20 15 American Scientific Publishers
Advanced Science Letters
All rights reserved
Vol. 21(5), 121 1-1215,2015
Printed in the United States of America
A M E R I C A N SCIENTIFIC PUBILISHERS
The Impact of Statistical Reasoning Learning
Environment: A Rasch Analysis
Shiau Wei ~ h a n l * , Zaleha 1smai12, Bambang sumintono3 I
Faculty of Technology Management and Business, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia * ~ a c u l t ~ of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 813 10 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
3~nstitute of Educational Leadership, Universiti Malaya, 59990 Jalan Pantai Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Generally, statistics is taught using the traditional method that only promotes students' procedural knowledge instead of conceptual knowledge. Therefore, a model called Statistical Reasoning Learning Environment (SRLE) was utilized in this study to develop students' statistical reasoning ability. The effectiveness of this model was measured using the Rasch measurement model. In this study, 67 tenth-grade students participated in the quasi- experiment, where 35 students were assigned as the experimental group and 32 were assigned as the control group. The experimental group was treated with the SRLE instruction, while the control group received no treatment. Pre-test and post-test were given to both groups before and after the treatment. Then, the data were analyzed, including the validity and the reliability of the test, person and item reliability, separation, and person- item map. The findings revealed that the statistical reasoning of the experimental group was better than the control group. The SRLE instruction could be applied for future investigations, owing to its great impact on students' statistical reasoning.
Keywords: Statistical Reasoning Learning Environment, Rasch measurement model, Statistical Reasoning
1. INTRODUCTION
To date, statistics has become a mandatory
subject from primary schools to universities1 as it plays
important roles in many areas, such as education,
engineering, science, economics, business, and so forth.
Nevertheless, the instructors are apt to utilize the
traditional assessments and instructions, which involve
the routine rules, memorization of formula, and
computing skills while teaching statistics2. Such
circumstances could not enhance the students' conceptual
knowledge in statistics and have caused students to only
comprehend procedural
knowledge3. Consequently,
students have poor statistical reasoning4 and hold
numerous misconceptions related to the statistics, for
instance, the measures of the central tendency5,
variability6, and distribution7. As far as these matters are
Address:
swchan@,uthnl.edi~.~nv
1 Adv. Sci. Lett. Vol. 21, No. 5,2015
concerned, it is proposed that integrating the Statistical
Reasoning Learning Environment (SRLE) in the statistics
classroom can foster students' statistical reasoning which
focuses on the approaches used to reason with the
statistical concepts and make sense of statistical
information.
The SRLE is a model that has six instructional
principles, which are recommended by Cobb and
~ c ~ l a i n ' .
It is based on the social constructivism theory.
It is different from the traditional instruction in terms of
the role of technology, focus of lesson, role of teacher,
data, discourse, assessment, and function of textbook.
Despite the application of SRLE in schools, there have
been very few studies that reported on the effects of the
SRLE model. Thus, this study was undertaken to bridge
this gap. The purpose of this study was to determine the
impact of SRLE using the Rasch measurement model.
SRLE instruments involved the usage of technological
tools, which is not commonly found in the traditional
assessments. Moreover, three statistical reasoning were
integrated into the statistical reasoning instruments,
including the measures of central tendency, distribution,
and variability. Such combination allows the students to
understand that these concepts are actually interrelated
ideas32. In this study, the statistical reasoning instruments
had demonstrated their ability to promote and assess the
statistical reasoning among the secondary school students.
Hence, the instructors and researchers can employ them
in the fbture studies.
6. CONCLUSION
In
sum, the findings of this study indicated that
the SRLE instruction had positive effects on promoting
statistical reasoning among tenth-grade students. Thus,
the instructors and researchers should adopt SRLE
instruction during in their statistics classrooms. Further
explorations of the SRLE instruction can be done in terms
of different grade levels, school, culture, gender,
background, and so forth.
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