Study elections in mathematics because it is important Too often mathematics is seen as pure and apolitical. Maths teachers may keep away from concepts that seem messy and without right and wrong answers. However, teachers of mathematics and statistics have … Continue reading →
Class size matters to teachers Class size is a perennial question in education. What is the ideal size for a school class? Teachers would like smaller classes, to improve learning. There is evidence of a small positive effect size due … Continue reading →
This summer/Christmas break it has been my pleasure to help a young woman who is struggling with statistics, and it has prompted me to ask people who teach postgraduate statistical methods – WTF are you doing? Louise (name changed) is a … Continue reading →
The Numeracy Development Project has influenced the teaching of mathematics in New Zealand. It has changed the language people use to talk about mathematical understanding, introducing the terms “multiplicative thinking”, “part-whole” and “proportional reasoning” to the teacher toolkit. It has … Continue reading →
The recent article in the Listener highlights again the need for all citizens to be statistically literate. In particular I believe statistical literacy should be a compulsory part of all journalists’ training. I have written before about this. I was happy … Continue reading →
Moving around the education sector My life in education has included being a High School maths teacher, then teaching at university for 20 years. I then made resources and gave professional development workshops for secondary school teachers. It was exciting … Continue reading →
Trade stands and cautious teachers It is interesting to provide a trade stand at a teachers’ conference. Some teachers are keen to find out about new things, and come to see how we can help them. Others studiously avoid eye-contact … Continue reading →
There is a push for teachers and students to use real data in learning statistics. In this post I am going to address the benefits and drawbacks of different sources of real data, and make a case for the use … Continue reading →
A reductionist approach to teaching statistics destroys its very essence I’ve been thinking a bit about systems thinking and reductionist thinking, especially with regard to statistics teaching and mathematics teaching. I used to teach a course on systems thinking, with … Continue reading →
A reductionist approach to teaching statistics destroys its very essence I’ve been thinking a bit about systems thinking and reductionist thinking, especially with regard to statistics teaching and mathematics teaching. I used to teach a course on systems thinking, with … Continue reading →
