Developing Students' Thought Processes for Choosing Appropriate Statistical Methods

Students often struggle to select appropriate statistical tests when investigating research questions. The authors present a lesson study designed to make students' thought processes visible while considering this choice. The authors taught their students a way to organize knowledge about statistical tests and observed its impact in the classroom and in students' written work. The results from this intervention were mixed, but the authors discuss where they found evidence for improvement in students' performance and thought processes. The classroom observations revealed that students have difficulty identifying variables and understanding the precise use of statistical language.